February, 1919
The storm was growing stronger. The house shook as snow blew and swirled around the corners outside. Honor was glad to have built a strong house in the middle of this prairie. The hedges he had planted around the outside where covered in snow but blocked the wind somewhat.
Madeleine (aged 6), Gilbert (aged 8) and George (aged 13) were home from school. It wasn’t very far to the school; a one-room building just about two miles walk from home. With the threat of a storm brewing, Honor thought it better they stay home today. Madeleine sat at the window looking out at the storm and planned for all they would do when the storm cleared. There’d be enough snow to build a snowman but it was too cold and the snow wouldn’t stick. Still, they could dig forts out of the snow drifts and those where getting bigger too.
Honor was out at the barn with Gilbert and George making sure the animals were huddled in their shelters. The milk cow would need to be milked but it was too early still. Pauline was preparing some dinner when she suddenly gasped. She looked at Madeleine. “Madeleine, honey, could you dress yourself up warm and go fetch your father?” Then she continued preparing dinner. Madeleine pulled on her boots and wrapped herself up in her coat. She didn’t understand why her mother wanted her father to come into the house right now, but she was looking forward to weathering the storm. After all, she was a big girl now – old enough to go to school. And it was just a little storm.
“Remember to grab the rope,” her mother called from the kitchen as Madeleine was about to head out the door. There was a rope tied from the house to the barn for days like this. That way, if the wind blew the snow up so that you couldn’t see where you were going, you could still hold on to the rope to find your way. In the summer, it wasn’t far from the house to the barn, but in winter, when snow could be drifting and could blind one completely, it became a treacherous walk. One could lose their way and wander around until they froze.
Madeleine thought her mother’s voice wasn’t quite right when she called. It seemed a little strained. “I hope she’s alright! I don’t understand what’s going on.” Madeleine grabbed the rope and began her journey to the barn. When she arrived, her Dad was just finishing up. “Papa! Maman said you should come to the house right away!” Her dad looked up, shocked.
“Not today! Oh no! George, get the team together and put them on the sleigh! Gilbert, you help him.” Then he ran back to the house with Madeleine in tow.
“Why are you getting the team ready?” Madeleine asked. “It’s storming out and they won’t want to go out in this.”
Her father ignored her question. Back at the house he plopped his boots off and hurried over to his wife. “Pauline! Are you alright? Is it happening?” He was whispering to her.
Pauline nodded. “You’ll need to take Madeleine to Maman and Papa. Take Gilbert too. George can stay and milk the cow. I know it’s storming, but you know what I need. Please be careful!”
Honor did know. It was almost 30 miles to where the doctor was. The days were short. It would be dark soon and then there was the storm. They couldn’t risk bringing Pauline to the doctor; he would have to come here.
“Come on Madeleine. We’re going for a ride.”
The Tiersons, Pauline’s Maman and Papa, lived only one mile away. Honor gathered up Madeleine and Gilbert and a warm rug for them and spoke gently to his horses. “I know you won’t like this much, but we’ve got to do it. You and I will find the way where we’re going.” Bundled up as much as he could he beckoned the horses to start off and headed over to the Tiersons.
He haled them as he drove into the yard. Grandma Tierson stood at the door. “Not today!” she cried.
“It seems it is.” Honor said. “I’m off to Lafleche to get the doctor. I need to leave Madeleine and Gilbert with you.”
“I need to be with her,” Grandma cried.
“I’m driving right by the house on my way. Do you think Grandpa Tierson will be okay with the kids?” Honor asked.
“Of course he will! They don’t need much. Pierre! Don’t forget to feed the kids!” she said as she pulled on her heavy boots and warm coat.
“Ah. We’ll play some cards,” said Pierre. He looked at Honor. “You be very careful. It’s a bad storm and it’s getting worse!”
Honor dropped off his mother-in-law who scooted directly into the house. Then he turned the team and headed off at a trot. He knew the trails well. He needed to haul the grain he grew to Lafleche to sell it. There was a general store there where the family would buy what they needed. Still, it was difficult to navigate in this storm. He would alternate, pushing the horses along quickly and then letting them walk to get their air back. Then back to a trot to keep them warm and move faster.
Now, if you don’t know the prairies, you would think that there seems to be no landmarks in the winter. Indeed, it is like looking out on the ocean; an ocean of snow with drifts like waves and some that look like they’ll support you but will collapse when you get onto them. Then, there are places where the snow has blown completely off the land and bare fields sit. As he trotted over this landscape, Honor worried about fences. People who kept cattle would fence off a piece of their land and that made a cross-county journey treacherous. The fence would be completely covered over with snow, but he could still make out the posts. Still, the sun was beginning to set and soon he wouldn’t see those at all.
He tried to work out just where he would turn a little northeast and be past the fences on Cliff’s yard. Then, a straight run North should take him right to the doctor’s door. He figured he should be there by 7:30 or 8:00. He could refill the lanterns then and perhaps the doctor would be able to hook up his horses for the return trip. Too bad he wasn’t able to let the doctor know he was coming.
After a few turn arounds he recognized the doctor’s home and rode up to it at almost 9:00. He was beginning to feel a bit frantic – but the horses were exhausted. It was not just the distance, but the dance through thick snow and pulling the sleigh through snow drifts.
The doctor had a busy day and had enjoyed a drink or two to unwind from it. He was just beginning to head off to his bed when there was a pounding on his door. He opened it to a snow monster. “Good God man. Look at you!” Honor begin to shiver as the snow fell away from his head and shoulders. “Get in here and warm up. What’s happened. Oh no! It’s time!” He suddenly remembered meeting Pauline about a month ago.
“My horses need rest before heading back,” Honor said. “They’ve worked hard to get here.” Then he staggered into the doctor’s house and sat down hard to let the snow keep dropping off of him onto the vestibule floor.
The doctor turned to his son. “Get those horses inside the shelter and brush them off good. Have John get my team ready on Honor’s sleigh.” To his wife he said “I’ve got to go to the Dumelie’s. Pauline’s time has come.”
“Tonight! In this weather! Oh dear God!”, she prayed. “I’ll get you some rugs and you can leave the wet ones here. I’ll fill the thermoses too. And lanterns. You’ll need lanterns. Honor, have you had anything to eat?”
“We’ll take my horses back to your place. Then in the morning you can bring me back and get your horses. They’ll be fine here over night.”
They all hurried around preparing for the trip. Honor sat in the kitchen with a bowl of stew in front of him. He couldn’t taste it, but it warmed up his insides and he realized how nearly frozen he was. His wife was small. Just a very pretty little thing with a crippled leg, but so tough. He was incredibly proud of all she had endured as his wife. But that was another story. For now, he worried they’d not get back in time. Still, he had to rest. He would drive back and make sure the doctor was wrapped up and warm so that he would be at his best when they got back to the homestead.
By 9:30 they were ready to head back. John volunteered to join them, saying that if they got stuck in a snow drift or lost their way he could help. Honor thought about it, but decided against it.
“We need to move as quickly as we can and the extra weight will be diffcult for the horses. Already they have to deal with snow and bare patches. Thank you, John, but I’m sure we’ll be able to get back alright.”
The doctor’s wife was torn between letting her son join them to keep her husband safe, or just keeping him safe at home. She was somewhat relieved when Honor turned him down.
The wind picked up then and the snow stung Honor’s face. Still he didn’t have to argue with the doctor to get him comfortable in the sleigh. The doctor ducked down and covered himself with the rug while Honor took the reins and headed off the way he’d come. Even with the lanterns, it was nearly impossible to see where they were going. But Honor had counted between turns along his route. Also, there were homesteads placed along the route that he could recall so that he was able to turn the team when the time came and nearly retrace his steps. He resumed his method of alternating between walking the team and getting them up to a good trot. He was so cold and found that he kept losing the feel of the reins, but the horses were a good team, well trained and steady.
So it was that he was able to get them back to his homestead, with the wind howling around him. By 12:30 he pulled up to the house. George came out and took care of the horses. “She’s still okay but kind of loud at times.” He walked the horses ollowing the rope and got the sleigh inside the barn. Then he unhitched them and set about brushing and caring for them while they nibbled at the hay in the barn.
Honor and the doctor ran into the house and the doctor ran up the stairs while Honor dropped onto a chair by the fire and worked at warming himself up. He was back in time and started to doze a bit as he warmed up. George came back into the house. He was feeling like a young man now. He had realized what was happening with Maman. He couldn’t remember it very well from when Madeleine came but he’d seen it with the animals in the barnyard. Still it seemed his Maman was struggling.
Just as Honor was beginning to drop off to sleep on the chair, he heard a squeak and then a wail. He was awake instantly and getting up, he headed up the stairs to the bedroom. “It’s a girl,” the doctor and Grandma Tierson said together. Pauline was exhausted, but cradelled her new daughter.
“Marguerite,” she said. “Look, Honor. She’s perfect.”
In the morning, the storm had finally spent itself out. The sun shone brightly and blue sky could be seen in all directions to the horizon. Honor got the team out and put them back on the sleigh. He thought it would be a great day for a sleigh ride for Madeleine. Gilbert would come home and help George with the chores. But Pauline said “No. It’s too cold for her to go on that long a ride. Just bring her home first.”
So Honor got his Mother-in-law in the sleigh and left the doctor with a cup of coffee. Then he went a picked up Madeleine and Gilbert. Madeleine was full of questions but Gilbert was quiet. “What happened, Papa? Why do we have different horses? Where did they come from? Did you hear the storm last night? Look at all this snow! We played cribbage and I beat GrandPapa. I like the horses we have. They’re nice. Why do you have some other horses? Are they ours now? Where did they come from?”
Honor didn’t need to answer any questions because Madeleine didn’t leave time for him to answer them. He just smiled and nodded.
When they got back to the homestead, Gilbert jumped down and ran off to help George in the barn. Madeleine jumped down and ran into the house. “Maman. We have new horses! I beat Grandpapa at cribbage! What is that noise?”
“Madeleine, this is your baby sister Marguerite!”
“A baby sister? Where did she come from?”
Honor took her aside and picked her up. “You saw that storm last night,” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Well, I looked out and there were babies flying by in the wind. So I ran outside and grabbed one as she flew by! And now you have a new baby sister!”

Marguerite married Willy Klein