For a little while the scene shifts to London, the city of my birth, and although I did not know it then, I was destined to be often there.
And so here I am, in the month of August one thousand eight hundred and seventy one, midway between my twelfth and thirteenth birthday, and around midday, walking in Cheapside and Fleet Street, joining with a crowd of spectators as at the noon hour a famous clock is mechanically visited by mechanical representatives of twelve apostles who come out to public view and in turn take their share in striking the twelve notes of the hour. Then up Ludgate Hill we go, and so into St Paul's Cathedral, where one goes not only to worship God, but to admire Christopher Wren also and look around at his monument, and where one cultivates at least a degree of reverence for all those worthies of the past whose monuments stand by walls and pavements and in the crypt beneath.
Fortunately I am not alone in this walk; a group of us have come from Bristol and are in the care of a competent guide. What has happened? Simply that in the ages and cycles of human development God never leaves Himself without witness, but raises up new agents to give new turns to His plans and the expression of His purposes, and thus to introduce unusual phases of benevolent and Christian work. It is thus that the agency of Christianity is constantly working for the betterment of humanity. Thus it was that a young woman, endowed with the grace of God and a holy enthusiasm therewith, of a fine social standing, and the spirit of generosity to use her private and ample means for the good of humanity, felt herself drawn to improve the lot of matchbox making girls in Spitalfields and Commercial street, London; and thus the name of Miss Annie Macpherson became with many of the poor about Shoreditch, Bethnal Green Road and the Railway Arch a household name, and eventually was made known far beyond the confines of London. In her study of the causes of poverty, she came to see the necessity of changing environments if people were to be permanently bettered, and that remedial measures must find their best expression in preventive work among the young; thus it was that she was led to consider the possibilities of life for young people beyond the ocean. So she came to take up emigration work; by which ultimately she became best known to British and Canadian people. In such a work she had the fullest sympathy of her own family circle, among whom were her sisters Mrs Birt and Mrs Dr Merry, followed also by their children; and she drew to her staff of helpers many noble minded and devoted young Christian men and women whose sole purpose was to express their love for and bondservice to Christ in unselfish work to ameliorate the condition of the poor. So after an experimental party or two had been despatched to Canada, and it was found that the farmers of Ontario especially received the children with open arms, and the prospects for a new life were to say the least roseate beyond anticipation, Miss Macpherson's vision of possibilities took in a consideration of other cities of England; and thus it was that she made an offer to the Guardians of Bristol to take boys from them. Sad is it not that so soon as some one discovers new ways for the unselfish expression of Christian love jealousy shows its head and raises suspicions and objections. Party politics in England, aided by similar affiliations in Canada recommended that this work should be stopped.
However here I am in London, with a billet for at least three weeks, because I am one of the fortunate ones, one of God's ones upon whom the lot has fallen because of this pioneer Christian Emigration Agent's invitation. We were met in London on arrival, and were taken through what seemed to be a dirty, foggy, narrow-streeted city, into Commercial street, and we drew up at a tall, rather uninviting looking building named "The House of Industry". This I find is only an introduction. We are allowed to make some acquaintances with the various young people who work at making matchboxes, and have this for their lodging house, where they learn to sing hymns, and engage in other Christian exercises. There is another "Home", outside of London, known as "Hampton Home", and there is to be my headquarters during this eastern stay.
What a variety of life we had there! Plenty of play, and physical exercises on the horizontal bar. The spacious grounds gave us a wealth of room. We were supposed to learn something about farming in preparation for our advent in Canada; I am afraid that what we learnt was very elementary and almost infinitesimal, however it was pleasant fun to run after a rake that was pulling peas! In the evenings and on certain afternoons we had indoor gatherings for Christian training, and it was on these occasions that two brothers, Leslie and George Thom and one young woman, the young woman especially -- Miss Ellen Agnes Bilbrough came into my life with an impressiveness never to be forgotten, and if I have been true to their teachings it must be to their credit and to the glory of Christ.
Our stay at "Hampton" was the getting-acquainted time, in preparation for the long journey that was before us. The end came after three weeks, during which we had had several sight-seeing trips in London, which had made us feel pretty well acquainted with the great city; and then one morning in August 1871 we entrained for Liverpool. Lo, we were on our way for Canada!
It was nearing evening when the tender had transferred the last of our party from the Liverpool docks to the steamship anchored out in the Mersey river and then had withdrawn from us carrying back to shore the well-wishers who had given us our send-off. There had been a mutual waving of handkerchiefs. Of course I joined in with the rest, and tried to smile, but my heart was sick; I was leaving my native land! I was doing so through no fault, and without blemish on my personality; mainly with an inherited British sense of duty, and largely because advisors thought it was the best thing for me to do. But I loved the land, some institutions, and some people I was leaving; I tried to find comfort in the reflection that I was going to a big land where I might not only do well for myself, but might also surround myself with the British spirit, and help to perpetuate my native land beyond the sea.
Our ship was the "Prussian", a name which suited my fancy splendidly, for I had listened with interest to daily readings from the newspapers by Master Hughes, during the recent Franco-Prussian war, and his talks on the merits of the case to our school classes, with the result that I had developed a strong sympathy for the Prussian side; our ship therefore seemed to be appropriately named. Prussia had won.
As we gathered speed and hasted seaward the western sun from a clear sky was casting his final touches for the day athwart the sandy, yellow beach pushing out from Liverpool; his tinting glory ended; the twilight shortened by the aid of distance; darkness crept down; and as I stood on deck I lost sight of my land, the land of my birth, the land of my youthful ambitions and hopes -- the land from which I was being exiled, and which I could never cease to love. I felt lonesome as I turned in to find my lodging place for the night and reflected that I had left behind all who were related to me, and I a boy was taking my chances out in a world that might not at all be favourable to me, and might indeed sometimes nudge me with an unkindly push. I felt lonely, but I got an assignment of my hammock which like all of the rest was hung from the cabin ceiling, and being conscious of a good appetite, I ate heartily the bread set bountifully before us, and then I climbed up, and forgot my passing sadness in a sound sleep.
It was early morning when we were summoned to arise; there were so many of us in a party of about one hundred and twenty to wash up and prepare for breakfast, that we had to stir at least by seven o'clock sharp. After breakfast I began to learn a little more perfectly my whereabouts, and by whom we were being directed. When tables were cleared we were gathered about them for morning prayers, and this included favourite hymns and Bible stories. The chief of the ship appeared -- that is the Captain. He was introduced to us, Captain Dutton, and he expressed to us his great interest in the young lives that he was assisting in transporting. He assured us of his dependence upon God, and I for one was relieved of fear as I thought of our Captain looking to God for safety and guidance. I observed later that this Captain did Christian work among the older passengers by assembling them for Bible studies, and for Sunday services. It was thirty-seven years afterwards that in the city of Montreal I made friends of two descendants of this good captain, whose body I learned had been buried in the Mount Royal Cemetery, and whose First Mate Thompson I once more met with as an active helper in one of the city churches.
My greatest pleasure on this first morning at sea arose as I found that that estimable lady Miss E A Bilbrough was in charge of our party. What a presence, and spirit she was, as day after day for our ten day voyage she moved in and out among us, especially assembling and leading us in singing, and interesting us with Bible talks! She seemed to take the place in my lonely heart of all whom I had left behind.
But I did not like the sea; and it seemed it did not like me. I have crossed it many times since that season, and usually there has been no love lost between us. But I need not dwell upon those experiences. "We shall soon have sight of land" Miss Bilbrough said one morning, "and then you will suddenly find that your sea-sickness has gone". And so it was that one evening we found ourselves sighting outlines of Newfoundland. Then there was a glorious sunset, so much more glorious than the one we had left behind that I found at once a new love springing up in my heart, and I began to forget some things, and to anticipate what might be in store. I suddenly discovered that I was not sick. I went to my hammock very happy, but not quite so early as on other evenings.
One morning two boys announced:- "We are at land, and we have been ashore". I was sorry that I had not had the honor of first landing. I am sure that I lost no time in verifying their words, and in finding my way with others down the gangway, and so setting foot upon new land. I have no recollection of breakfast that morning, but I do remember with what interest I and a small group investigated the strange surroundings of Point Levis. We could see the roofs and spires of Quebec across the broad body of water; but as the only railway in Canada was on the south shore of the St Lawrence river, of necessity we were brought to land there. We took a walk past the station, over a roadway that had timbers of wood laid crosswise, and we thought that it was a strange kind of a road. We came to where a group of men were putting a lot of pigs into pens, from strange looking carts. Some of the pigs we thought wore very funny collars; they were made of three pieces of wood, and were fastened about the necks of the animals in triangular form with the peak of the triangle rising into the air. We learned later that these strange collars were properly named "pokes", and were for the purpose of preventing the wearers from pushing their way through the farmers' fences. As we stood looking at the unusual proceedings, one of the men addressed us in a language we did not understand, and in amazement I said to my companions:- "Boys we have forgotten to learn the language of this land". But at that moment the man addressed us in good English:- "Have you a knife?" What a relief!
It was the Grand Trunk Railway carriages that we were put into that afternoon, and from Point Levis we were started on our journey westward in a land that was very different then from what it is today. Canada as a federated Dominion was then only four years old, and besides Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island down by the Atlantic, and struggling British Columbia out by the Pacific, had for its principals the provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Very little was known of the country lying between Ontario and British Columbia, and even Ontario, as it is now, was known in very small measure. So there was one railway connecting Quebec and Ontario and finding its way westward into the United States via Chicago. From Point Levis the railway found its way eastward into the United States through the State of Maine, but Confederation stipulated that a road should be built on Canadian soil to Halifax so as to connect the east with the west, and likewise that a road should be built across the western prairies and the Rocky Mountains connecting British Columbia with the east. But this was work to be done in the future when I took my first Canadian ride in those famous old Grand Trunk cars, the pioneers which laid foundations for great days to be. I do not know what the Time Table was like then -- I was not as much interested in time tables then as I have since been, but I wish I had secured a copy somewhere and could have preserved it unto this present time. I am sure it would be a curio worth having. Anyway, our train seemed to have plenty of time at its disposal. Perhaps my anticipative, and impatient brain exaggerated matters, but it did seem that it took the best part of a week to make our journey into a part of Ontario that may now easily be covered in twelve hours. I remember the suspicion that arose in my mind that our cargo was not considered very important. Anyway we were often switched off to sidings, while other trains hurried past us. At times it seemed that we were deliberately given opportunities for replenishing ourselves from the luscious-looking orchards of which we had heard so much in Old England and which now appeared to be no longer a dream, for the train would give a long stop at times close by one of these orchards, and as there seemed to be no prohibition we took it for granted that it was a common right to help ones-self. It was September, and the trees in the frequently recurring orchards were loaded with "bright red, rosy apples", and we for the first time in life enjoyed the apples. There were other things to see, such as the large fields of what we were told was "Indian corn", and between the rows of which were many very bright yellow things lying on the ground and that somewhat in shape reminded us of our English marshmallow, but they were much larger, and marshmallow is not a reddish yellow; but we soon learned that these plentiful objects were "pumpkins", and that they were good for pie-making, and that cows were fond of them. As for cows -- we had never seen so many. Then what strange barriers there were for keeping them in the fields! These were called "fences"; we had been used to "walls", "stiles" and "foot-paths", but it all seemed to be changed here -- there were no stiles, and if walls appeared anywhere, they were simply rough piles of stone which the farmers had gathered from their fields and thrown loosely into heaps. In the main, we saw only fences, and they were constructed of "rails", representing trees which had been cut in length of twelve feet and then split into sizes which could be lifted by a man's hands, and then they were piled up, five rails high in a curious zig-zag fashion; and this was called a "snake-rail fence". Our journey on the whole was pleasant.
It was about two o'clock in the morning when we were all awakened, and bidden to get ourselves down from the train. We had reached our destination, which was then the youthful town of Belleville, some two hundred miles west of Montreal. In the dead of night, the place was very quiet; in any case the station would have been quiet for it seemed to be two miles from anywhere. We were met and welcomed by a gentleman who had been awaiting our arrival, and who at once assumed command, marshalled us into line, and then led the way on a two mile walk to our resting place -- a walk that at that time of night, by a river bank, and along deserted streets, with finally a hill to climb, seemed much more than two miles; but then healthy boys and girls are usually good walkers. So arrived at "Home", given a lunch, and shown to our dormitories, we were soon in the land of happy forgetfulness.
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