tin. Seven years later when Dad was renovating the house after buying it, he found a very rusty tobacco tin on part of the old foundation under the house. Inside there were the tickets and the money. Even though so many years had passed Dad and Mum were very upset and felt guilty that Rosalie had been so severely punished for a crime she had not committed. The money was taken to Mrs Bardenhagen who put it into the Sunday school funds. Rosalie is still hiding things and not finding them.
One year, just before the concert was to begin, because one of us children had done something that Mum deemed as bad behaviour, the four older girls were told that they werenât going. On many occasions we were threatened with a similar fate, but this time she meant it. Mrs Bardenhagen talked to Mum and pointed out how disastrous it would be, especially for the other children in the concert, if we didnât take our places in the program. At the last minute Mum relented and we were allowed to go, but it wasnât a happy night.
11
Our pets
Near the big shed was a large cage that housed four budgies and it was the twinsâ responsibility to care for them. They became quite distressed as one by one the birds died, so decided that the budgies should have a decent burial. The twins set about making the funeral arrangements. After gathering small slithers of wood from the woodheap they tacked them together and made a tiny box and lined it with cloth from the ragbag. The deceased was placed in the coffin and the lid tied on with string; hammering in tacks would make a noise and seemed irreverent. Friends were invited to the funeral and the service was held at the back of the house behind the kitchen. The birds were farewelled with the reverence befitting the dead as we all sang two of our Sunday school hymns, âJesus Bids us Shineâ and âJesus Loves Meâ, and read from the Bible.
Being very caring and considerate, the twins buried the budgies near the kitchen chimney so they wouldnât getcold. Little crosses were made to mark the spot as it was feared the budgies might be dug up when preparations for another funeral were being made. Flower buds placed on the grave completed the service and then, making the best of the company of the children who had attended the funeral service, it was off to play, the dead budgies soon forgotten.
Later on we had a yellow canary that Mrs Brooks gave us. One day it landed in her garden and when she picked it up she saw that it had no eyes. She looked after it for ten days, then realising that it wasnât going to die, she gave it to us. Dickie had the most beautiful whistle and, as he was in a cage outside our bedroom window, we usually heard his trilling song quite early each morning. Being blind was no hindrance to Dickie; he lived a long and happy life and was still singing his beautiful songs long after we had left home.
Sometimes we played hopscotch, but woe betide us if we didnât change into old shoes first. Too many times weâd felt the agony of Dadâs doubled-up razor strop on our backsides so weâd search through the old black cupboard for an old pair of shoes that would fit us. Weâd get charcoal from the dining room fireplace and draw the lines and circles on the road. There were very few cars on our road, the main traffic being about three loads of logs a day going to the mill. We werenât allowed to play on the road, but we had plenty of warning when the trucks were coming as they were very noisy and we had time to get off the road.
Dad was now driving a log truck and when we knew that his truck was the one coming, we wouldnât be anywhere near the road by the time he came around the corner. Like good little children we would be standing inside the fence, a picture of innocence, waving to Dad as he drove by. Sometimes we forgot to rub out the charcoal lines and weâd be in trouble any way because Dad would walk over them onhis way
One year, just before the concert was to begin, because one of us children had done something that Mum deemed as bad behaviour, the four older girls were told that they werenât going. On many occasions we were threatened with a similar fate, but this time she meant it. Mrs Bardenhagen talked to Mum and pointed out how disastrous it would be, especially for the other children in the concert, if we didnât take our places in the program. At the last minute Mum relented and we were allowed to go, but it wasnât a happy night.
11
Our pets
Near the big shed was a large cage that housed four budgies and it was the twinsâ responsibility to care for them. They became quite distressed as one by one the birds died, so decided that the budgies should have a decent burial. The twins set about making the funeral arrangements. After gathering small slithers of wood from the woodheap they tacked them together and made a tiny box and lined it with cloth from the ragbag. The deceased was placed in the coffin and the lid tied on with string; hammering in tacks would make a noise and seemed irreverent. Friends were invited to the funeral and the service was held at the back of the house behind the kitchen. The birds were farewelled with the reverence befitting the dead as we all sang two of our Sunday school hymns, âJesus Bids us Shineâ and âJesus Loves Meâ, and read from the Bible.
Being very caring and considerate, the twins buried the budgies near the kitchen chimney so they wouldnât getcold. Little crosses were made to mark the spot as it was feared the budgies might be dug up when preparations for another funeral were being made. Flower buds placed on the grave completed the service and then, making the best of the company of the children who had attended the funeral service, it was off to play, the dead budgies soon forgotten.
Later on we had a yellow canary that Mrs Brooks gave us. One day it landed in her garden and when she picked it up she saw that it had no eyes. She looked after it for ten days, then realising that it wasnât going to die, she gave it to us. Dickie had the most beautiful whistle and, as he was in a cage outside our bedroom window, we usually heard his trilling song quite early each morning. Being blind was no hindrance to Dickie; he lived a long and happy life and was still singing his beautiful songs long after we had left home.
Sometimes we played hopscotch, but woe betide us if we didnât change into old shoes first. Too many times weâd felt the agony of Dadâs doubled-up razor strop on our backsides so weâd search through the old black cupboard for an old pair of shoes that would fit us. Weâd get charcoal from the dining room fireplace and draw the lines and circles on the road. There were very few cars on our road, the main traffic being about three loads of logs a day going to the mill. We werenât allowed to play on the road, but we had plenty of warning when the trucks were coming as they were very noisy and we had time to get off the road.
Dad was now driving a log truck and when we knew that his truck was the one coming, we wouldnât be anywhere near the road by the time he came around the corner. Like good little children we would be standing inside the fence, a picture of innocence, waving to Dad as he drove by. Sometimes we forgot to rub out the charcoal lines and weâd be in trouble any way because Dad would walk over them onhis way
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