Lucy

=__**Adalyne Miette**__=

//May 4th, 1668//

I am writing this first journal entry for the purpose of letting go of all that I once was. Which was, mostly, nothing. Farm work was all I did. Collecting milk and eggs and planting seeds. Now I can say I am something. Doing some good for our country. For New France. It is our third week on the ship and they say we will be landing in a day or two. There are about 15 women aboard. One of them, Genevieve, tells me frightening stories about thievery, and days that she came so close to being caught. She is only 2 years older than me but many years wiser. In a way I envy her exciting life, but I don't think I'd be able to live it. I am so grateful to our king. He has given us an amazing opportunity, and so much to get our new lives started. We have all been given a chest with things for sewing and mending, clothing, ribbons etc. In addition to that, we have been given a new dress and shoes. Our journey has been paid for, and they gave us some extra livres for food and things such as that. I am anxious to see who will become my fiance. I pray he is nothing like my own father.

//July 23rd, 1673//

It has been a long time since I last wrote. This is because I have been so busy. I am married now, to Fabien Beaumont. I guess my name now is Adalyne Beaumont. That will take longer, still, to get used to. I was very lucky. Fabien is very kind to me and smiles much more than the other men do. Also, he is definitely not like my father. My father never smiled. I have a daughter. Calanthe, after the flowers that bloom around her birthday. She is four years old now, and always happy. I am a farmer, like back home, but I am happier here. I have purpose. Fabien works with me and never yells. He is so patient, and I feel like I am more of a burden to him than a help. He says he is grateful for me, but I can tell that he doesn't think that way sometimes. Mostly when I drop things, or forget things. We live in a large loft in Fabien's beautiful barn. He and some of the neighbors built it. It has a simple wood stove, a very nice table that Fabien's father made and an amazing quilt on the bed from his mother. I made Calanthe a toy duck last year for her birthday. It goes with her anywhere we go. Below is where the animals live. We have two chicken, an ox, two cows and a mare (named Clementine). There is plenty of hay and seed, and we take good care of them. We eat well. Only what we grow, of course. The rich can afford to buy their food, but not us. It doesn't bother me. Food tastes better when it is worked for. We go to church every Sunday and I have met many people. I met a man named Francois Mottierre. He is a //coureur de bois// and speaks of trading with natives. It seems a little harsh to me, but interesting enough. I must sleep now. Perhaps I will write again soon.

Then again, maybe not.

__**Bibliography:**__

Neeming, Rosemary, //Life in New France//, 1976 [|http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Food_in_new_France_from_1600-1790] [] []