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

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