old bennie and mrs. bennie.—old-fashioned hospitality.—what old bennie was able to spread before his famished guests.—a night on a hay-mow.—a secluded village.—a morning walk.—behind time.—hurrah, boys!
|scott’s bay!
the emotions of the doctor and all his party, on hearing that name, can better be imagined than described. at first they could scarcely believe it; but finally, seeing that they knew nothing at all about it, and that bennie grigg, as he called himself, might be supposed to know where he was living, they were forced to admit the truth of the amazing statement. but bennie gave them no time for wonder. he forced them all to come in, and ushered them into a large room, where a bright wood fire was blazing upon an ample hearth. here his wife received the unexpected guests. she was a quiet, quaint, comfortable body, fit helpmeet for bennie, and received them in the most cordial maimer. with the true spirit of hospitality, bennie forbore from asking any question, but devoted his whole energies towards making his guests comfortable. he pulled forward an old-fashioned settee, drew forth the quaint, old, high-backed chairs, and soon had a circle of seats arranged around the fire, where all could be accommodated. after this his wife spread the cloth over a large table, and began to make preparations for a repast.
“you’ll be fairly starving?” said bennie to the doctor, interrogatively.
the doctor acknowledged that they were hungry, but begged bennie not to put himself out. bread, and butter, and milk were all that they wanted.
at this bennie laughed, and mrs. bennie laughed also, and the latter busied herself in getting ready the repast.
while mrs. bennie was thus employed, mr. bennie assisted her, and, at the same time, urged his guests to make themselves comfortable. so they talked with one another around the fire, and at length relapsed into silence. the fact is, they were all awfully hungry.
at last the table was spread.
and such a spread!
o, ye farmers of cornwallis! ye fishermen of scott’s bay! are there, indeed, other farmers and other fishermen on this terrestrial ball that can make extemporaneous spreads like yours? i doubt it.
for here bennie and his wife spread out broiled salmon,
ham and eggs,
mealy potatoes,
cream cheese,
tea,
coffee,
cream,
apple sauce,
broiled chicken,
mince pies,
apple pies,
cold corn beef,
cold roast beef,
cold fillet of veal,
fresh bread,
hot rolls,
pickles,
cold ham,
chow-chow,
tomato ketchup,
ginger pop,
currant wine,
cranberry preserves,
plum preserves,
quince preserves,
cake,
bacon,
smoked herrings,
alewives,
finnen haddies,
salad,
buckwheat pancakes,
mushroom ketchup,
pickled oysters,
maple honey,
johnny cakes, and various other articles of a minor character.
all of which the starving wayfarers attacked with ravenous appetites, while mr. and mrs. bennie looked on with faces that beamed all over with inexpressible gratification.
it was not until the first cravings of hunger were satisfied that bennie ventured to speak to his guests about their wanderings. the doctor then told him all.
in the full discussion that followed the whole thing was made plain, and their wanderings were all accounted for.
in the first place, it was seen that bruce’s party, in spite of their carelessness, and of their chase after pat, had actually reached the point at which they had aimed, viz., the scott’s bay road, and were on their way to the place where the horses were kept, when the doctor met them and turned them back.
secondly, the doctor’s wanderings with his party now became intelligible.
he had set out with the idea in his mind of avoiding that fatal tendency to swerve to the right of which bruce had spoken.
but against this he had guarded so carefully, that it had led to a swerving in the opposite direction, as he himself had already partially acknowledged. that is to say, he had steadily swerved to the left.
the consequence was, that he had led his followers over a long and fatiguing journey, in a complete circle, until at last he had actually brought them into the scott’s bay road. but he, thinking he had gone in an exact straight line, supposed it to be the hall’s harbor road. as he wished to go to cornwallis, he had, therefore, turned to the left, and gone forward under this false idea, and thus had met bruce’s party, who were going in the proper direction. he had made them turn back with him, and had thus led them to scott’s bay, never imagining that he could be wrong until that awful moment when the ominous roar of the surf showed him that he must be very far away from where he supposed himself to be.
old bennie laughed loud and long as he listened to the story of their wanderings, and his laughter struck pleasantly and cheerily upon their ears. for they had all been refreshed by the generous repast which their host had spread before them, and a new life had arisen within them. their past wanderings were now nothing more than amusing reminiscences. the table lay before them with its bounteous store; beside them the big broad hearth sustained its load of crackling fire logs, among which the flames danced and leaped up merrily; and there was in the broad old-fashioned apartment a certain joyous and social atmosphere, beneath whose influence all their natures relaxed into a kindly and genial glow. and thus it came to pass that the repast afforded a full and complete compensation for all the toils of the day.
they slept that night variously. the doctor had a room to himself. the settee formed a bed on which jiggins and bogud reposed. sammy and johnny blue slumbered on straw beds stretched on the floor. as for the rest, they slept in the barn, on the hay, which they preferred to anything which the house could offer. bennie tried to tempt them with various mattresses spread over the kitchen floor; but they chose the haymow, and bennie himself finally declared that such a choice showed their sense.
the next morning came. they all arose refreshed. the fog had all cleared away, the sun shone brightly, and all the scene were displayed before their eyes.
they found scott’s bay village to be a place of about five hundred inhabitants, who lived chiefly by fishing, to which they added farming. there was also a ship-yard here, which occasionally, in a busy seasop, added largely to the population. the houses were generally neat, and situated along the road.
all around the scenery was magnificent. the bay was a small indentation behind blomidon, formed by a long, projecting spur of the north mountain, which ran on one side of the straits of minas, and terminated in those rugged and sublime fragments of shattered and storm-riven rock that give to that point the name of cape split. the beach was a long crescent, that extended for about two miles, and was bounded at either extremity by lofty precipices. before it lay the blue waters of the bay of fundy, with the long precipitous line of coast on either side; and immediately in front, though many miles away, rose a solitary island, with perpendicular sides and flat summit, known by the name of ile haute, both to the old acadians, who thus named it, and to their english successors.
that day was sunday, and they had to remain in the village. the doctor, however, found occupation. there was no clergyman stationed here, but there was a little chapel, where services were held about once a month. here he performed the duties of his sacred office, and the villagers, hearing of his arrival, turned out in force. the doctor had a crowded house, and was so gratified by their attendance in the morning, and so touched by their quiet but earnest attention, that he held forth again in the afternoon.
as to the mistake that the doctor had made, he acknowledged it in the handsomest manner. in the presence of all the boys, he said that bruce had been right, and he had been wrong. he acknowledged his ignorance of the woods, and advised them, if they ever again went roaming through the forest, never to trust to the guidance of a doctor of divinity. he felt that he might be of some small service in guiding them through figurative forests,—in pointing out the true way through that “obscure wood” by which dante once symbolized this world of man,—but as to ever again leading them, or having anything to do with them in any literal, material wood, he begged to be excused; and he also advised them not to have anything to do with him. he praised them all for their patient endurance in following him, and hoped finally that they would look back upon this adventure with such pleasant memories that all the troubles that they had endured would be forgotten.
on the other hand, every one of the boys declared that they had had a most delightful time, and that they would not want a better leader than the doctor; all of which showed plainly that the toil and trouble of these wanderings had already been forgotten in the peace and pleasure which had marked their journey’s end.
there remained now the consideration of their homeward journey. on saturday night the doctor had spoken to bennie about it, and bennie said he would see about getting conveyances for them as far as the place where the doctor’s horses had been left. but the doctor refused to let him make any arrangements on sunday. as he wished to be back at grand pré on monday in time to begin the school, he saw that it would be impossible to get bennie’s conveyances without breaking the sabbath. but he couldn’t do this. so there was only one alternative; and that was, to start very early on monday morning, and walk to the place where the horses were. this he determined to do.
so, on monday morning, at four, they all rose, and after partaking of a substantial breakfast, they bade mr. and mrs. bennie an affectionate farewell, and departed. it was about five before they left. it was past seven when they reached their destination. the doctor found the horses and wagons all safe; but it took some time to feed the former, and it was after eight o’clock before they were able to start.
then they drove home as fast as they could.
they arrived at the hill at about eleven. but the hour for commencing school was nine. the doctor’s family and messrs. simmons and long were quite anxious about the absentees. the school had not been opened. they were waiting for the return of the wanderers.
and thus, when the wanderers at length returned, they found that their delay had resulted in giving them an additional holiday.
for the school could not begin on that day. that was evident.
and thus they found themselves blessed with another reprieve from study.
hurrah, boys!
