"A generous friendship no cold medium knows,
Burns with one love, with one resentment glows."
After remaining in Michigan until late in the winter, we crossed over to
Canada via the Grand Trunk Railway. Our first stopping place was at Saint
Mary's, where at the depot we found a nice sleigh awaiting us with, all
the necessary appurtenances for comfort, in the way of robes and blankets.
Deposited at the hotel in safety, we handed the driver seventy-five cents
and were astonished at having fifty cents returned. Supposing there was
some mistake, we demurred, when he said, "My charge is two York shillings
or twenty-five cents United States money." Surely we thought the spirit of
Yankee greed has not yet penetrated the Provinces, when two women, three
trunks, satchels, &c., can be comfortably transported for so small a sum.
At the hotel we were at once ushered into a warm and comfortable suite of
rooms, a pleasant contrast to the usual season of weary waiting for a
room. Indeed during our entire stay in the town there was not one omission
of attention to our comfort.
At Port Hope we were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Mackey, of the Mackey House,
and received from them such kindness as we could scarce expect from old
friends. Just here let me say that I had heard so many sneering allusions
to the character of the "Canucks," that I was quite unprepared for the
universal polish, elegance, cordiality and kindness of the Canadians.
We went from Port Hope to Toronto, the home of the celebrated Canadian
Oculist, Doctor Roseborough, whose fame had been heralded in every portion
of the Provinces I had visited. My past experience had so disgusted me
with eye surgeons that for one week I had daily passed his house,
instinctively avoiding an entrance. One day, however, I quite as
instinctively sought an interview with the Doctor, impelled by some
strange impulse I could not well define. I was familiarly but courteously
greeted with these words, "You have been in the city an entire week, and
yet have not called to see me." In reply I frankly confessed that I
avoided upon principle the members of his branch of the surgical
profession.
His subtle magnetism would soon have dispelled all feeling of repulsion;
and before I was conscious of the degree of confidence he inspired, I
found myself almost persuaded to accept his cordial invitation to tea. The
only barrier I could interpose was want of acquaintance with his wife, and
that obstacle was soon removed. We found her a most intelligent and
charming person, and her mother, Mrs. Reeves, who was present, a
dignified, stately English lady of "the old regime."
In a few moments after our meeting all her reserve vanished, and she
impulsively and almost tearfully drew near. She told in trembling tones of
a blind sister who had passed away some time before, and while she had
come in contact with so many who had resorted to her son-in-law for
treatment, she had never before met one who resembled her sister, while
in me she seemed to have found her counterpart.
This became at once a bond between us, and throwing off all her usual
reserve, she insisted upon having us leave the hotel and spend the
remainder of the time of our stay with her. So pronounced was her
character and so peremptory her demand, there was no room for refusal, and
when in a succeeding conversation with her son I expressed some
compunction at our stay, I was at once silenced by the remark that his
mother was a woman of marked idiosyncracies, and when she so distinguished
an individual as to make them a guest the decision was final, and I must
not wound her by an expression of possible impropriety. It is needless to
say I left this family with deep regret, carrying letters from Doctor
Roseborough; and in my visits to the various places en route to Montreal I
found these credentials of great service.
On arriving at Montreal we were handsomely domiciled at St. Lawrence Hall.
Our room was large and airy, and our bed stood in one of those quaint old
alcoves so peculiar to the English bed-chamber; while the table d'hote,
with its savory roast beef, plumb pudding, etc., was equally
characteristic of British comfort.
This was during the blustering month of March, and all who have visited
that city at the season in which it becomes necessary to cut away the ice
from the streets will remember the pitfalls and realize how difficult it
would be for the blind, even with the kindest and most careful attendance,
to avoid danger. I escaped without any greater mishap than a fall into one
of these excavations, attended by a wetting of my feet, as well as a
thorough soaking of five books and their consequent loss. I had, however,
four weeks of successful canvassing, and during that time the condition of
the streets had quite improved.
As my payments were made in the current coin of Canada, and I had the
advantage of easy access to the States, I exchanged my silver at a premium
of thirty-five per cent, and my gold at forty per cent., thus greatly
enhancing my profits. In this connection I must acknowledge the kindness
of the residents of Montreal, as well as their more than liberal
patronage, which I will ever gratefully remember.
Returning to Toronto I rejoined my friends, and, after another short
season with them, I went to Ottawa, the delightful Capital of Ontario,
then Canada West, arriving there about two days after the news of the
assassination of D'Arcy McGee, his household being in mourning, and the
whole community convulsed and sobbing in responsive sorrow.
This martyred man seemed to have had a singular premonition of death,
which came foreshadowed in a dream. He was visiting some intimate lady
friends, and after dinner threw himself upon a lounge for a short siesta,
when, suddenly springing up from a disturbed slumber, he exclaimed: "I
believe I am going to be murdered!" Whereupon he related his dream. He
said he thought himself in a little boat, floating upon a stream, and
accompanied by two men, who, in spite of his convulsive efforts to near
the shore, persistently allowed him to float down the stream to the falls
below, over which his boat was madly hurled, when, by his imaginary fall,
he was awakened with a strange and premonitory dread in his heart. His
devoted wife survived him but a short time, and was found dead at her
bedside in the attitude of prayer, where, as her spirit was wafted away
upon the wings of devotion, her face was left placid and smiling in its
last sleep.
"So united were they in life,
And in death were not divided."