other was always a quiet women-a little shy of her own children. I am glad she was not chatty, glad she did not perpetually "dear" us as so many English mothers that we knew did with their children. If she had been noisier or quieter, more demonstrative or less loving, she would not have been just right. She was small, grey-eyed, dark haired women, had pink cheeks and struggled breathing. I do not remember to have ever heard her laugh out loud, yet she was always happy and contented.
Growing Pains by Emily Carr
Image#: B.C. Archives E-06843
ur picnic that day was perfect. I was for once Mother's oldest, youngest, her campanion-child. While her small, neat hands hurried the little stitches down the long, white seams of her sewing, and my daisy chains grew and grew, while flowers of the bushes smelled and smelled and sunshine and silence were spread all round, it almost seemed rude to crunch the sweet biscuit which was our picnic-ordinary munching of biscuits did not seem right for such a splendid time.
It was only a short while after our picnic that Mother died. Her death broke Father; we saw then how he had loved her, how alone he was without her-none of us could make up for her loss. He retired from business. His office desk and chair were brought home and put into the room below Mother's bedroom. Here Father sat, staring over his garden.
Growing Pains by Emily Carr
Image#: B.C. Archives A-09183
About Mr.Carr.
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mily Saunders was born in Freeland, Oxfordshire on July 3,1836, to a single mother, Mary Saunders. Her birth place was less than ten miles from Beckley- where Richard Carr was born. But they did not meet in England because Emily was eighteen years his junior and he had left for America when he himself was just eighteen.
We do not know why Emily Saunders came to live in San Francisco under the care of Mrs. Quantack. But this is where Emily met Richard and soon after they returned to England to marry in her home town parish, on January 18,1855. Shortly after Emily and her husband returned to California they started their family; Emily gave birth to Edith in 1856 and Clara in 1857. Emily's health soon began to fail and in 1861 the Carr family returned to England.
The next three years in England was hard on Emily her health was still failing and she lost her first son, William in 1861 just four days after his birth. Then in 1862 her second son, John lived for only two days. Deciding that the return to England had been a mistake the Carrs headed for Vancouver Island. Richard Carr bought land and had a large house built for his family there.
Soon after settling in Victoria, Emily lost her third son, Thomas, six months after his birth. Emily then gave birth to Elizabeth in 1867, Alice in 1869, Emily in 1871 and her fourth son Richard in 1875 who lived to be a young man though frail. With the help of her oldest daughter Edith, Bong the house boy, and Mary the wash lady, weak Mrs.Carr raised her children and ran her house. The final years of Emily's life were spent mostly in bed. Emily (Saunders) Carr died on September 22, 1886.
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