afterward returned it to me on my promise that I would pay for the
shawl and bonnet. In the course of the day, Mrs. Tarbert found my
daughter, but she would not come to my house; she sent the bonnet and
shawl, which were returned to their owner, who had lent them to my
daughter, to assist her in procuring her escape from Mr. Hoyte at the
hotel. Early on the afternoon of the same day, Mr. Hoyte came to my
house with the same old man, wishing me to make all my efforts to find
the girl, in the meantime speaking very bitterly against the Catholics,
the Priests, and the Nuns; mentioning that my daughter had been in the
nunnery, where she had been ill treated. I denied that my daughter had
ever been in a nunnery; that when she was about eight years of age, she
went to a day-school. At that time came in two other persons, whom Mr.
Hoyte introduced; one was Rev. Mr. Brewster, I do not recollect the
other reverence's name. They all requested me, in the most pressing
terms, to try to make it out; my daughter had been in the nunnery; and
that she had some connection with the Priests of the seminary, of which
nunneries and Priests she spoke in the most outrageous terms; said,
that should I make that out, myself, my daughter, and child, would be
protected for life. I expected to get rid of their importunities, in
relating the melancholy circumstances by which my daughter was
frequently deranged in her head, and told them, that when at the age of
about seven years, she broke a slate pencil in her head; that since
that time her mental faculties were deranged, and by times much more
than at other times, but that she was far from being an idiot; that she
could make the most ridiculous, but most plausible stories; and that as
to the history that she had been in a nunnery, it was a fabrication,
for she never was in a nunnery; that at one time I wished to obtain a
place in a nunnery for her; that I had employed the influence of Mrs.
De Montenach, of Dr. Nelson, and of our pastor, the Rev. Mr. Esson, but
without success. I told them notwithstanding I was a Protestant and did
not like the Catholic religion--like all other respectable Protestants,
I held the priests of the seminary and the nuns of Montreal in
veneration, as the most pious and charitable persons I ever knew. After
many more solicitations to the same effect, three of them retired, but
Mr. Hoyte remained, adding to the other solicitations; he was stopped,
a person having rapped at the door; it was then candlelight. I opened
the door, and found Doctor McDonald, who told me that my daughter Maria
was at his house, in the most distressing situation; that she wished
him to come and make her peace with me; I went with the Doctor to his
house in M'Gill-street; she came with me to near my house, but would
not come in, notwithstanding I assured her that she would be kindly
treated, and that I would give her her child; she crossed the parade
ground, and I went into the house, and returned for her.--Mr. Hoyte
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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