Catholic children -- Juvenile fiction; Families -- Juvenile fiction
As we neared the end of our journey, I was the only passenger in the
Pullman car, so the conductor and the brakeman took me into a little
station to get breakfast. My, but it was good! It was composed of tender
beefsteak, fine coffee, the kind only French people know how to make,
potatoes, bread and butter. I handed the waiter fifty cents, which was
the price, and cheap at that, to my surprise, he gave me back a quarter.
It appears the little French conductor told the proprietor I was his
brother, then he shook hands with me, and if I hadn't laughed, he might
have believed the conductor and given me back the other quarter.
When the train started again, the Frenchman, who had charge of me,
called me "old boy" (he didn't mean the devil, of course), and he asked
me if I wanted to ride on the engine, I accepted his offer and rode a
hundred miles on it.
I arrived safely at Levis (as my telegram stated) after passing under
several long snow sheds.
The train pulled up slowly and I had a splendid view of the grand old
fort of Quebec. It reminds me of the pictures I see of the rock of
Gibraltar, only that it has a wall with holes in it for cannon. I passed
out into snow sheds again, which brought me to L'Islet, where a
Christian Brother met me with a team; he got my trunk, which had
faithfully followed me all the way. We then started for the College,
which is about two miles from the station.
My studies so far are English, Latin, French, Commercial Arithmetic,
"The Duties of a Christian Towards God." This is a book used as a
reader. Our pleasures at this season are football (played with feet
only), baseball, tennis, and those games I mentioned in my letter to
Mamma.
I have had only one fight, and I was brave, as you told me to be, so I
licked the fellow. I have made ten good friends and two enemies, but the
enemies are big "Nits," they can hit hard, but don't know how to
"guard."
I am glad Dr. Carroll gave me boxing lessons last winter; they will be
useful to me now.
I go to Mass every morning. Tell this to Mamma. Give my love to the
following friends:
Professor Rinaldi, Mrs. Carpenter and family, especially Mr. Charlie and
Sam; Hetty and Pat, all the seven boys who were my chums--Elmer Mullen,
and the Priests at St. Thomas' College, Colonel O'Brian, Darling Mamma,
Aunt Lucy, Uncles Dick and Carroll, and all the friends I have left in
dear old Midville.
Excuse writing; I have spent two hours on this letter and I'm dead tired
of it.
Your loving son,
BOLAX ALLEN.
Answer to Bolax's first letter:
SEPTEMBER.
_My Dear Son_: Your letter is most interesting, those of our friends who
do not know that composition is your forte, were inclined to believe it
was the production of your teachers. Mr. Thornton published it in his
journal, of which I send you a copy. He predicts you will be an editor
some day. I tell you this to encourage you; praise is due to him who
honestly deserves it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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