the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第29章

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When　Ruth's　brothers　and　sisters　were　young；　and　books　were　not　so　common　as　now；　she　very　often　read　aloud　to　her　mother　and　the　family。　Macauley's　Essays　and　History；　Prescott's　works；　the　〃Literary　Garland；〃　and　lighter　works　were　read　from　time　to　time　as　circumstances　or　taste　dictated。　GLEASON'S　PICTORIAL；　the　ANGLO…SAXON；　the　SCOTTISH…　AMERICAN；　and　HARPER'S　MAGAZINE　were　read　with　great　interest。　She　was　a　subscriber　to　the　CENTURY　MAGAZINE　at　the　time　of　her　death。　Some　of　Hannah　More's　sacred　dramas　were　frequently　read　on　a　Sabbath　evening。　The　writer　remembers　well　how　we　younger　children　enjoyed　the　moment　when　David；

〃From　his　well…directed　sling；　quick　hurled；　with　dexterous　aim；　a　stone；　which　sank　deep…lodged　in　the　capacious　forehead　of　the　foe。〃

And

〃The　mighty　mass　of　man　fell　prone；　with　its　own　weight；　his　shattered　bulk　was　bruised。　Straight　the　youth　drew　from　his　sheath　the　giant's　pond'rous　sword；　and　from　the　enormous　trunk　the　gory　head；　furious　in　death；　he　severed。〃

The　language　was　rather　beyond　us；　but　we　knew　that　David　had　killed　the　giant；　and　we　did　not　bother　about　the　big　words。　Or；　when　little　Moses　was　left　in　the　ark　of　bulrushes；　exposed　to　all　the　dangers　of　the　Nile　swamp；　how　we　almost　trembled　lest　some　evil　should　befall　him　before　Pharaoh's　daughter　could　rescue　him；　and　rejoiced　to　think　that　Miriam　did　her　part　so　well　as　to　get　her　mother　as　a　nurse　for　the　little　brother。　Ruth　seemed　to　enjoy　reading　these　dramas　over　and　over　quite　as　much　as　we　enjoyed　listening　to　them。　She　grew　fonder　of　reading　as　she　grew　older；　and　would　talk　of　the　characters　in　a　book　as　if　they　were　as　real　to　her　as　her　personal　friends。

Ruth　was　deeply　interested　in　the　confederation　of　the　Provinces　when　that　question　was　before　the　people。　After　giving　the　matter　a　good　deal　of　thought　she　decided　in　favor　of　the　union。　In　early　days；　because　of　sympathy　for　a　friend；　she　had　conceived　a　prejudice　against　Dr。　Tupper；　who　began　his　public　life　in　Point　de　Bute；　and　with　whom　she　was　personally　acquainted。　The　family　at　Prospect　were　supporters　of　Howe　and　the　Liberal　party　in　Nova　Scotia　at　this　time；　but　Howe　had　turned　his　back　on　Confederation；　and　Dr。　Tupper　was　the　leader　of　the　Confederate　party　in　that　Province。　Ruth　was　exceedingly　anxious　that　the　principle　of　union　should　triumph；　and　it　was　a　grief　to　her　that　Dr。　Tupper　should　triumph　with　it。　But　she　lived　long　enough　to　forgive　him　and　to　appreciate　the　good　work　Sir　Charles　did　for　Canada。

The　Free　School　question　was　another　problem　in　which　she　was　greatly　interested；　and　as　one　of　her　favorite　cousins　was　in　the　election　of　1872；　in　which　free　non…sectarian　schools　were　on　trial　in　New　Brunswick　（at　least；　so　thought　the　friends　of　this　measure）；　she　was　anxious　as　to　the　outcome　of　the　elections；　and　well　pleased　when　they　resulted　well　for　free　schools。

Of　the　twenty　members　of　the　second　generation　now　living；　the　women　outnumber　the　men　thirteen　to　seven。　Five　of　the　twenty　are　octogenarians；　twoMartin　Trueman；　of　Point　de　Bute；　and　Thompson　Trueman；　of　Sackvillehave　reached　the　patriarchal　age　of　eighty…seven　years。　The　former　in　one　particular　is　like　the　late　Mr。　Gladstonehe　takes　his　recreation　with　the　axe。　He　has　prepared　many　cords　of　wood　for　the　stove　in　the　last　few　years。

The　first　Trueman　family　were　not　strong　men；　but　they　were　persistent　workers；　and　could　accomplish　more　in　a　given　time　than　men　of　much　stronger　build。　The　second　generation　were　physically　equal　or　superior　to　that　of　the　first；　which　was　rather　a　rare　circumstance　in　this　country。　The　gift　of　languageof　talking　easily　and　gracefully；　either　in　private　or　publicwas　not　one　of　their　possessions。　Not　a　man　of　the　first　generation　could　talk　ten　minutes　on　a　public　platform；　and　the　second　generation　are　in　this　particular　not　much　of　an　improvement　on　their　forbears。　This；　in　part；　no　doubt；　accounts　for　the　fact　that　a　family　which　turns　out　elders；　class…leaders　and　circuit　stewards　in　such　numbers　has　not　produced　a　minister　of　the　Trueman　name。

Agriculture　was　the　work　to　which　the　family　set　their　hand　in　the　new　country。　The　children　were　taught　that　manual　labor　was　honorable；　and　that　agriculture　was　worthy　of　being　prosecuted　by　the　best　of　men。　The　seven　sons　and　three　sons…in…law　were　all　successful　farmers；　and　heredity　no　doubt　had　its　influence。


CHAPTER　IX

FAMILIES　CONNECTED　BY　MARRIAGE　WITH　THE　SECOND　GENERATION　OF　TRUEMANS。

WELLS

William　Wells；　the　first　of　the　name　in　Point　de　Bute；　was　one　of　the　Yorkshire　band。　He　was　a　mason　by　trade；　and　built　the　Methodist　Chapel　at　Thirsk　before　leaving　Yorkshire。　He　married　Margaret　Dobson。　The　Dobsons　lived　in　Sowerby；　near　Thirsk；　and　were　among　the　first　to　accept　the　teachings　of　John　Wesley。　Mr。　Wells　did　not　come　direct　to　Halifax；　but　landed　at　Boston；　and；　after　staying　there　some　months；　came　to　Fort　Cumberland。　This　was　in　1772。　He　bought　property　in　Upper　Point　de　Bute；　very　near　to　that　of　his　father…in…law；　George　Dobson。　This　property　is　still　in　the　name　of　its　original　owner；　a　rare　thing　in　this　country；　as　very　few　families　hold　the　same　property　for　a　century　and　a　quarter。

Mrs。　Wells　was　the　mother　of　thirteen　children；　six　of　whom　died　in　early　life。　The　remaining　seven　married　and　settled　in　the　country。　They　were　married　as　follows：George　to　Elizabeth　Freeman；　of　Amherst；　William　to　Catherine　Allan；　of　Cape　Tormentine；　Mary　to　George　Chappel；　of　Bay　Verte；　Elizabeth　to　Jonas　Allan；　of　Cape　Tormentine；　Margaret　to　S。　Freeze；　of　Amherst　Point；　Jane　to　Bill　Chappell；　of　Bay　Verte；　and　Joseph　to　Nellie　Trenholm；　of　Point　de　Bute。

William　Wells　was　an　active　member　of　the　Methodist　Church。　He　enjoyed　a　special　gift　in　prayer；　and　not　infrequently；　in　the　absence　of　the　minister；　read　the　burial　service　over　the　dead。

I　find　this　entry　　in　the　old　journal：　　〃June　3rd；　1811Mrs。　Jane　Fawcett　departed　this　life　May　31st；　very　suddenly；　was　well　about　ten　o'clock；　and　died　before　eleven　o'clock；　was　buried　Sunday　afternoon　by　Wm。　Wells；　Esq。〃

The　following　letter；　written　a　century　ago　by　Mr。　Wells；　may　have　some　interest　for　his　descendants。　The　letter　was　addressed　to　William　Trueman。

〃DEAR　BROTHERAm　sorry　to　hear　of　Mr。　Bennet's　indisposition；　but　am　glad　his　case　is　hopeful。　I　trust　the　Lord　has　more　work　to　do　for　him　yet。　Respecting　myself　should　be　glad　to　come　to　see　my　dear　friends；　but　the　journey　appears　to　be　too　much　for　me　to　perform；　for　I　was　exceeding　bad　yesterday；　and　altho　this　day　I　feel　a　little　freer　from　pain；　yet　my　weakness　is　great。　If　I　should　be　better　towards　the　latter　part　of　the　day　maybe　I　may　try　to　come；　but　I　have　hitherto　felt　worse　at　the　latter　part　of　the　day。　I　pray　God　that　our　light　afflictions　may　work　out　for　us　a　far　more　and　exceeding　weight　of　glory。

〃Yours　affec。；　_W。_　WELLS。

〃Saturday　morning；　〃Nov。　13th；　1802。〃

The　descendants　of　William　Wells　are　widely　scattered　over　New　Brunswick　and　Nova　Scotia；　and　a　good　number　have　emigrated　to　the　United　States。　Charles　H。；　Charles　C。；　James；　and　Joseph　D。　Wells；　great…grandsons；　represent　the　name　in　Point　de　Bute　and　Jolicure。　The　late　W。　Woodbury　Wells；　M。P。P。；　and　Mr。　Justice　Wells；　of　Moncton；　also　are　members　of　this　family；　while　Lieut。…Governor　Snowball　is　a　great…　grandson　of　William　Wells。

BLACK。

William　Black　was　born　in　Paisley；　Scotland；　in　1727。　When　a　young　man　he　removed　to　Huddersfield；　England；　and　engaged　in　the　linen　and　woollen　drapery　business。　In　1774　he　prospected　Nova　Scotia　with　a　view　to　settlement；　and　purchased　a　large　block　of　land　near　the　present　town　of　Amherst。　The　next　year　he　brought　his　family；　consisting　of　wife；　four　sons　and　a　daughter；　to　Nova　Scotia；　and　settled　on　his　new　farm。

William　Black　was　twice　married；　and　lived　to　the　great　age　of　ninety…　three　years。　He　spent　the　last　years　of　his　life　in　Dorchester；　where　he　left　a　large　family　by　his　second　wife。　He　was　the　father　of　William　Black；　who　has　been　designated　the　〃Father　of　Methodism〃　in　the　Lower　Provinces。

The　Blacks　have　proved　good　citizens；　and　have　contributed　their　full　share　to　the　development　of　the　coun