Wesblock, the autobiography of an automaton

by Harry McDonald Walters

CHAPTER X

We at once went to my home to break the news of our marriage in person to my parents. Father and mother were somewhat appalled at the serious turn things had taken. Mother wept, and father, I think, used his whole vocabulary of swear words. But neither had any blame for us personally. They showed their good judgment in taking the thing philosophically and kindly. Perhaps they remembered the day when they married, bride and bridegroom one year younger than Muriel and I; and they treated us as if we were human, foolish, and headstrong. They gave us, moreover, many things of immediate need wherewith to start our housekeeping; and so sent us away to the mill happy.

I have made many grave mistakes in my life which have had far-reaching consequences. My marriage has sometimes appeared to be the gravest of all, but as far as I can yet discover, the outcome on the whole, has been good. The consequences, of course, will reach on for ever; but I cannot see how I could have made more out of my life if I had avoided this rash act. Muriel must think the same thing, for our lives have become so identified with each other that they are as one life. It is nearly impossible for me to look back to the early days of my marriage and see them as they were. Looking back to childhood is much easier. Many things are plain now that were dark then. That Muriel, a comparative child, was willing and ready to give up her home luxuries and her social opportunities, to forego a brilliant wedding, with all the show and splendour that women worship, and to face the great unknown future with me, seemed a miracle worked for my special benefit—although the same kind of thing happens almost daily. It never occurred to her to think or care that she had lost some hundreds of wedding presents, which she would have received had she married in the usual way. And I, all self-complacence, took this sacrifice, and all it meant, as a matter of course.

Indeed at this time I felt no lack of confidence in either Muriel or myself. I could see no breakers ahead, and did not realise that we were taking chances which few are able to take and survive.

From my father’s house we went immediately to the mill, or rather to the village, which was a few miles from the mill. We spent a short honeymoon at the one-horse country hotel, while I made hurried arrangements to have a house of our own, by arranging with our sawyer to divide his house in two, that he might rent one half of it to us. Everything was novel to Muriel, everything new and worthy of notice; for her inexperience was comical. She did not know a chicken from a turkey.

These first days were a huge joke to everybody. The villagers laughed and we laughed. We gave parties and made merry, and enjoyed being alive. The whole village and countryside—yes, farmers for miles around, enjoyed us very much; and we enjoyed everybody and everything. It was a great world, we thought.

Considering the sudden and informal character of our wedding, our relatives and friends were very thoughtful. They sent us letters of congratulation, and wedding-presents in the shape of cheques and other useful or useless and ornamental things. We were regarded by all our connections as a very rash and foolish couple. Doctor Joseph, who could not act against the prompting of his kind heart for very long, sent us some handsome silver tea things, which served for years as a luxurious possession, very much out of place in our simple household.

Soon after our marriage, I may as well recall here, my enemy Lizette married an American, went to live in the United States, and so passed out of our lives and out of the pages of this book.

It seems that a certain degree of blind ignorance is necessary to the enjoyment of some kinds of happiness. Undoubtedly our happiness was the greater because we were unable to appreciate our position or the immensity of the task we had undertaken. Before we were married a week we began to settle down.

Presently the chairs, tables, bureaus, washstands and sundries began to arrive, which had been given me by my mother. In a few days our house was ready; it was carpeted throughout with the rag carpet of the French-Canadian farmer. Twenty cents per yard we paid for this carpet in those days and with plenty of newspapers underneath, it made a very good carpet. We made our first move now from the village hotel to our house at the mill, six miles away. Our furniture was in the house when we arrived there; for it had gone direct through the village by rail to the mill siding, and the thoughtful hands of Mason had put it in, and done many things we had forgotten to do for ourselves. We had a maid, too, a small husky thing, some fourteen years of age, for whose valuable services we paid one dollar a week. She suited us very well, although she spent many days with her finger in her mouth, and her eyes wide open watching us.