The Black-Sealed Letter: Or, The Misfortunes of a Canadian Cockney.Spedon, Andrew Learmont
General
The Black-Sealed Letter: Or, The Misfortunes of a Canadian Cockney.
Spedon, Andrew Learmont
Canadian fiction
"Thank you, sir, I will be happy to do so," said I: and having heartily
shaken hands together as a mutual token of courtesy and good-will, he
departed.
As I was desirous of attending the Annual Provincial Show, to be held at
Toronto during the first week of October following, I passed all the
intermediate towns on the line of railway, and arrived in that city a
few days previous.
The evening after my arrival I strolled over to the Metropolitan to see
the stranger referred to. He recognized me at once, and was apparently
happy to see me. Although our previous acquaintance had been incidental
and but of short duration, we felt on meeting again as if we had been
old friends. He invited me to the sitting room; and we passed a few very
agreeable hours together. On leaving I requested him to spend the
following evening with me at the hotel at which I was staying. He
complied therewith; and during his further stay of one week in the city
our interviews were of daily occurrence.
During the following week the city was crowded to its utmost capacity;
and the streets presented a gay and lively appearance, owing to the
great influx of visitors to the Exhibition. In company with my friend I
visited the "Show Grounds." Every department of the Arts and
Agriculture, &c., were well represented, showing the vast progress and
developments of the Province of Ontario.
The day of the closing of the Exhibition my friend specially invited me
to his room to spend the evening. During our previous interviews he had
said but little respecting himself. I noticed, however, that something
was deeply affecting his mind; and that he was apparently desirous of
making it known to me. But it was not until this evening that he, in
compliance with my wishes, gave me the history of his past career: the
greater part of which is narrated in the foregoing chapters of this
story: the remainder I will now give in his own words; for, gentle
reader, be it known that this person was none other than Frederick
Charlston, with whom you are already acquainted.
"During the first part of the journey to Red River," said he, "I endured
the hardships and fatigues tolerably well; but the encamping out every
night upon the cold earth: the incessant labor; the hard marches over a
rough road, and under a broiling sun, at length became too oppressive.
Oftentimes I felt, as it were, unable to proceed a step further; but my
proud spirit with a stern determination of will, exerted every possible
energy, and I continued day after day to plod along with my foot-sore
and way-worn companions. Our fatigues were however occasionally relieved
by a general rest for a few days. But before one third of the journey
had been completed I was seized one night with a severe attack of
illness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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