We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich (1942)

Who can resist a book with a cover like this?


Louise Dickinson Rich took to the woods during the 1930’s and wrote this book to answer the many questions her friends were always asking her.
„During most of my adolescence  (…) I said, when asked what I was going to do with my life, that I was going to live alone in a cabin in the Maine woods and write.”
She did end up in a cabin in Maine (though not on her own), but completely by accident: on a canoeing trip she met Ralph Rich who had recently moved  there.  Shortly after they were married. And so she moved to the Northwestern-most corner of Maine (with a resident population of about a dozen) where there are few roads and where the lakes are the main thoroughfares. This means that every autumn and spring they are cut off from the rest of the world for a few weeks. During the „fall freeze up” the ice is not yet strong enough to walk or drive on, during the „spring break up” the ice is too thin but boats can’t be used yet. During winter the place is hard to reach too, so all in all, except for summer when the visitors come, they live pretty isolated lives. And that's how Louise likes it. "Emily Dickinson once said of a little niece who had been shut up in a closet as punishment, and was discovered there hours later, perfectly composed and happy, "But no one could ever punish a Dickinson by shutting her up alone!" That applied to Emily herself. And it applies to this obscure Dickinson. It applies to my ability to be contented here, away from the world, and to the truth underlying Ralph's and my relationship: that being with Ralph is just exactly as good as being alone. Now that's written, it looks terrible; and I meant it to be the nicest thing I could say!

 

 

 

Like Helen Hoover, Louise has a Winter and a Summer House, plus various sheds and an outhouse, as there is no plumbing. Gerrish, the „hired help” works for them, he has his own house.
I would imagine that Louise writes the way she talks, so explaining what it is like to live in the woods means lots of stories: on being an official Maine Guide (Ralph), how Louise disliked school, on deer hunting, on searching for deer hunters lost in the woods, cutting ice, visiting lumberjacks, fire wardens and the annual log drive. Early in the book Louise mentions that Ralph had sold some patent rights before he came to live at Forest Lodge, so I assume he had some kind of income. Apart from that they make a living doing all kinds of work: transporting people and goods, taking in boarders, repairing the road, cooking, knitting, car trading (Ralph’s speciality) and writing.
Louise relishes living where she does and does not miss „outside”. She especially does not miss having to bother about clothes and gives us a list of her wardrobe:

 

I was interested in the prices Louise mentions:  adjusted for inflation, $1.00 in 1942 is equal to $16.80 in 2021.

 

As we learned from Helen Hoover’s book living in the woods is hard work, and the line between work and spare time is blurred. There is always something to do, like tending the vegetable garden, painting the boats or tapping trees for maple syrup. From November to January they cut wood (after the leaves fall, before the snow gets too deep). Then there is the problem of having enough supplies, as they never know when the "freeze up" will be. Every once in a while they are caught out and Louise will have to make something out of almost nothing in her kitchen.
Unlike the Hoovers Louise and Ralph seem to be completely at ease with and accepted by the people around them. They don’t believe in making wild animals pets, nor do they feed them in winter like the Hoovers did. Only one animal becomes their pet, by accident : ons day Ralph brings home an orphaned baby skunk. This animal becomes an unlikely but much loved pet named Rollo. Rollo is "raised" by Cookie, their dog, who had puppies at the time. When Rollo becomes angry he stamps his feet, but he only once makes a smell when he thinks the cat is stealing his food (the cat escapes and never returns).

The one thing that frightens them is the danger of a forest fire. They know exactly what they will take and where they will go if they have to evacuate. They are never sick („ we are living in a sort of reverse quarantine, which the germs locked out instead of in”). This is just as well, as they have no easy access to a doctor or a hospital. And just as well that baby Rufus arrives without incident. Louise, who had planned to go to hospital to have her baby, gives birth a few weeks early.  Her son Rufus was born with only Ralph in attendance on the 18th of December at 2.55 a.m. with the thermometer down to 10° F above zero (minus 12° C). To make things worse they were still in the (hard to heat) Summer House, Ralph having planned to move things to the Winter House while Louise was in hospital
„I can see him now, with a wool cap pulled over his ears, his mackinaw collar turned up to meet it, and his mittens on, reading by lantern light a little book called „If Baby Comes Ahead of Doctor”. Perspiration was running down his face. You see, he knew the doctor couldn’t possibly get there for ten hours or more.” To quell Ralph’s nerves she gives him things to do, like heat lots of water (though she had no idea what for). Then he heats up a blanket and places it in the laundry basket. „ When he came back, five minutes later, he was a father”. 

 

We Took to the Woods is one of my favourites, not least because of the wonderful map. Sometimes Louise is a little long-winded. It made me wonder is any editor was involved or if the manuscript was just accepted as it was. Then again, it makes you feel Louise is just chatting to you. 

Louise went on to write many more books. I have ordered her biography and I will return to her in future posts.