Untitled - Memorial University's Digital Archives - Memorial ...

was unfairly chastised by Dr. Paddon and may evcn have becn barred from returning to
Ihe Labrador:
I had a wonderful time one time on the Labrador. Down on the back ofme
hospital. ow my molher was an Anmony from Nonh River - there was three
sislcrs and 3 brolher. Aunt)' Sarah Hall, me fathcr's sister. lived in Nonh River.
a\\" my sister and I walked down there to Nonh Ri\er and stayed all nighl and
walked back in the mom. No cars.
This fella' came along on a wrecked ship - shipwrecked in Injun Harbour. He was
there all night. I didn't know him. He get up on the bench - big bench on the back
oflhal. The two ofus got up there talking, We got up mere 13lking and he was
telling mc about me songs he kne\\ and I was tclling him about the songs I knew.
This little friggin' InjW1 come along and told the doctor and he camc out and
drovc us in. No\" he was my first cousin. He was Aunt Emma's son. Frost he
was,
"We was doing no harm or nothing," hc said to the doctor, lie [the Doctor} said,
"Get in:' and he ne\'er let me out after. [We) weren'l allowed alone with men, None
oflhem.
Louisa. a Labradorian, was prcgnant from anothcr man. She had to leave. He
IDoctor Paddon] was afraid ofthe people. IIc asked me, "Whal's your priesl's
namc homcT "Monsignor Veilch is my priest." lie even scnt home and told the
priesilthati was with a man}. Whcn I came home poor Ellen O'Toole, Aunt
BClh's daughtcr, she must have bccn over 10 confession over somewhere. Anyway
he told her to tell me to go over. lie wanted to see me. "I knows," I said, "what he
wanls to see me aboul and I have nothing to lell." Thai'S what I donc wrong. Why
thCIl, I hud a right 10 go but I had nothing to tell him only [that I wasltalking to
me first cousin that I never seed before. That's alii hud 10 tell. "All right, beggar,"
she said, "you'd better go over,"l said, "All right, I'll munage all that. Don't
worry," And she never stopped tonnenting about going over to the priest and he
was going 10 come over. I hope he will! I pray he will come over! lie didn't come
though and 1didn't go over like a fool. I had a right to go and tell him the whole
ins and outs of it. That was what I had a right to do. m
I1J Ibid. For a history ofme Indian Harbour hospital from 1894 to 1929, see Judy
McGrath, "Feature: Indian Harbour Hospital." Them Days 4. 1 (1978),4-41.
117