The British Association's Visit to Montreal, 1884 : LettersRayleigh, Clara, Lady
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The British Association's Visit to Montreal, 1884 : Letters
Rayleigh, Clara, Lady
Canada -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
We take the occasion to congratulate our English cousins upon the
phenomenally fine season which they have selected, and trust that they
may remain long enough to enjoy the loveliness of our American autumn
and Indian summer.--_The Brunswick Daily Home News, Thursday, October
16th, 1884._
LETTER No. 10.
_October 25th, Newport, at "Madame Robertson's."_
Hedley and I and Gibson came here on Thursday, just to see the place, of
which I had heard so much, and to acknowledge the offered civilities of
some of the people there. We left Dick at Boston not very well, and
indeed, _I_ have been quite a wretch lately. Wednesday morning,
E--- brought Professor Pickering, and he asked us to join John and E---
at his Observatory, and at a party given afterwards by Mrs. Pickering,
so at 3.30 we set off all in a tram, and Professor Pickering met us
about a mile from the house, and a carriage took us to the Observatory,
where we saw curious things, and above all, the crescent moon, through a
powerful telescope, which, oddly enough, I had never seen before. Mrs.
Pickering had a large gathering, and I was introduced to quantities of
people, some very nice looking and English in tone and manner. In this
part of America one would scarcely know that you were not living among
the present generation of English transported across the Atlantic quite
recently; the manners of the _coloured_ servants are _very_
objectionable, and the porters of the cars quite odious; they march up
and down, even in the more select Pulman cars, slam the doors, awakening
one out of a much needed doze, and throw themselves down on the chairs
and pick their teeth! "Dressed in a little brief authority, they strut
before High Heaven," and make one wish they had never been
_evolved_ but remained altogether _apes_. The _waiters_
at hotels are often pleasant enough, but the dislike of the white
Americans to domestic service has given a monopoly of this employment to
the coloured people, (shared in many parts by the Irish), and they give
themselves airs accordingly. Dr. Wendel Holmes, of literary celebrity,
was at the Pickerings, and I had a short talk with him, but as every
minute some new introduction came off, I could never have a pleasant
chat with any one. Mrs. Horsford, who was giving a large evening party,
asked us to go there, and the Pickerings wanted me to stay with them
till the time arrived, but I was not equal to this exertion, and we
three returned in trams, which ought to be called _crams_, for they
are invariably in that condition. I was also asked to join John and E---
with a party going to a place called Beverly, but I decided to come
here, as people were expecting us, and we arrived about ten minutes to
three, and I found cards and notes, asking me to lunch and dine, and
drive, and my landlady said the bell had been ringing all the morning,
and the whole place was in excitement about our coming and its frequent
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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