Canada for Gentlemen | Page 7

them till I
opened my portmanteau at Sherbrooke. Certainly I gave them to Henry
to look over while I was writing as he sat beside me, but he was so
almost immoderately careful that I do not think he can possibly have
mislaid any of them. Anyhow it's not here. If I am obliged to leave
Montreal before I hear from you I shall call on him and make my own
explanations. But I don't know how I could do that either, for I don't
know if he was father's friend or whether we got the introduction from
someone else. Well, I shall hang on as long as I can, and then go and
beard him in his den as a last resource. Now that's all the business I
have to mention; it's a bad job, but it can't be helped. Perhaps, after all,
I never had an introduction, and ought just to have called and
mentioned the father. I know he gave me a lot of directions when he
read the list over, but I can't remember them all, and only against one
has he made a note that no introduction is necessary. Yet there are
about half-a-dozen to whom I have not got letters, but whose names
occur the same as Roland Stanley. We've been hunting round, kicking
up no end of a dust, and called on and badgered scores of people. I have
already been twice to see a man called Van Haughton. He is some sort
of a boss on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and I am going again
to-morrow, though they don't want any men--at least not ordinary

men--but I am going to try and convince them that I am something
extraordinary. The ten pounds loose cash we brought out will only last
us another fortnight, but I have great hopes that Henry will not need to
draw more. Roland Stanley very kindly took him to a farm to-day, a
few miles from here, to see a man he knew, but the chap wanted £50
per annum, so we declined. I was not able to go as I had an
appointment, but I don't think it made any difference, though they
didn't do any bargaining, only just asked him if he would take him, and
he said he would for the above-named sum. Some of the introductions
we brought out have been very useful--that to the Darwins particularly.
George, the elder son (I think) is a jewel. I believe he would pop his
Sunday coat if he thought it would do us any good. He is strongly of
opinion that Henry should advertise for a job. He says he is certain that
he would get lots of answers. But I think it will be better to wait till we
see what happens at Sherbrooke, as by all accounts he could not do
better than go to old Crabtree. I think, with the prospect of his being
shortly settled there, you might write and explain (if possible) the
matter of the introduction--if we are not here they can forward the letter.
8 p.m.--We have just been down to the station to fetch some of our
baggage, having been told that we should have to pay for it if we let it
lie there, and as we did not wish to bestow any portion of our capital on
cabbies, we carried it up. The consequence is I feel like this
[Illustration: Hand bent at wrist.] as Pot would say. The weather has
been that hot since we came. By-the-bye, I meant to say when I said
that we had just been down to the station, that as I felt so limp from
carrying baggage on a hot night, you would have to put up with bad
writing, but I see it's just as good as what I started with. It would all be
better if Henry was'nt writing too--at the same table I mean--which,
being one of the round one-legged arrangements usually met with in
boarding-houses, is scarcely equal to the weight of eloquence which he
brings to bear upon it. I wonder what he's writing about. You might just
let me know what he says next time you write. He's just bought some
new pink paper to write upon, and has already started several times
with a most careful beginning, so it ought to be something worth
hearing. I have suggested that he should give you his ideas concerning
the crops of this country, but his innate modesty debars him from
giving an opinion on a subject upon which he confesses himself at

present profoundly ignorant, notwithstanding that we went yesterday
afternoon (there being nothing else which could be done,) to the great
Dominion Agricultural Show, as befitted the incipient farmer, and that I
there carefully explained to