Fort McLeod, June 16th, '75

My darling Lizzie

Again I nearly had a fit of Les diables blues – but I fought them off. Was I not brave? Baker left this morning – the mail was sent down to him at three o’clock this morning. The day turned out pretty fine and we had some cricket. In consequence of the late heavy rains & warm rains – the river had risen pretty high. Our bridge is in danger of being carried away – the middle pier has been so washed out that it has sunk about a foot & a half. If the water rises no higher the bridge may remain steady.

A lot of Indians have been coming in, North Peagans - & the Kootanies are expected in. Father Scullen is waiting here until they come – after that he intends going up to the mountains. I intend trying to go with him – some half breeds are also going up with us – to fish. If I get away I expect to have a very pleasant time. I will also try and take some sketches of mountain scenery.

Fort McLeod, June 15th, 1875

My darling Lizzie,

I will go on answering a few thoughts in your letter of May 3rd etseq. before I tell you what has been going on to day. I left off about John coming to Canada – if he does get him acquainted with Frank Darling. I think they would like one another. So you are going to lose Saida. If you went home with her you would not lose her so quickly and so to the heat - & the climate. Athens is as healthy a place as you could find in Canada. During the summer the average temperature I could bet is less than that of Toronto. You know Athens is in a very hilly country near the southernmost spur of the Blue ridge mountains. The nights are nearly always cool and pleasant & people do not go gallivanting about the streets in the full glare of the hot sun. I wonder what subject you will take up to study. Suppose you try mathematics. Your Father would be delighted to help you in so far as Algebra was concerned. The late rains have caused the river to rise very high. The bridge that we took so much trouble to build – is in danger of being washed away, the middle pier has already sunk about a foot – the water comes with fearful force against it. The North Peagan Indians have been over the cut bank across the river all the morning – we expect the Kootanies in every day. I received the pleasant news to day that Baker is going in tomorrow to Benton and will take in a mail – so this goes off tonight. I do not know who wrote ‘Rain in the Heart’. Cissy Stotesbury could perhaps tell you – she sent the piece cut from a newspaper to Aunt Ellen in Savannah. I do not recollect if it had the author’s name attached or not. Of course it is written from that line of Longfellow’s ‘Into each life some rain must fall, Some days must be dark & dreary’.

I certainly had a cold – but I was not afraid of any of my medicines – but I thought that it would get well of itself – which it did and saved me making some of my faces. Your last letter tho’ very dilapidated in appearance was all right on the inside – and none had fallen out. I cannot help drawing a conclusion from your letter. What is to become of me – if when you are happy you tease & when angry scold me? Dear me what a life to lead. Tell Jack that I have received some of the ‘Practictioners’ and also some numbers of the Canadian Monthly. I expect they have come from his thoughtful mind also and am sincerely thankful. The publication of my letters has been quite sufficient to break down a paper-mill – well how weighty they must have been. Indeed poor darling I do feel so sorry for your cold. I am glad you took some ‘hotstuff’ for it – you should have taken it after getting into bed and then piled the blankets over you. I should like to have dropped in upon you during the Spree.

I am glad to learn from the later pages of your letter that your cold succumbed so easily – although it no doubt caused you great annoyance & trouble at the time. So poor Mr. Crawford is dead. I see by the papers that Mr. Brown will not accept the Lt. Gov.ship but it has been conferred upon the Hon. D.A.M. McD. Will he be any more acceptable to you than the Hon. G.B. ? I have been endeavoring to write while an excessively voluble old Half-breed named Munroe about 80 years old with very gray hair and one eye whose lower lid is turned outwards red & glowering – he talks a mixture of French & English and uses all the gesticulations of the Indian. He is talking of the Native medicines. How he does rattle on. Were I not trying to write to you I should be pleased to hear & listen to him. I must close this now. I really can’t get rid of this old chief & cannot possibly write with him taking. I shall however before this goes write a little more.

Well I am glad to say that the old chap has gone. But it is getting very late and I must send this off. Give my love to all at home and with the best love of my heart from your own

Barrie

June 10th

Eleven months today since I left my darling Lizzie. Eleven long months. Have they seemed as long to you as you thought they would? In all conscience, to me they have seemed to be long enough but I must confess that I thought eleven months would have been much longer to look back upon. Was I not happy a year ago – yet not altogether so for I knew not where I should begin to get my living and I was anxious. I had no license and there was some risk in attempting to practice in Ontario without it – as I had intended even in such an out of the way hole as Tullamore. Then came that man who wanted me to go up in the lumber district above Orillia to nurse small pox patients. Then came this offer which altho’ it took me far away from you – I gladly hailed as partially solving the problem of how I was to live. And I am not altogether sorry for having accepted it. I have seen a good deal, learned something and have some confidence in my own judgement. I am more selfreliant than I ever would have been at the T. G. Hospital – had I remained there for years. I have learned too that I can get along pretty well with most people, all of the officers and most of the men I think like me. Of course we have had our disputes and quarrels but with me they never kept up more than a day.

And another thing I have learned [?] your letters. That my Lizzie loves me truly – trusts me fully. Oh Lizzie do you know at times I used, like you, to be troubled with doubts and misgivings. But with my absence and your dear letters all my doubts have vanished and I know now that you really love me as I love you.

Fort McLeod, June 5th, 1875

My dear Lizzie

This morning Glen started off in fine style with his four-in-hand team and his wife for Benton – taking with him letters etc. I always feel blue as a Mail is about leaving here – and to day was no exception to the rule.

We had a game of cricket. The Officers and non-commissioned Officers against the men. The men were in high feather and were certain of a great victory. I was captain of the Eleven, but feeling very cross. I was so put out by the refusal of three or four of the sergeants to play, that I said I would have nothing more to do with the match – an expression of ill temper that was amusing no doubt. Jackson then took the management and supplied the places of the disaffected – and the match proceeded. Strange to say – we were successful beating them in both innings.

Fort McLeod, June 4th, '75

My dear Lizzie

A mail is to go out from here tomorrow. How I would like to go with it. I am afraid that I am very blue tonight. I think I always get blue when a mail is about leaving – but I must not think of the blues just now – for you, by the time this reaches Toronto, may be thinking of Miss Annie Taylor’s wedding. Dear Liz, I wish it were you and I, that were about to be tied together for life – for more than life, for Eternity. Do you ever think of it? I do often and often. I consider that in very truth you and I are now so nearly and so closely united in heart and mind and soul, that tho’ our bodies should never be united, still our soul-binding would last thro’ time and Eternity. Even now separated as we are by vast tracts of wild desolate country – we are yet one – and should one of us be called away – the other would remain faithful and true until such time as Our Father saw fit to place us together again.

But my own darling, I am getting gloomy again. Forgive me – and let us talk of something else. Say anything you would like me to say to Annie Taylor on the 20th and I will become responsible for it. Why did she not choose the 21st of June, she would then have had a longer day?

Things around the Camp have been going on pretty much the same as ever. The arrival of a large camp of halfbreeds a day or two ago caused an influx of visitors to the Fort, but as they are camped across the river some seven miles away, and the river is rising daily we have not seen a great deal of them. A second smaller party came down to day. One among them called Munroe had been highly recommended as an Interpreter and was taken on the strength of the Force. I have not yet visited their camp – they live in wigwams – most of the men can talk English but I believe none of the women. I have only seen one of the latter and she was sick – a horrible abscess if nothing worse in the breast. I think it comes from a blow – and her husband I think is the one who struck the blow – I do not know – but I think he maltreats her – she had a black eye and several bruises on her as of a recent beating – but I asked nothing only observed, but if I find out any truth in my surmises I shall do my level best to get Mr. Alons (his name) into trouble.

And now my darling I must say good night, and for the present goodbye. I am quite well and have been. The only change is my smooth chin and fierce (?) moustache. Keep your spirits up Old Girl – our 20th of June will come round in good time and then - [ ? ]

With unalterable love I am
Ever your own
Barrie

I enclose you a little flower I found in a most lonely desolate spot all by itself – no other green thing within some distance of it. It was bright and doing well and apparently happy tho’ all alone like

Your
Barrie

Fort McLeod, May 24th, 1875

My dear Lizzie

To day opened clear calm and bright. Just the kind of a day for a cricket match, and exactly what one would wish the Queen’s birthday to be. By ten o’clock the wickets were pitched. I was Captain of the ‘F’ Troop Eleven and Winder of ‘C’ Troop. I won the choice of innings and sent them to the bat. Their side sent out for 27 runs – we then went in and our last wicket went down for 41 0 we then adjourned for dinner, and ‘C’ Troop going to the bat again made 33, a grand total of 60. ‘F’ Troop then put 39 runs. Your humble servant made a duck’s both innings. ‘F’ Troop was victorious however that was the great object of the day and all minor considerations should be overlooked in the presence of that great fact. A baseball match was then [ ? ] and I was solicited to play. We played against nine “citizens” and beat them badly. At first I was skeptical about 9 citizens being around the place but they appeared and were beaten.

A pony race was gotten up and run – but it was only for a short distance and only two ponies entered and did not create much excitement.

If all is well I intend tomorrow to go up the river fishing – to that end I have a horse kept in. It may interest you to know that I have at last given up my hirsute appendage – that is I have shaven my chin. They all tell me that I look very much younger.

Fort McLeod, May 17th, 1875

My dearest Lizzie

After the Col. left yesterday afternoon we all felt rather lonesome, and spent most of the time speculating as to the various causes which may have called him away, also as to the date of his probable return. After dinner Capt. Winder who is now in command asked me to walk down with him to the river. So we went down and found that it had not risen any today – it has been rather chilly today so I suppose the snow upon the mountains was checked in its melting. Then we went to where the boats were moored and took a little row in them to try the rapids and then being impressed with the calm stillness of the scene we broke into song and the dreary lonely silence was broken by the voice of harmony, the gurgling of the rapid river forming a running accompaniment.

Today we have been engaged in planting some cotton wood trees in front of our quarters. If they live and take root they will form an useful and ornamental adjunct to our quarters.

Conrad’s second wagon came in from the train today and say [?] that it will be here tomorrow as it camped to night this side of the Belly River.