Chapter 2

_Sunday, August 24th._--We have had a bright but cold day and brisk wind--in fact I have felt colder than when the icebergs were round us! We had service in the morning--Mr. Joyce read prayers' and Canon Rogers preached; and at three we Lad the excitement of seeing Sir Leonard and Lady Tilley, and two sons, with innumerable packages, taken off in a tug to New Brunswick--_Rimouski_ was the name of the town, and the still greater excitement followed of receiving from it the Secretary of the Lodging Committee at Montreal, who brought quantities of letters, papers, &c. I had a letter from Mr. Angus, asking me and a son to stay with them during our visit to Montreal, and it is close to where Dick is invited (Mr. and Mrs. McClennan's), and near John and E---. I also heard from Mr. Dobell, very kindly offering his house and carriage for my use while at Quebec; he and his family are away camping in the woods. You never saw a scene of greater excitement than the appearance of the saloon when the President opened the parcel containing letters, newspapers, and telegrams, after a week's total abstinence from all news; everyone _seized_ upon their respective letters, &c., with eagerness; the only person who did not look happy, was John, for he found the arrangements made would be too much for him, and he and Captain Gallon set themselves to try and alter them, in which I hope they will succeed. The Secretary sat opposite me at dinner, and told me how anxious they all were to make everything comfortable for us. It is doubtful whether we stay at Quebec to-morrow night, or go on to Montreal at once, as there is to be an excursion on Friday next to Quebec, and grand reception, and picnic or garden party on the following day. If you find a difficulty in reading the indelible pencil, tell me; it is more convenient to use travelling. We had an interesting conference on prayer this afternoon (Sunday), and I have just returned from another smaller one. A scientific man asked questions as to whether we could _prove_ answers to prayer would be given for _physical_ blessings, or what we consider such; or whether prayer was only a sentiment (as Tyndal thinks)? Professor Barrett and a dear old clergyman, Canon Rogers (who, in my ignorance, I had thought, at first, was a "dry stick") argued the matter with him, and also Dr. P. Smith and his son, and Miss Fox and I said a few words. Now, about nine o'clock, they are all singing hymns, very much out of tune. I must finish this up now for it must be posted to-morrow, or may miss the mail on Tuesday. I have thoroughly enjoyed the last three days, and am almost sorry the voyage is over, and so, I think, are many of my fellow passengers. Some of them are very good and nice. Miss Fox is delightful--upwards of eighty, and yet so full of interest in everything good and beautiful; she is like a piece cut out of the old past, and a very wonderful old fossil, full of energy and cleverness. Hedley desires his love, and is very well and happy. We go to 240, Drummond Street, Montreal, on Monday or Tuesday, Dick in same street, and John and E--- near. Gibson has never been ill at all! Good-bye, now, and God bless you all, darling Mother, and everyone dear to me at home. Two or three times during the gale, Hedley and I said to each other, "How nice it would be to be sitting with you at No. 90, O--- G---."--but now we have not that desire' From your loving child,--C. R.

Letter No. 2.

_Tuesday, August 26th, Beavoir, Quebec._

My first letter was brought up to 24th. I forgot to tell you then of an interesting discussion with a clever and honest infidel, Mr. X---. Through ---- (who had told me about him), I had lent him "Natural Law," and (seeing him standing about looking, I thought, rather sad as we were all singing "Rock of Ages, cleft for me") I asked him his opinion of the book, and he said "on Mr. D.'s assumption of the existence of a Personal God, it is very clever, and with your views I would certainly circulate it." Of course, I could not argue with a man well armed at all points for attack (as these infidels generally are), though they are weak enough at defence, their explanations of life's mysteries being as unsatisfactory and vague as that of any ignorant Bible woman; and so when others joined us I gave way, and he said as a _crusher_--"I see you are a very sincere and conscientious lady, but you are very _fanatical_." I replied, as my parting shot, "Well, of course, I cannot do justice to my cause, but at any rate you have nothing to offer _me_; convince me and others, if you can, that we are wrong (and thank God we have a noble army on our side), what have you to give us in the place of our beliefs? Nothing! a mere negation." He answered--"What have you to give me?" "Oh," I replied, "a mere _nothing, only_ peace and power for holiness now and a glorious hope for the future, and so (shaking hands) good bye." I could scarcely speak to him for crying, for it was so painful to hear his words about our Blessed Saviour. After our discussion on prayer in the back cabin, a young man who was there and who was sitting near me while I was writing to you, began to talk it over. "Well," I said, "the best answer to those objections about prayer that I know, is to try it, and then I am sure no arguments will then shake your confidence that there is a God who heareth and answereth prayer." It is like our Lord's cure of the blind man. "How did He do it?" they ask, and ask in vain for any explanation which could be understood, but the man says "I don't know, but whereas I was blind, now I see," and the Pharisees beat themselves to pieces against that rock. You may imagine I went to my berth heartily tired after the excitement of this long day.

_Monday, 25th._--I got up at six and rushed on deck, and with a lovely clear sky and shining sun and a brisk breeze, I found we were steaming along the river St. Lawrence. We devoured with our eyes the beautiful views on each side, mountains of blue and violet, wooded to their summits, and Canadian villages nestling at their feet on the banks of the river, with glittering spires of _blanche_ for every seven miles, like tall milestones, and then we reached the entrance to Quebec, which is indeed magnificent! the splendid water-way, with the fine position of Quebec, makes it a grand sight, and I was not disappointed; and the clear and brilliant morning sunshine showed us all to perfection. Then came such a scene of hurry and confusion,--but we were favored: Captain R. Stephenson, the Governor-General's A.D.C., who had been our fellow passenger, received instructions from him, and we were conveyed in a police steamboat to the other side--to the Citadel; there was also a letter from Lord Lansdowne to John, asking him and E--- and any of his party to breakfast, brought by Captain Streatfield, another A.D.C. Our maids and luggage were left in charge of the police at their wharf station. On reaching the wharf a carriage conveyed us to the Citadel,--such a drive, up the side of a house! over a great many boulders. A curious old town is Quebec--thoroughly like a French town, with French spoken everywhere, and French dirt and air of poverty and untidiness, as in the remoter and older towns of France.

Lord and Lady Lansdowne received us most kindly, and besides there was Lady Florence Anson (her niece, who is engaged to Captain Streatfield), Lady Melgund, whose husband is away in Ottawa looking after canoe men for Egypt, and a young Mr. Anson, A.D.C. After seeing the view from the balcony--a splendid panorama of Quebec and the river St. Lawrence, with its tributary St. Charles, and the surrounding country backed by blue mountains, we went in to our second breakfast, and much we enjoyed our tea. Lord Lansdowne sat next me and was very pleasant. Afterwards he asked John and E--- and me and the boys to dine, apologising for not asking us all to sleep there, on the grounds of not having room, which is true enough, for the house is not large. I thought it best to decline for myself and two sons, as I was going with them for the night to this place (Mr. Dobell's), four miles away. Then came a Secretary of the Local Committee to discuss arrangements with John, and alter the programme somewhat for next Friday and Saturday, when we are expected to revisit Quebec.

John is much afraid that the long-list of engagements will bring on his rheumatism and knock him up for the real Business in Montreal. After this we had the carriage and drove in state to the Hotel where John and E--- were to sleep, arranged about our berths on the steamer for Montreal, saw numbers of our fellow-passengers who had not gone to Montreal, and drove to the wharf and only brought a little luggage to come here with. They told me I should not want umbrellas ("Our climate here is very different from yours," said they), nor wraps, but I persisted in bringing a few, fortunately, for it has been pouring all night and up to this time (twelve o'clock Wednesday), and it was so cold besides. While at the hotel (I forgot to mention _that_) a card was handed to me with Mr. Price's name on it. I could not think who he was, but he soon came and mentioned Capt. F--- (Julia Spicer's son-in-law), and then I remembered he had promised to mention us to the Prices. He offered to drive one of the ladies in his buggy to his house near the Montmerenci Falls, where we were all to lunch, and E--- went in it, and the rest of us drove in another carriage to his place, about five miles off. The drive was delightful and his cottage a picture--a little, fat, fair motherly woman for a wife, with two little chicks, and a lady friend. They took us down some steps to the Falls, the river Montmerenci falling 500 feet, and it was very fine, the view being improved by the figures of our fellow-passengers on the opposite side making struggling efforts to gain good positions, which we achieved in all ease and comfort. Then we returned to an excellent luncheon, very pleasantly diversified to us by Indian corn, which we learned to eat in an ungraceful but excellent fashion on the cob, blueberry tart and cream. This was our _third_ substantial meal on Tuesday. Several visitors called, and among them our fellow-passengers, Mr. Stephen Bourne and his daughters and two friends, who are also staying here, a gentleman with three other ladies (two of whom had been on the "Parisian") who said he had been staying lately with one of them in Cheshire, so I concluded he was an English-Canadian and said heartily: "That's right, keep up with the old country. You come to see us and we come to see you." And he responded graciously, but I heard after that he was a French-Canadian and R. C., and they are not fond of England, but cling very much to French ways and customs and are entirely in the hands of their priests. They are a quiet, moral people, marry very young and have very large families. It is quite common to hare ten children, and they live at what we should call a starvation rate; yet they will not go to service, contribute hardly anything to the revenue, and so the English, who are the only active and money-making section of the population, are heavily taxed; of course _I_ speak of the poor and working classes. The province of Quebec is, therefore, not a favourite one with enterprising spirits from our shores or from other parts of Canada.

After these visitors were gone, Mr. Price drove me and E---, and the rest walked, to the "Natural Steps." It was a beautiful spot, the clear torrent of the river Montmerenci falling in cascades over a curious formation of layers of stone and steps on either side, with the bright green _arbor vitae_, which they call cedar, growing above and in every niche it can find a bit of soil; wild raspberries and strawberries too, which, alas, were over. We met several of our fellow-passengers, and we greet one another like long-lost friends. On our return we found Mrs. Price had cuddled her ailing boy to sleep and could give us some attention. We had delicious tea and cake (our fourth meal). Mr. Price comes from Boss, in Herefordshire, and has been twelve years away from it. He is very nice and intelligent. Her brother owns the Falls and lives in a pretty cottage near. Edison, the electric light inventor, has bought the power of these falls for electric purposes. John was thinking all the time how useful they might be made. We returned to the hotel in time for John and E--- to dress for the Governor-General's dinner party. We took a little baggage and Gibson and came here--a dark drive, and we were shaken to bits in what is justly called a _rockaway_ carriage. We were met at the door by Mr. Dobell, much to our surprise, for he and his family had returned unexpectedly from camping out, as it proved a failure, and rushed home to receive us. She is handsome, and quite English in tone and manner, daughter of the Minister of the Interior, Sir David Macpherson. Mr. Dobell is very bright and pleasant-looking, the house pretty and comfortable, with large conservatory. We Had a tremendous supper (our fifth meal) and so I could hardly do justice to it. I went to bed very tired after this hard day's work and awoke this morning to find it pouring, so I have been taking advantage of the quiet to write to you. Dick and Mr. Dobell went to Quebec, and we follow at three. They hope to have some organ-playing in the Cathedral. Mr. S. Bourne and his young ladies are also gone, and we are to leave at three and start at five in the river steamboat for Montreal. Tell Edward and Lisa, &c., &c., about us. We all thoroughly enjoyed everything yesterday except that we wanted warmer clothes. They had tremendous heat here before we arrived, and so every one was advising us to wear light clothing!--and the weather changed!

LETTER NO. 3

_August 29th, 240, Drummond Street, Montreal._

We left the hospitable Dobells on Tuesday, 26th, took our luggage from the police station, receiving many bows and much politeness from the several Canadians in charge and, with about one thousand others, besides soldiers, went on board a very large steamer--a new experience, for these river steamers are quite different from anything we see on this side, even I think, on the Rhine,--the Lansdownes were in it and we saw something of them. An uncomfortable night, and were glad to reach this, Wednesday morning, at about eight o'clock. Such a mass of luggage and people, but as Mr. Angus kindly sent a carriage and man to meet us, I did very well and arrived safely with all mine.

I drove with Hedley and Miss Angus in the afternoon (there are four grown-up young ladies) and finally got out at the Queen's Hall, where the Mayor read an address in French, and after Sir William Thomson had spoken, John said a few words. There was a great crowd here, and we sang "God Save the Queen" with enthusiasm. We dined at half-past six and afterwards the two Misses Angus and Hedley and I drove to the Hall.

Lord and Lady Lansdowne sat on the platform, and after a nice speech from him, Sir William Thomson introduced John as the new President with many compliments. Then, dear John, looking so nice, with a clear voice, read his address, and I am told it was heard even in the gallery at the end. I liked it extremely, and people seem to think it was very good. Our party, Evelyn, Dick, &c., sat in the front row, and when John read one or two passages which he thought would particularly "fetch" me, he looked with a little twinkle in my direction and of course I twinkled in return.

[The following account is reprinted from the "Montreal Gazette," August 28th, 1884.]

Everything combined to favour the opening day of the British Association meeting yesterday. Bright skies overhead, and weather not too warm, and tempered by a cooling breeze, made what outdoor work had to be done pleasant and prevented indoor proceedings from being oppressive. Adding to these conditions the general enthusiasm which prevailed, the presence of so many notable personages, distinguished in the worlds of science, of politics, of letters and of mercantile pursuits, and the attendance of so large a number of the fair sex, who evinced the greatest interest in the proceedings, and it will be seen that the opening could not have taken place under more pleasing auspices. Whilst the city in general showed an extra amount of life and bustle, the interest naturally centered in the grounds of McGill University, which presented a bright and lively scene. In the reception room in the William Molson Hall there was a constant succession of visitors, and the various offices wore a busy air. In the grounds a new and picturesque effect was made by a couple of marquees wherein luncheon was served, and the grounds themselves, the grassy lawns and wooded walks, were the constant resort of ladies and gentlemen. The morning was spent by the visitors either in visits to the offices and reception rooms, the arrangement of papers, or in "doing" the city. At one o'clock the first work of the meeting commenced in the meeting of the general committee. Subsequently, at half past four, the visitors were formally welcomed by the mayor and corporation in the Queen's Hall, which was the scene of a brilliant gathering, and in the evening the first general meeting of the Association took place in the same hall, when the representative of the retiring president resigned the presidential office, which was assumed by the new president, Lord Rayleigh. Additional interest and distinction was given to the proceedings yesterday by the presence of His Excellency the Governor-General and the Marchioness of Lansdowns, and the Right Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald, Premier of the Dominion. Full reports of all the meetings and speeches together with other particulars of interest will be found subjoined.

MEETING OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE.

A meeting of the general committee of the Association was held in the James Ferrier Hall, Wesleyan College, at one o'clock yesterday afternoon, Sir William Thomson presiding.

The minutes of the meeting at Southport were read by the secretary, Rev. Prof. Bonney, and confirmed.

THE REPORT OF THE COUNCIL.

Capt. Douglas Galton, General Secretary, then read the annual report of the council, which stated that since the meeting at Southport, Dr. F. Lindemaun and Dr. Ernst Schroeder had been elected corresponding members of the Association, and proceeded as follows:--"The present meeting of the British Association, the fifty-fourth in number, is likely to be long memorable in its annals, as the first held beyond the limits of the United Kingdom. It marks a new point of departure, and one probably never contemplated by the founders of the Association, although not forbidden by the laws which they drew up. The experiment was doubtless a hazardous one, but it seems likely to be justified by success, and it may be hoped that the vigour and vitality gained by new experience may ultimately compensate for the absence from this meeting of not a few familiar faces among the older members; there will, however, be as large a gathering of members of more than one year's standing as is usual at a successful meeting in Great Britain, and the efforts which have been made by our hosts to facilitate the coming of members and render their stay in Canada both pleasant and instructive, call for the warmest acknowledgment. The inducements offered to undertake the journey were indeed so great that the council felt that it would be necessary to place some restriction upon the election of new members, which for many years past, though not unchecked in theory, has been almost a matter of course in practice. Obviously these offers of the Canadian hosts of the British Association were made to its members, not to those on whom they might operate as an inducement to be enrolled among its members. The council, therefore, before the close of the Southport meeting, published the following resolution:--"That after the termination of the present month (September, 1883), until further notice, new members be only elected by special resolution of the council." Applications for admission under these terms were very numerous, and were carefully sifted by the council. Still, although the council as time progressed and the number augmented, increased the stringency of their requirements, it became evident that the newly elected members would soon assume an unduly large proportion to those of older standing, so that on May 6th, after electing 130 members under this rule, it was resolved to make no more elections until the commencement of the Montreal meeting, when it would be safe to revert to the usual practice. The details of the arrangements made for the journey have already been communicated to the members, so that it is needless to make any further special reference to them, but the council have to acknowledge the great liberality of the associated cable companies in granting, under certain restrictions, free ocean telegraphy to the members of the Association during the meeting. The death of Sir William Siemens has deprived the Association of one of its most earnest supporters and friends. It was during his presidency at Southampton that the invitation to Montreal was accepted, and he was appointed at Southport a vice-president for this meeting. The council nominated Sir J. D. Hooker a vice-president, but he was unfortunately obliged, for domestic reasons, to resign the nomination in the early part of the summer. It has been the custom at meetings of the Association to invite the attendance of distinguished men of science from all parts of the world, but the council considered that on the present occasion it would be well to offer a special welcome to the American Association (of which also several eminent Canadian men of science are members); they have accordingly issued an invitation to the standing committee and fellows of that Association to attend the meeting at Montreal on the footing of honorary members."