Lady Mary and her Nurse by Traill, Catharine Parr, 1802-1899

Produced by Avinash Kothare, Tom Allen, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

This file was produced from images generously made available by the Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions.

LADY MARY AND HER NURSE;

OR,

A PEEP INTO THE CANADIAN FOREST.

by

MRS. TRAILL

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

THE FLYING SQUIRREL--ITS FOOD--STORY OF A WOLF--INDIAN VILLAGE--WILD RICE

CHAPTER II.

SLEIGHING--SLEIGH ROBES--FUR CAPS--OTTER SKINS--OLD SNOW-STORM--OTTER HUNTING--OTTER SLIDES--INDIAN NAMES--REMARKS ON WILD ANIMALS AND THEIR HABITS

CHAPTER III.

PART I.--LADY MARY READS TO MRS. FRAZER THE FIRST PART OF THE HISTORY OF THE SQUIRREL FAMILY

PART II.--WHICH TELLS HOW THE GREY SQUIRRELS GET ON WHILE THEY REMAINED ON PINE ISLAND--HOW THEY BEHAVED TO THEIR POOR RELATIONS, THE CHITMUNKS-- AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM IN THE FOREST

PART III.--HOW THE SQUIRRELS GOT TO THE MILL AT THE RAPIDS--AND WHAT HAPPENED TO VELVET-PAW

CHAPTER IV.

SQUIRRELS--THE CHITMUNKS--DOCILITY OF A PET ONE--ROGUERY OF A YANKEE PEDLAR--RETURN OF THE MUSICAL CHITMUNK TO HIS MASTER'S BOSOM--SAGACITY OF A BLACK SQUIRREL

CHAPTER V.

INDIAN BASKETS--THREAD--PLANTS--MAPLE SUGAR-TREE--INDIAN ORNAMENTAL WORKS --RACOONS

CHAPTER VI.

CANADIAN FLOWERS--AMERICAN PORCUPINE--CANADIAN BIRDS--SNOW SPARROW-ROBIN RED-BREAST

CHAPTER VII.

INDIAN BAG--INDIAN EMBROIDERY--BEAVER'S TAIL--BEAVER ARCHITECTURE--HABITS OF THE BEAVER--BEAVER TOOLS--BEAVER MEADOWS

CHAPTER VIII.

INDIAN BOY AND HIS PETS--TAME BEAVER AT HOME--KITTEN, WILDFIRE--PET RACOON AND THE SPANIEL PUPPIES--CANADIAN FLORA

CHAPTER IX.

NURSE TELLS LADY MARY ABOUT A LITTLE BOY WHO WAS EATEN BY A BEAR IN THE PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK--OF A BABY THAT WAS CARRIED AWAY, BUT TAKEN ALIVE--A WALK IN THE GARDEN--HUMMING BIRDS--CANADIAN BALSAMS

CHAPTER X.

AURORA BOREALIS, OR NORTHERN LIGHTS, MOST FREQUENTLY SEEN IN NORTHERN CLIMATES--CALLED MERRY DANCERS--ROSE TINTS--TINT-LIKE APPEARANCE--LADY MARY FRIGHTENED

CHAPTER XI

STRAWBERRIES--CANADIAN WILD FRUITS--WILD RASPBERRIES--THE HUNTER AND THE LOST CHILD--CRANBERRIES--CRANBERRY MARSHES--NUTS

CHAPTER XII

GARTER SNAKES--RATTLE SNAKES--ANECDOTE OF A LITTLE BOY--FISHERMAN AND SNAKE--SNAKE CHARMERS--SPIDERS--LAND TORTOISE

CHAPTER XIII

ELLEN AND HER PET PAWNS--DOCILITY OF PAN--JACK'S DROLL TRICKS-- AFFECTIONATE WOLF--FALL FLOWERS--DEPARTURE OF LADY MARY--THE END

A PEEP INTO THE CANADIAN FOREST.

CHAPTER I.

THE FLYING SQUIRREL--ITS FOOD--STORY OF A WOLF--INDIAN VILLAGE--WILD RICE.

"Nurse, what is the name of that pretty creature you have in your hand? What bright eyes it has! What a soft tail, just like a grey feather! Is it a little beaver?" asked the Governor's [Footnote: Lady Mary's father was Governor of Canada.] little daughter, as her nurse came into the room where her young charge, whom we shall call Lady Mary, was playing with her doll.

Carefully sheltered against her breast, its velvet nose just peeping from beneath her muslin neckerchief, the nurse held a small grey-furred animal, of the most delicate form and colour.

"No, my lady," she replied, "this is not a young beaver; a beaver is a much larger animal. A beaver's tail is not covered with fur; it is scaly, broad, and flat; it looks something like black leather, not very unlike that of my seal-skin slippers. The Indians eat beavers' tails at their great feasts, and think they make an excellent dish."

"If they are black, and look like leather shoes, I am very sure I should not like to eat them; so, if you please, Mrs. Frazer, do not let me have any beavers' tails cooked for my dinner," said the little lady in a very decided tone.

"Indeed, my lady," replied her nurse, smiling, "it would not be an easy thing to obtain, if you wished to taste one, for beavers are not brought to our market. It is only the Indians and hunters who know how to trap them, and beavers are not so plentiful as they used to be."