The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1973, Side 44

42
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SUMMER 1973
with my job. I was also looking for-
ward to being able to buy some ma-
terials for mother and help her sew
clothes for the children. I saw a busy
time ahead. Five days a week at the
school, and on evenings and weekends
there would be plenty for me to do
helping mother at home.
There was no mistaking the change
that had taken place in the settlement
during those three years I had been
away, except for brief holidays. The
pioneering look was fast being wiped
out. Of course there was no appear-
ance of plenty, but the people had
better housing, nicer clothes and
were more relaxed and cheerful.
The older folks gave themselves
more time for a little enjoyment, and
there was a dance somewhere nearly
every weekend. And I loved to dance.
Mother helped me make some
clothes to wear to school and also a
lovely pink dress trimmed with white
lace for dances or any get-to-gether the
winter might have to offer.
Sometimes we would go to a dance
with a group of young folks in a big
sleigh when one of the young men
or a father owned a team of horses.
This turned out to be a really busy
winter for me. At the school all went
well in spite of the fact that I
was not the ‘oldest’, which scared
me stiff at first. I called on all the
diplomacy I could muster and some-
how was able to make the children
feel that though young myself I was
in command and they had better be-
have and do as I wished.
At the school concert at the close
of the term I was presented with a
ring. It was the first .present I had
received in my life and I almost cried
with joy. I loved that ring and kept
it till it was worn through.
At that time the schools in our
settlement closed earlier than schools
elsewhere. This was not only because
of impassable roads in the spring, but
most of the farmers needed the
help of their older children when
summer activities began, for there was
more work ahead of them than one
pair of hands could do.
The end of the school term marked
the end of the social season of the year,
if social season it could be called.
There was a gathering in the biggest
house in our neighborhood with a
dance and refreshments, of course.
The music was excellent, a violin and
chording on an organ. All the young
folk were there for their last fling till
sometime next fall.
And what a good time we had! At
least I did. I had many compliments
on my pink dress; the girls could not
believe I had made it mostly myself.
I knew that many of them envied
me mostly for Johnny dancing attend-
ance on me all evening. He was the
best dancer there and so handsome
to boot. We had danced till after
midnight and the strains of “After
The Ball” filled the silence about us
as it had been played for the last
dance. Even if I looked forward to
the challenge of my future I still felt
a little sad to leave this winter be-
hind.
The stillness of the night was loud