Something I found while writing

[rfmcdonald]

"The bachelor and spinster, of whom there were many, were often called upon to fulfil a definite and obvious familial role. The burden of caring for aged parents and relatives most often fell to the unmarried son or daughter who not infrequently sacrificed their own ambitions to accept this responsibility. Indeed, the frequency of the unmarried farm owner was such that the minister or priest preferred to count the number of "smokes" (homes with smoke coming out of the flue) than the number of families in his charge. There were others who remained at home because they lacked the ambition and aggressiveness necessary to compete elsewhere. For the unmarried female there could be many community demands such as church and social organizations in which she would be expected to play an important role, since it was believed that she had the time to do so. Similar demands were not made on the bachelors, some of whom quickly allowed the home and property to deteriorate after the death of the parents, who were very good with promises but slowl in turning over the farm to "the boy," no matter his age. They could, however, be expected to serve as pallbearers at funerals, as scrutineers at elections, and as companions or guides on hunting and fishing expeditions. A few of them were "good on the beads." Certainly, the unmarried had definite roles in their communities though the acceptance or rejection of those roles varied with the individual."

- from D. Campbell and R.A. MacLean. Beyond the Atlantic Roar: A Study of the Nova Scotia Scots, (Toronto: McClellan and Stewart, 1974), 186-187.