It was not the first time that 
     
     Kathleen experienced the 
     
     mystery and magic of the 
     
     Christmas season, which she 
     
     would later celebrate with her 
     
     own family. When Kathleen 
     
     was just four or five years old, 
     
     she accompanied Mary on a 
     
     trip to Summerside. They went 
     
     to Holman’s department store, 
     
     where Mary bought Kathleen a 
     
     faux fur coat. As it happened, 
     
     Santa Claus was at the store 
     
     and Mary told Kathleen to 
     
    

    
     ask him for a muff to go with 
     
     her new coat. To her delight 
     
     and amazement, the muff was 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Kathleen with her father [01m in 
     
    
   
   
    
     waiting for her under the tree fion t of the Ke efe fit m shed 
     
     on Christmas morning. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Kathleen started school in September of 1933, just days short of her sixth 
     
     birthday. The first day of school was an exciting event for her. After being 
     
     seen off by her mother, her brother Earl dropped her off at the front door 
     
     of the two room school, and she was ushered into a classroom along with 
     
     22 other students in grades one to five. The other room, the “big room” 
     
     accommodated grades six to eight. Those who continued their education 
     
     completed grades nine and ten at the parochial house. The few who were 
     
     heading to further studies completed their matriculation at the convent. 
     
     Matriculation signified the completion of high school studies, and 
     
     completing it made students eligible for entrance to university. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Although the school was reasonably well—equipped, there was no well to 
     
     provide water. At recess, students in grades four or five would go down to 
     
     the convent for a bucket of water. The others would play games at recess 
     
     like tag, ring around the rosey, red rover, sitting in the sun and drop the 
     
     handkerchief. The classes were bustling, with students working on their 
     
     various subjects, and called to the front of the room a class at a time to 
     
    
   
   
    
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