Royal Hotel, Hamilton 26 Apr 1874 4-sided Marcus Smith letter home
Lot 22 in our auction Saturday 20th February 2021
#marcussmith #bcsurveyor #canadianrailways #canadahistory
Royal Hotel
H.E. Irving, Proprietor,
Hamilton, 26th April 1874
My dear Nannie
I arrived in Toronto all right- stayed at the Queen’s Hotel and next day met Tom, William and Jeff. Mrs. W.B.- all well. I am so pleased with Tom. He is not only grown tall- but manly especially intellectually. You can see the effect of good training plainly written on his brow- he is thin and his legs rather small. But he is wiry and active- we have been very fortunate in getting him so good a school- his voice is just changing and is as gruff as a sailors.
I send you prospectuses of three different schools-1st Bishop Strachan’s school is I think really good and the Principal is undoubtably a lady. But why the number of pupils can have so fallen off- which the Principal told me herself- I cannot tell William thinks that the lady who preceeded this has rather many of the pupils with her- So I suppose she is teaching somewhere-
The school is in a pretty grove on a hill and must be healthy, the house was not built for a school and I rather like it better for that as there are not more than 4 or 5 beds in any of the rooms- I think there is no German master or gymnasium at present- but there is a German Governess- I think as good and thorough education for young ladies could begot there as anywhere either in Canada or England- and it must be the expense alone that keeps down the numbers.
St.Joseph’s Convent This is not in Clover Hill-there is a Catholic boy’s College there-but St.Joseph is at the foot of the hill- A splendid new and large building, baths & everything common but the Dormitories are large rooms full of beds like at Carleton, Bay chaleur, and a little wash stand- I think what subjects are taught there principally are accomplishments especially music but as Eloise is well grounded in a common English education she would not miss that and would have more time for music, drawing &.c.
But I found out the French teacher is an Irishwoman- In fact the school is Irish and cheap. under archbishop Lynch-with a chapel attached in which I saw several of the girls kneeling and crossing themselves-virgins and saints everywhere about- just like Carleton- It won’t do-
Loretta Abbey This is an older place, and very superior The Lady Superior is an undoubted lady, and very handsome- I found it was there that Miss McCarthy was the lady remembered her well but says the school is much improved since then- I asked if they allowed the girls to dance- Oh yes and we employ a dancing master when a Clap of eight requires it. I told her we belonged to the Church of England and had an idea that the Catholics were too severe in the religious instructions of the young ladies-she laughed- showing a fine set of teeth- Oh we are not so severe as you think- I told her of Eloise’s absent rveries- Oh says she- she will be composing either music or poetry- by and by- I have no doubt – the accomplishments would be taught there thoroughly -more so than Jean’s education
It was too late to see the dormitories &.c. but Carry (Maggie’s sister) is coming up soon and William will go with her and learn all about ladies accommodations.
Yours ever,
M. Smith
