Where will she want to go this year?

I’ll tell you one thing: I’m dreading this Christmas of 1906. I have no idea where the wife will want to do her Christmas shopping this year. With all of the modern advances in transportation, she could get it into her head to ask to go to Middleton, or maybe even Halifax.

It might be hard for you to believe, but come Christmas, the trains will run directly from Bridgewater in both directions, up and down the coast. I do sometimes wonder what the world is coming to. You can get on a train here at Caledonia Corner, travel in comfort to New Germany, catch the train from Middleton going to Bridgewater, and then get on a train that runs east to Halifax or soon west to the very end of the province, in Yarmouth.

It is not so long ago that to get to Liverpool we had to take the mare, make a rest stop in Middlefield and then complete the journey, a worry at this time of year because it could turn out that you ought to have taken the sleigh. There’s still talk of running the railroad from Caledonia down to Liverpool, but a man from the Halifax and South-Western head office said the other day that he didn’t think it could make a profit.

I ask you: what next? They have just completed the roadbed along our shore to Yarmouth, where steamers run regularly to the Boston states. You could always buy a ticket here that would end you up in Yarmouth, but you had to go up by Middleton and along that shore. Now it will be easier. I had better be prepared to take matters in hand should the wife ever entertain thoughts of going in that direction.

For she has itchy feet. Where most wives are content to shop in the village and spend the rest of the time keeping the house clean, the chores done and meat on the table, she seems to think that at Christmas time she is entitled to an adventure. As if her spending my money can be fun, when it causes me such sorrow.

She has the idea that the money is her own, as she puts it away from selling butter and eggs, but that is a peculiar notion as the cows and chickens come from the farm, which is mine, my father’s before me, and his father’s before him. But she works hard, I’ll giver her that, and she has quite a pot of money salted away. I’ve allowed her to keep that, as the food she puts on the table is better when she is happy.

To tell you the truth, I think part of the problem is that she comes from a family that made quite a bit out of the Whiteburne gold mines. Her family didn’t own them, nothing like that, but her father was good at finding the gold and was well compensated by the owners. I’ve had to open her eyes to reality somewhat, making certain that for regular expenses, such as food and clothing, she has what I consider to be enough, but no more.

It was in this frame of mind that I read in the newspapers the other day that the first train over the new road to Yarmouth will leave on December 22 from Bridgewater. Forget the wife. I might just take it into my head to be on that train myself. It’s going to leave Bridgewater at 6:15, stop at Liverpool and other points and be in Yarmouth by 3:30, which is astounding when you think on it.

For the time being, that train will only run on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with a daily schedule to be put into effect once spring comes. I would have to go down to Bridgewater on Friday and stay over at Clark’s Hotel, but there’s an entertainment at the Amory Hall that I might take in. The sorry thing is, though, that once the train gets to Yarmouth it turns right around again for home, getting back to Bridgewater by 7:45, so you wouldn’t have any time to look around and would have to stay a second night at the hotel.

I suppose the wife would enjoy going with me, but someone’s got to look after the animals, not to mention the boy and the two girls. She always claims her sister would come in and look after things, but you never know where that woman would poke her nose if she got into the house for a couple of days. The last time she stayed over I was certain there was some missing from my bottle of spirits, and threatened to turn her over to the temperance people, but my wife told me I was going insane and made me apologize.

No, if the wife suggests coming with me, I will have to be firm. I find she takes things better when I am firm. I will tell her that I will allow her a bit extra for her shopping, and that should take care of that.