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 14th

Nothing in particular going on today. We expect the Kootanie[sic] Indians along with the Stonies[sic] in very soon. The river is rising very fast – hardly fordable now –

No dear I do not forget that the first party given in your house was in May nor that I was much more miserable then than I am now. So Cissy and Mr.Ford are engaged – I thought all along that something would come of it. Well Ford is a pretty decent fellow and as Cissy takes after her Father more than her other parent – she is a nice girl. I am much obliged to Mr. Fred McDougall for the welcome he intends to extend to [?]. In what capacity is he coming up here and in connection with what government - that of Manitobah [sic] or the Northwest Territory. If he goes to Pelly or Ga…[?] my chances of meeting him are very slim.

Whose was the Architects office? I do not think John would accept it for a permanency – he might merely for the sake of seeing Canada but he may consider it more to his purpose to remain at home taking what odd jobs he can get – until he turns something up for himself. If he does come I am sure you will be kind to him – for my sake.

Now good bye
Your own Barrie

June 13th

This morning sick parade was held at half past eight to allow Father Scullen to have Mass at 9 o’clock, and hardly was Mass over before the other churches had their parades. At Mass we had all the Half Breeds over – it was quite a sight to see all the women with their shawls of all hues drawn over their heads and their sparkling bright eyes – roving round the room – in spite of their devotional attitudes. After lunch I had three or four patients to attend to amongst the Half Breeds and then in the afternoon I went for a walk with Capt. Winder down to the bridge. While there we met a couple of men – one a half breed the other a white man – followed by two women half breeds, one about 25 years old in a pink dress and pink sun bonnet – carrying a baby strapped to a board – the other much younger about 15 – very freckled and short and stout in a chintz dress of a Dolly Varden pattern and a bright shawl drawn over her head. All on horseback and all [ ? ..ing] their horses [?] fashion. Our curiosity was roused. We proceeded to investigate the affair [?...ing] to find out who they were. Our diligence was rewarded for we discovered that they were from Whoop Up and had eloped to be married by Father Scullen. Think of that, a runaway match in the North West! Father Scullen married them this evening. I was very sorry that I could not see the ceremony but I did not.

This afternoon just before dinner we were visited by a very heavy thunderstorm which passed directly over our heads. My how it did rain – my room was again a mass of water but as I had taken the precaution of putting everything destroyable under cover I got nothing wet.

June 12th (July 12th 1875)

Dear me I never noticed until just now that I have dated this page one month ahead of time. However it does not matter a great deal at present. This morning we are to play our Return match with Subconstables. Our match began at 10 o’clock and we finished our Innings apiece by dinner time. We were ahead by 21 runs, making 42 to their 20. The second Innings they made 50, one man Uniacke [?] scoring 25. We then took the bat and all our wickets went down for 10. Thus we were defeated. I lay the cause of our defeat down to you. Yes, you need not exclaim and cry out “Me”. I mean you El.th Et.Bt. [?]. But possibly an explanation may be owing to you. In our second Innings while we were fielding a cavalcade was seen approaching over the hill. Of course we all became excited and spyglasses were brought into requisition by the spectators and they kept on calling out what they saw and of course we fielded badly and allowed them to make runs. Just as the match was finished Conrad drove up just from Benton and bringing a mail – and as I had a couple of letters from you I therefore lay the blame upon you. Yes letters have come again. I got two from you of the date May 3 and 10th. I also got one from Father dated May 20th telling of Saida’s safe arrival In Savannah. Also one from Aunt Ellen from Athens dated [?]. And one from Loulie from Burlington of May 15th and one from Harry Stotesbury [?] of May 10th. Also one or two papers for which please return my sincere thanks to Jack for the chess. O your dear letters – how I do love to receive them, so trustful, so loving, rambling, mixed up and badly written. But never mind. I won’t take this occasion for criticizing them or anything else. I spent the afternoon reading them and tomorrow will read them over again – and now Good night my darling and God’s blessing be upon you. Good night again.

June 11th (wrongly dated July 11th)

Yesterday there were two arrivals from Benton, but they brought no letters. Col. McLeod was in Benton awaiting the arrival of the boat on which he expected to find some of the Officers of the Force and some recruits. I believe also that a Custom’s officer and one or two others were expected. The Col. was only waiting for them to come [?] he left for Fort McLeod. I took a sketch yesterday of the half breed camp – and finished it today. I looks very much like it, but not so pretty as I expected it to be. Will you be kind enough to find out for me the lines in Tennyson’s Elaine beginning something like this

Self reliance Self love Self respect These three lead Life to sovereign power Yet not for Power alone Power of herself would come uncalled But because right is right more wisdom in the scorn [?] of consequence To follow right etc….

I know the words are not right – the thing has been bothering me for some days – I have tried to work it out but have failed.

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.

June 9th

We have had thunder storms all around us but now really near us – they seem to hug the mountains. To night I took my place at the end of the dinner table – it being my turn. No news of a mail or anything approaching it.