作者：Nellie L. McClung 字数：5.1万字

To the Pioneer Women of the West, who made life tolerable, and even comfortable, for the others of us who fed the hungry, advised the erring, nursed the sick, cheered the dying, comforted the sorrowing, and performed the last sad rites for the dead The beloved Pioneer Women, old before their time with hard work, privations, and doing without things, yet in whose hearts there was always burning the hope of better things to come The godly Pioneer Women, who kept alive the con- science of the neighborhood, and preserved for us the best traditions of the race To these noble Women of the early days, some of whom we see no more, for they have entered into their inheritance, this book is respectfully dedicated by their humble admirer, The Author. Let me live in a house by the side of the road, and be a friend of man. CONTENTS THE BLACK CREEK STOPPING-HOUSE CHAPTER PAGE I. The Old Trail - 9 II. The House of Bread 15 III. The Sailors Rest 24 IV. Farm Pupils 30 V. The Prairie Club-House 37 VI. The Counter-irritant VII. Ladies Day at the Stopping-House - 48 VIII. Shadows of the Night IX. His Evil Genius X. Das Turn 79 XI. The Blizzard XII. When the Day Broke 103 THE RUNAWAY GRANDMOTHER THE RETURN TICKET THE UNGRATEFUL PIGEONS You NEVER CAN TELL - 44 61 71 89 113 131 145 159 A SHORT TALE OF A RABBIT - 179 THE ELUSIVE VOTE 187 THE WAY OF THE WEST - - 209 THE BLACK CREEK STOPPING HOUSE The Black Creek Stopping- House CHAPTER I. THE OLD TRAIL. WHEN John Corbett strolled leisurely into the Salvation Army meeting in old Victoria Hall in Winnipeg that night, so many years ago now, there may have been some who thought he came to disturb the meeting. There did not seem to be any atmospheric reason why Mr.Corbett or anyone else should be abroad, for it was a drizzling cold November night, and the streets were muddy, as only Winnipeg streets in the old days could be none of your light-minded, fickle-hearted, changeable mud that is mud to-day and dust to-morrow, but the genuine, original,

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