March 2, 2007 Chautauqua

From the Editor's Computer

I recently read the book, “Letters from the Manse,” which was written by a young newlywed minister’s wife while she and her husband were living in rural southwestern Prince Edward Island.

The letters started with their arrival in PEI in January, 1949 and continued till March, 1950. It was entertaining to read how this city gal faced her first winter in a rural setting. From their reliance on CBC radio for their cultural entertainment (oh the horror when the batteries ran low and they couldn’t get to the store to buy more right away) to the despair when the mail truck couldn’t get through for days on end because of the huge snow drifts and unplowed roads, she handled it all with a quirky sense of humour (and a dose of anger and frustration).

The letters not only give you a glimpse of her life, but of the lives of the people the couple is living in community with. The reader is introduced to the wonderful neighbour (a non-church attendee) who continually makes sure the poor minister gets to his services when the car refused to start (as it did virtually every Sunday morning!) and a few of the more colourful congregation members. Then there was the decision to limit the food offerings at Ladies meetings to 5 different types and the minister’s wife couldn’t host a meeting until she mastered baking 5 different desserts. She left the Island during the summer...ran away...as she would have been required to bake six pies for the Turkey Supper had she stayed!

How do you face new challenges?

Beth

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