Her Father Was Coming Out To Her As
Fast As He Could, But Could Not Be At New York Till The 12th, And Her
Poor Husband Died That Night, And Was Buried Yesterday.
After this,
which upset me much, I went to the Stephens' and met John and E - - and
told them, and John went off also to see Mrs. Brown, for Mr. Brown had
been a friend of his.
The Stephens' house is very gorgeous, and full of
beautiful satin-wood walls, and the staircase finely carved mahogany.
Mr. Angus' house, too, has much beautiful carved wood about it, but the
houses are kept so dark on account of the heat and flies, that one can
hardly see well enough to appreciate these beauties. Excepting in this
respect, and the amount of carved wood, the style is very like the
houses of the middle class of well-to-do men in Scotland.
_Friday_. - I got up at six, and walked to see Dick, and found him
better, and he arranged, if well enough, to follow us to Toronto; then
we breakfasted and all the family were up to see us off, and we joined
John and E - - at the station and arranged ourselves in the Directors'
car (Canadian Pacific Railway), a drawing-room with beds (sofas),
dining-room and table in centre, a little kitchen, private bedroom, and
two lavatories. We had a very hot and dusty journey but were otherwise
comfortable, and arrived at Ottawa about twelve. John and E - - went off
to lunch with Lady Melgund at Rido, but as she did not know we were
coming I was not invited, and so Hedley and I lunched in our car, and
then drove to lionize the Claudiere Falls, where the Ottawa River falls
about two hundred feet. The quantity of wood piled about is amazing
(lumber they call it) and it chokes up and destroys the effect of the
river, but it is not in itself ugly, for they arrange it so beautifully
and the colouring is bright. Then we drove to the Government buildings,
and there I was agreeably surprised by the beautiful view, not so grand
as Quebec certainly, but very fine - the Ottawa, with headlands, well
wooded, frequently breaking the line of the river, and the far reach of
country with blue mountains in the background, and then the air so
deliciously sweet and pure, and reviving. We returned there again in the
afternoon, and sat reading till half-past seven, when we returned to our
small house and John and E - -, and the conductor gave us a capital
dinner - champagne and all sorts of good things, and we all enjoyed it.
Then we chatted and played whist, and then to bed. Hedley and I in the
drawing-room, and John and E - - in small room, the maids in dining-room.
I can't say I slept well for they moved our car once, causing our
conductor to storm at them for their impertinence, and the arrival and
departure of various trains and fog signals, &c., were not calculated to
favour one's slumbers!
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