Muriel 'Duckwottk y - desLibris

16 /KutieL "TSuckwoitk
There they were finally notified in 1793
that their grant of 100 square miles was
approved. It was wild, uncultivated land
and included most of the present town
of Magog at the north end of the lake.
Each family received approximately 1200
acres, much of which was to be returned
to Austin for his costs related to surveying
and road building. However, this
never happened and he died a poor man. l
Nicholas and his wife Phoebe and their
family settled in picturesque Austin Bay,
a small bay within Sargent's Bay. Muriel
identifies Nicholas Austin to children
and grandchildren by saying, "my grandmother
was Nicholas Austin's great
granddaughter."
In 1913, when Muriel was five,
Muriel's aunt, her mother's eldest sister,
and uncle from Boston built a cottage
on the lake, next door to the Ball
farm. They remained childless and even-
Wedding photo of
Anna Westover and Ezra Ball, 1900.
tually Muriel inherited this cottage. It became a favourite rendezvous for the
extended family and is a place to which Muriel returns almost every summer
to renew her energies and to touch base with her origins.
Magog is only 80 miles from Montreal. The surrounding countryside
is so beautiful that the area, even in Muriel's childhood, was a favourite
summer community. Lake Memphremagog, which is 30 miles long, bisects
the steep rolling hills and Muriel's parents' farm lies in a valley between the
hills and alongside the lake. Although the scenery was spectacular the
farmland was not fertile. To supplement the farm income her mother ran a
boarding home for summer visitors and her father sold lightning rods.
As a very
young child
Muriel was
taught the alphabet
by her GrandmotherWestover
who lived with
the family. The
chalk and slate,
hanging on the
House where Muriel was born. kitchen wall,