Old Memories: Amusing and HistoricalMacPherson, Daniel, Mrs.
History
Old Memories: Amusing and Historical
MacPherson, Daniel, Mrs.
Québec (Québec) -- Description and travel
A short distance from here is the house now occupied by E. P. Bender,
formerly owned by Mr. William Patton, a splendid specimen of an English
gentleman. A lumber merchant, doing a large business with ample means,
his house was the home of generous hospitality. It is thirty years
since I visited it or more—it then gave you an idea of one of England’s
far-famed country homes; Everything handsome, well ordered grounds, its
steel grates (then a novelty), and handsome paperings, a host so
courteous, his wife a refined lady of the old school—all appeared to
promise long years of happiness to its inmates, when in a day, alas! all
was changed. Mr. Patton was most energetic in his efforts to hasten the
building of the railroad from Quebec to St. Thomas, and went into town
to see Messrs. Morton, Peto & Brassey, when he met his fate.
Overheated by his exertions, he lay down to rest opposite an open window
facing the St. Lawrence, a gale sprung up, he got a chill, and in
twenty-four hours he was dead, of inflammation, before his wife could
reach him, and yet she arrived almost in time, due to a mysterious
warning of some kind, I forget what it was—she told me of it herself.
Sitting quietly in her room she heard or saw something, and, convinced
that her husband needed her, she ordered a carriage, and, despite all
remonstrance, drove all night, and passed in the darkness the carriage
sent for her, and arrived in the grey dawn of morning to find her
husband just dead.
How many such unaccountable occurrences happen. I could tell of at
least six such experiences in my own history. My theory is this, that
under certain conditions thought meets thought, and so mesmerically
impresses on the loved one its own yearnings and wishes.
Previous to Mr. Patton’s purchasing it, this house had been occupied by
several families of note, the De Beaujeus, Olivas, etc. It was
purchased a few years since by E. P. Bender, Esq., who now occupies it
with his family.
*SECOND VISIT TO ROBERVAL,
LAKE ST. JOHN.*
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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