Chapter I

Cox's house

Amherst, Nova Scotia is a beautiful small village located on the famous Bay of Fundy; It has a population of about three thousand and has four churches, an academy, a music hall, a large iron foundry, a large shoe factory, and more in size than any other village in the province.

Contains more stores of different types.

Private residences of the wealthiest residents look very picturesque, surrounded by beautifully decorated lawns with a variety of ornamental trees and countless flower beds of favorite and sometimes very rare varieties.

the residences of Parson Townsend, Mr. Robb, Dr. Nathan Tupper, and Mr. GG Bird, proprietor of the Amherst Bookstore; The village postmaster, Mr. Amos Purdy, and many others,

What cannot be mentioned will definitely attract the attention and admiration of visitors.

On Princes Street, near the church, is a beautiful two-storey cottage painted yellow. There is a small courtyard in front, which extends to the stables at the rear. The neat appearance of the chalet and its pleasant location will surely attract the attention of any stranger. On entering the house, everything is so beautifully arranged, so clean and so comfortable that the visitor immediately feels at home, convinced that everything has been taken care of by a frugal housewife.

There are four rooms on the first floor, a drawing room with a large bay window, filled with beautiful geraniums of every imaginable color and variety, which is the first room to attract attention; Then the dining room, with its old-fashioned clock, its numerous home-made rugs, its chairs and its huge table, beckons you to dine, especially if it is about noon;

There will definitely be a delicious smell coming from the nearby kitchen around this time of the day. The kitchen is exactly as a room should be in a country house, it is not very big and is equipped with a simple wood stove, a large pine table and a small sink, it has a door to the side yard near the stables And it opens. Another in the wash house, besides the one that connects it to the dining room, making three doors in all,

And a window. The fourth room is much smaller and serves as a sewing room; It is connected to the dining room and living room and each has a door opening. Apart from the four rooms on the first floor, there is a large pantry, which has a small window at a height of about four feet from the ground, the door of this pantry opens into the dining room. This is the layout of the first floor.

Going up a short flight of stairs and turning left you find yourself on the second floor of the cottage, which consists of an entrance hall and four small bedrooms, all opening onto the entrance hall. Each room has one window and one door. Two of these smaller bedrooms face the road and the other two are at the rear of the bungalow. Like the rest of the house, they are distinguished by their neat and cozy appearance, decorated with wallpaper and paintings and furnished with simple country furniture. In fact, everything about the little cabin would impress a casual observer that its inhabitants are happy and apparently at peace with God and man.

This simple cottage is the home of shoemaker Daniel Teed. Everyone knows and respects honest, hard-working Dan, who will never owe a dollar if he can help it and will never let his family lack the comfort that Amherst shoes provide . A factory foreman.

Dan is survived by his wife Olive, who, as always, is a good person and always works hard. She remains awake from morning till evening. It has always been a subject of gossip among the neighbors and the...