No Ordinary Man. Lois Winslow-Spragge
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got a letter from you last night for which I am much obliged, it was a great deal delayed however by the fog, that is to say the steamer <was> only came in on Monday afternoon instead of Saturday night. You must not expect a very brilliant letter for I was up till twelve last night looking at the stars, and got up this morning at half past three to see a lot of people from the hotel off. We had a beautiful walk over to the wharf just as the day was breaking, and on the way home I went up one of the hills near the Coup sat down there and waited for sunrise, which was beautiful. The only dissagreable thing was the great length of time till breakfast at eight. Such a lot of people are going away now that the hotel is quite comparatively empty. Our second concert came off with great eclat last friday I have not got a programme, but the performers were Miss Rowell, Miss Hickman, Miss McIllree Miss Gough, Miss MacDonald Mr Rogers, and old Mr Hovington who sang two of the queerest old songs you ever heard in the queerest manner possible.
Forty three dollars were collected partly by the sale of small boquets, of which Miss Radford supplied a basketfull. Mr Rogers sang a comic Irish song in character splendidly was encored & gave the Irish jaunting car. We had also a band of musicians from the boat consisting of a harp, flute and violin, who played some very nice pieces. After the concert the chairs were cleared out and they had a dance
Give my love to all at home and believe me your affectionate
George Dawson to Anna Dawson, Tadoussac, Quebec, 12 August 1868.
Dear Anna,
I have received both the paper, and the pamphlets for Hovington safely. I had a very pleasant boat sail a few days ago with a party of people, we went up the Saguenay two or three miles and then went on shore and had “bit of a peruse” getting some very beautiful moss, and returning to the hotel rather late for tea.
I had another very nice sail or rather row the other day. I went out in a small-boat to Lark shoal to look for sea-weeds &c. I had two little french boys to row, and spent a very pleasant time, though without success in the sea-weed line.
Some gentlemen who were up the Saguenay fishing killed a wildcat on their way down, a few miles from here, it was a very large one, and looked as ferocious as could be. I was at the Urquhart’s for dinner yesterday and had a very pleasant time. Miss Darey, two of her sisters a few of her children, and a young lady relation, came to the hotel en passant last night, they were on their way up the Saguenay. Some of the Taylors I dont know how many are coming here tonight.
A pic-nicking party are getting off at present for the lake, comprising the greater part of those in the hotel and a good many others
Give my love to all at home, and believe me your ever affectionate
George Dawson to Anna Dawson, Tadoussac, Quebec, 20 August 1868.
Dear Anna,
We have had two days of fog, late boats &c. but this evening it is clearing off splendidly. It is a perfectly lovely evening, <and> the shore on the other side is a beautiful magenta purple, and the sky is full of lovely-coloured clouds. I am sitting out on the gallery watching them, change colour, as I write the whole is changed to deep indigo.
I received papa’s letter with money all right, on Tuseday evening. Please tell him so.
I am waiting for an answer to my letter to know about going home &c. I suppose I will get it tomorrow night. There are very few people in the hotel now, or in fact in Tadousac.
We had a very pleasant “reading” the other evening by a certain Mr Palmer he read very well and gave us selections from Dickens &c. The people from the “cottages” were here in full force; After the reading they took to dancing which was kept up till late with great pleasure to all concerned.
I had a very pleasant excursion to Lark reef a few days ago but did not get much, I afterwards went to St Catherines bay47 to look for chrystals said to be there, I found lots such as they were, but that was not much.
Please excuse both the quality and quantity of this letter? and believe me with best wishes to all, your lazy Brother George
P.S. Just while I have been writing this letter the fog has come on as thick as ever
George Dawson to Anna Dawson, Tadoussac, Quebec, 23 August 1868.
My Dear Anna,
I dont know whether you will be at home or not to get this note, but write it nevertheless trusting that it will find its way.
I intend to start for home next Sunday afternoon, arriving there if all goes well Tuesday Morning I need not repeat all my reasons, which I have given in Mammas letter.
We have been having very fine weather here lately neither too hot or too cold.
I hope that you enjoyed yourself very much at the Abbots,48 and had lots of boating, &c. I have been quite troubled by Papa’s and Mamma’s great anxiety about my coming home alone. Please try and persuade them that it is quite unnecessary.
I will be quite glad to get home again, though I like this place very much, and have spent a very pleasant summer
Please excuse this writing as I have a wretched pen. I suppose you will say that you never saw one to suit me yet. But really this one is particularly bad. There are very few people in the hotel now and will be fewer tomorrow.
Give my love to all at home, and with best love for yourself
Believe me your affectionate
39Improvements.
40Izaak Walton, The Complete Angler. . . (Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1866); Charles Dickens, American Notes for General Circulation (London: Chapman and Hall, 1863); Charles Dickens and others, Mugby Junction (London: Chapman and Hall, 18—); and William Hepworth Dixon, The New America (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1867).
41Young Men’s Christian Association.
42The Paris Exhibition of 1867 held at the Champ de Mars, covered forty one acres. Attendance topped six million and there were some forty three thousand exhibitors.
43Eva Dawson (born 1864) was George’s youngest sister. She attended Montreal High School, graduating in 1877, then married Hope T. Atkin and moved permanently to England. She eventually had three children.
44In the letter the date reads 8 June but at that time George was in Montreal.
45A member of the well-known Ogilvie family of Montreal, owners of a large milling and grain merchant firm.
46William Redpath, the son of Peter Redpath a prominent Montreal businessman, later died suddenly at a relatively young age. See p. 137.
47Baie Ste Catherine.
48Probably Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott (1821-1893), later prime minister of Canada, who was then dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill.
A VOYAGE BY SAIL TO GREAT BRITAIN
In 1869, George