Down the River to the Sea Part 3

"That's a splendid plan, Cousin Kate," exclaimed both Hugh and Flora at once. "What a schemer you are, to be sure," continued Hugh. "I don't know how we should ever get on without you."

May had been sitting by, silently watching the little group, as she had rather a way of doing; Kate's bright face, Hugh's more reserved and sensitive one,--yet seeming so much more animated and healthful than when she had first met him, only a few days ago,--and Flora's sweet, rosy, good-humored countenance,--they made a pleasant picture.

How much better Hugh seemed already, and how much he seemed to depend on Kate! May was much addicted to weaving little romances for the people about her,--often on very slender foundation,--and she had already begun to weave one for her cousin. How well they would supplement each other, she thought,--Kate's quick, practical sense and Hugh's more contemplative tendencies. From which it will be seen that May was somewhat given to theories, as well as to modern fiction.

Meantime, they had been swiftly steaming across the azure surface of the lake, and, even by straining her eyes, May could barely discern the faint cloud of mist that represented so much to her inward eye.

Indeed they had all begun to look onward for Toronto, and could dimly trace the long succession of buildings and spires that had begun to separate itself from the blue line of distant sh.o.r.e towards which they were approaching.

"We shall be there very soon now," said Mrs. Sandford, rising to collect her numerous satchels, wraps, etc., long before there was any occasion for it. It was a sort of occupation, and she had relinquished, for the time, the sedative of her knitting. While she was thus busied, Kate pointed out, as they drew nearer, the princ.i.p.al landmarks, and the strangers were surprised to find so extensive and imposing a city.

"That low bar of land, there," she said, somewhat slightingly, "is what they call their Island, though it really is only a sandbar cut through. I suppose it's better than nothing, for at least they get the fresh lake breezes; but no one who has seen our beautiful 'Thousand Islands' in the St. Lawrence could be content with that for an island.

But it is the Coney Island, the Nantasket Beach, the Saratoga, of Toronto!"

"Toronto is an Indian name, I suppose," said Hugh. "Do you know what it means?"

"I do," said May, when Kate had confessed her ignorance. "At least I have read somewhere that it means 'The Place of Meeting,' from having been the point where the roving bands of Indians and the French traders used to meet in the old French time. At first it was only a little stockaded fort, called Fort Kouilly, after a French Colonial Minister, I think, and there the traders and Indians used to make their bargains."

"And after that," said Mrs. Sandford, "it was never known at all until Governor Simcoe made it the first capital, instead of Niagara, which was too near the frontier, and called it York, after the then Duke of York."

"What a pity!" exclaimed Hugh. "But they went back to the Indian name, after all!"

"Yes," replied Mrs. Sandford, "they got tired of hearing it called 'muddy little York,' and changed back to Toronto about fifty years ago; and Toronto it has remained ever since. My father has often told me about the first Parliament buildings here, and the Vice-Regal residence, which the 'Queen City' would not think good enough now for a school building. At the time when it was made the capital, the woods clothed the sh.o.r.e down to the water's edge, and there were only two wigwams here, in which lived two families of Mississauga Indians, from whom the whole site of the city is said to have been bought for _ten shillings sterling_, with some beads, blankets, and, I'm afraid, a little fire-water thrown in."

"Well," said Hugh, "everything is relative; I suppose that represented a small fortune to them, and it has taken a good while to get the 'unearned increment' up to its present value."

"I don't understand your new-fangled terms," said Mrs. Sandford.

"There weren't any of them in my day. Now, make haste and get your traps together, for we'll be at the dock in two minutes. Look for the Arlington carriage, Hugh, that's where we're going; I think you will find it there."

And in a few minutes they were all stowed into the carriage, and driven rapidly away from the noisy dock to the quiet family hotel on King Street, which seemed an inviting resting place in the very warm afternoon. They felt the heat all the more after the cool lake breeze they had been enjoying; and they were all tired enough with their early start to enjoy a _siesta_ before their luncheon, which was also much appreciated in its turn. The afternoon was to be devoted to seeing Toronto, and a large double hack was soon at the door, in which the whole party ensconced themselves for a leisurely drive about the busy and beautiful city. Kate, as usual, directed the route, and Hugh sat on the box beside the driver, where he could hear all the information given behind, as well as secure some more on his own account from the communicative charioteer.

They drove first eastward, along the fine stretch of King Street, admiring on their way the pretty, shady grounds of Government House, and the ma.s.sive Norman architecture of St. Andrew's Church opposite, in which Hugh, as a Scotchman, took a special interest. Pa.s.sing on, along the favorite resort of Toronto promenaders, they admired the stately rows of buildings, though Hugh and Flora protested against the monotonous white brick, so new to their English eyes. They turned up the busy thoroughfare of Yonge Street, and, after a few blocks, left the region of shops and turned aside into the cool shadiness of Jarvis and Sherbourne Streets, with their handsome residences, surrounded by well-kept grounds; and so up to the rural quiet of Bloor Street. They crossed the fine bridge over the ravine at Rosedale, and admired the picturesque bits of scenery lying about that romantic spot. Then, after following Bloor Street into the new section of the city that has grown up so rapidly about Spadina Avenue, they turned into the beautiful "Queen's Park," and drove through its shady precincts, the Scottish strangers surveying with great interest the new academic buildings that are springing up about the University as a center. At the University, of course, they halted for a closer inspection of the beautiful building, which, as Kate remarked, had just risen, Ph[oe]nix-like, from the conflagration that had, a short time ago, left it a ma.s.s of magnificent ruins.

"You see they are building the library quite separate, over there, now," Kate said, pointing to where the graceful library building was beginning to show its beauty of design. "It is really wonderful," she added, "how generous people everywhere have been in restoring the loss of the books."

"Yes," replied Hugh. "And I have no doubt the University will be the gainer in the end, as the _trash_ will have been all disposed of, and the scientific books will be all new and up to date. But I can imagine what a catastrophe it must have been at the time. It made quite a sensation, even among us students in Edinburgh. Though, apart from the a.s.sociations, I'm afraid some of us wouldn't have been sorry to have had our old building and old books renewed in the same way! It's too bad for a Scotch university to be eclipsed, architecturally, by a Canadian one!"

"Ah, well, you see, we had the improved taste of this age to guide us," remarked Kate.

"And the taste of a Scotchman, at that, if I am not mistaken," added Hugh.

"Oh, yes, we must grant you the credit of Sir Daniel Wilson and his Edinburgh training. But look at this fine gateway. Fortunately it was not injured by the fire, and is just as it was. I think it's the finest bit of the building."

Hugh admired it all so enthusiastically that May, who had of course seen very little of fine architecture, was glad to have her own admiration endorsed by one who had seen so much more. And, happily, they encountered a stray professor, well known to Mrs. Sandford, who insisted on looking up the janitor, and personally conducting them through the interior of the building, which the tourists were very anxious to see, and which Hugh inspected with the critical eye of a student, approving of the various improvements everywhere introduced, and only regretting the lost glories of the Convocation Hall, on which the professor regretfully descanted.

"But we must wait for some Canadian millionaire to give us a Canadian Christ's Church," he said, smiling.

"Indeed, I think it is wonderful, as it _is_, for a new country," said Hugh, as they exchanged a cordial adieu, Hugh promising in return to show him Edinburgh University if he would look him up over there.

From the University they drove down the fine shady avenue, to show the strangers, a little way from the University, on a little knoll in its picturesque grounds, a monument to the young volunteers who fell at Ridgeway. Hugh and Flora had already heard the story of the Fenian _emeute_ that caused so much temporary excitement, and they looked with respectful sympathy at the monument so justly raised to these gallant young men, as true patriots as if the field on which they fell had been one of the historic battle-grounds of the world. The monument to George Brown also claimed their attention for a few moments, and Hugh triumphantly declared to Kate, that, so far as he could see, all the great leaders of Canada had been his fellow-countrymen.

Then they continued their drive down the fine avenue, past the School of Technology, and the great, new Parliament buildings, fast rising to completion, and down the alley of chestnuts on to which, under the spreading horse-chestnuts, leads down Queen Street, where they duly admired the cla.s.sic stateliness of Osgoode Hall,--the law center of Ontario. Then they returned to King Street once more, and followed its coa.r.s.e westward for some miles, to see the former site of the Old Fort near the Exhibition buildings, and the various great inst.i.tutions of Toronto along its line. The old red brick building of Upper Canada College,--one of the oldest grammar schools in Canada; the handsome front of Trinity College, farther on, in its beautiful park, the grounds and buildings of which Hugh would fain have stopped to explore; the great gloomy-looking, high-walled inclosure of the Lunatic Asylum, with its saddening a.s.sociations; and then, still sadder sight, the grim Central Prison and the Mercer Reformatory for women. A somewhat more cheerful object of contemplation was the large pile of buildings that form the beautiful Home for Incurables, which Kate declared was quite an ideal inst.i.tution, at least so far as its plan and appointments were concerned. "But it is a rather melancholy place too," she admitted, "though, if people _are_ incurable, it is nice to know that they will be comfortably provided for!"

"I don't believe much in inst.i.tutions," said Flora, in her soft voice and pretty Scotch accent; "I would rather have one of the plainest little rooms, in a wee, real home, than the most luxurious one in these great inst.i.tutions!" and May warmly endorsed the sentiment.

"Still, if people can't have even that," said Hugh, "it's well there _are_ inst.i.tutions. I must say myself, that I don't care much for doing things by wholesale, so I for one could never be a socialist.

Things were better planned originally. 'He setteth the solitary in families.'"

"That was long ago, my dear boy," remarked Mrs. Sandford. "It's getting to be an old world, and a cold world, too, I fear."

"Oh, I hope not, Aunt Bella. The old order faileth, giving place to new, only the new hasn't got well worked out yet."

On their way back they took a look at the Old Fort Barracks, and at the site of the old French Fort, near which the exhibition buildings, or "Fair grounds," yearly present such a striking contrast to what must have been the silence and loneliness of the spot when it first became a British settlement. And the cool lake breeze was most refreshing after the heat of the July day, and sent them back to the hotel, reinforced for dinner, after which they were not disposed to do more than sit quietly on one of the balconies of the hotel, Mrs.

Sandford knitting with great satisfaction, and the others amusing themselves with observing the ever-varying line of pedestrians constantly pa.s.sing to and fro on their way from places of evening entertainment.

Next morning all the junior members of the party started for a ramble on foot, going first along King Street and looking in a more leisurely fashion at the various handsome public buildings, the banks, the great newspaper offices, a little off King Street, the fine post-office on Adelaide Street, the attractive picture and bookstores, and then turning up Church Street, pursued their way to the Normal School buildings, where Kate exhibited to her companions with some pride, the various educational appliances of that center of the public school education of the province, the handsome, and even luxurious lecture-rooms, cla.s.s-rooms, library, and last, but not least, the s.p.a.cious and delightful Kindergarten, a paradise of infantine education, which was Kate's especial delight, and which to Hugh and Flora was a charming novelty in "school-keeping." After that they continued their walk in a desultory fashion along the shady streets of that quarter of the city, admiring the handsome churches and villa-like residences which there abound. Then they crossed the Park to take one more look at the beautiful University buildings, and came back to the Arlington by the way of St. George Street with its fine residences, and Spadina Avenue, just in time for an early luncheon before preparing for their departure by the good steamer _Corsican_.

The early afternoon found them all on the deck of the steamer, gliding swiftly out of Toronto Bay, leaving in the distance the long ma.s.s of fine buildings that extends along Front Street and gives the stranger some idea of the wealth and business of Toronto; past the long sandbar, which at once protects Toronto Harbor and serves as a "health resort" and "_villegiature_" for so many Torontonians. Very soon, as the steamer ploughed her way through the blue lake, calm as a millpond, Toronto had become invisible, and the high land of Scarboro Heights rose to the left, while to the right the blue horizon line again reminded the travelers of the sea. Presently, there arose the fresh, bracing afternoon breeze, most grateful to the strangers especially, who had felt the heat at Toronto rather oppressive. It was a delicious afternoon, and as the sparkling and quivering golden pathway thrown on the waters by the westering sun showed them that it was pa.s.sing away all too soon, Hugh declared that if he lived in Canada he should want to spend most of the summer on a yacht on such halcyon waters.

"Yes," said Mrs. Sandford, "yachting is very well in summer weather, when it is calm like this, but it's dangerous at best on these great lakes where sudden squalls are apt to rise at any moment. Don't you remember, Kate----"

"Oh, yes, Auntie," Kate interposed, hurriedly, "don't talk about it now. It's too sad. But, Hugh, how would you like to 'paddle your own canoe' all the way down from Toronto to the foot of the lake, as they used to do in the brave days of old?"

"I shouldn't fancy any one would try such an experiment in these days of rapid locomotion," said Flora.

"Indeed, some people _would_, and think it great fun," replied Kate.

"A friend of ours, with his wife and little girl, paddled down the whole way to the St. Lawrence one summer, just for the pleasure of it.

And his wife--just as the squaws used to do--helped him with the paddling."

"And how long did it take them?" asked Hugh.

"About ten or eleven days. And they kept a log, or at least a diary of each day's events, for future edification. Of course, they stopped over night at some place where they could sleep comfortably and have a good breakfast to start with."

"Oh, I should think _that_ might be very pleasant. But, in 'the brave days of old,' they had not any of these conveniences, and I suppose they did not take it so leisurely."

"Poor LaSalle had many a hard paddle up and down the lakes in all sorts of weather," said May. "It makes one shudder to think of some of his voyages, and with so many hardships, too!"

"Well," said Hugh, "I think I prefer the more expeditious way, where there's no particular scenery to tempt one."

"Oh, of course, there isn't _much_ of what you would call scenery along this coast," said Kate. "Nothing like what there is along Lake Superior or Lake Huron. But still, if you were to keep close along sh.o.r.e, there are many pretty little 'bits' to enjoy; and just think what a delicious lotus-eating life it would be."

"Except for the paddler," interposed Hugh.

"Oh, indeed, you don't know how the paddlers get to love it! There seems a sort of fascination about it, and it gets to be a pa.s.sion with them. There is much more interest and variety about it than about rowing. Do you know, there's a great American Canoe a.s.sociation to which many Canadians belong, which has its 'meets' every summer, at some pleasant spot, with good boating. They have all sorts of exercises, races, canoe-gymnastics, prize contests, and a splendid time generally. And ladies belong to it as well as men. This year it is to be held at one of the 'Thousand Islands'; and, by the way, I shouldn't wonder if you might have a glimpse of it. You know we are all invited to spend a few days at the summer cottage of a friend there, with whom I have often stayed, and it isn't very far from where they have the Canoe Camp; so we may just manage to have a look at it."

"That would be charming! I should like that," exclaimed Hugh and Flora both together; while May began to think that too many delights were cl.u.s.tering about this wonderful expedition, and that she should suddenly awake to find it all a dream; and Cinderella at home again, amid her dusters and her stocking-mending--as if there were no Niagara and no "Thousand Islands" in the world.

Meantime, they were ploughing their way through the gleaming blue and gold waves, with water and sky meeting at the horizon line, all around them, save for a blue strip of sh.o.r.e to their left, while the steering was done by compa.s.s, a new experience for the strangers, on an inland lake.

"I don't wonder," Hugh remarked, "now that I've seen this lake for myself, I don't wonder that the British Foreign Office, long ago, should have sent out water-casks for the frigates here, as you were telling me. It is hard to realize that this great blue expanse is really _fresh_ water." And May felt delighted that she now could the better picture to herself what the _sea_ was actually like.