The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-09-01
LETTER FROM A TOURIST.

MONTREAL CANADA EAST,
August 18th, 1865.
Special Correspondence Of the Nortott Post.
1t is August, but the sky and the air
are vastly like November in this North
ern city. Its streets are narrow and
roughly paved-fags, brick and plank
alternating; but many of the buildings
are tall and stately, and as they are built
of the grey stone which predominates
here, they have peculiarly graceful APP
pearance. The til roofs which abound,
glance in the cold sunshine like silver,
and the eye tires of gazing from dome to
dome, and roof to roof-all glittering
and glancing, as though we were in a
city of the old Incas, with whom silver
was SO plentiful, that their commones
household utensils were made of it.
| Our party consists of seven, stranger
few days ago, but friends at present
| the freemasonry of travel having mad
us intimate. We hire two barouches
drawn by the mettlesome little Canadian
horses, and although we are out nearly
ten hours, the entire charge is but ten
dollars. Rather an improvement on
Richmond, where we We're charged fol
one carriage twenty-five dollars for five
hours. .t.r..
We drive first to the parade ground
on Logan's Farm, in the suburbs, to set
parade of her Maiesty's Riflemen. Or
the way, we notice a tidy little woman
standing in the doorway of u neat cot
tage, dressed in the costume that re
minds us of French peasant. He
feet are encased in heavy shoes, ant
her short blue skirts show her wei
turned ankles to perfection. Over .
white under-waist she wears ascarlet bod
dice, and her black hair is covered by
close white cap. We saw but two O.
these costumes in Montreal; but squaws
with coarse heavy features, long ropJ
hair, and immense feet, were numerous
Where are the Indians of Cooper ant
Longfellow These lumpish, inant
figures in their dirty dress of coarse
homespun, with the black blanket ovel
head and shoulders, or perhaps mans
hat, of the rudest straw manufacture
browning their dusky locks, have little
of romance about them.
Her Majesty's Rifles drilled for an houl
and half, performing their various
evolutions with the greatest precision
and skill. We left before the drill was
over to visit the old French Cathedral.
This is a vast and stately pile of grey
stone, with two massive towers. A feel
ing of awe came over us as, with soft
footsteps, we passed the doorway and
trod the echoing floor. A few worship
ers were kneeling here and there in
prayer--some were wrapt in their de-
votions; but we observed a bright-eyed
girl telling her beads, her face calm and
sweet as saints, in her communion
with heaven, and, hard by" in sea-
across the aisle, ayoung man, with the
brown beard curled close beneath his
chin," whose lips repeated words Of
prayer, but whose eyes, alas I! keptstray-
ing over to the dear little saint in human
form quite too often.
The vaulted roof is supported by pill
lars of slatc-colored marble, and the
woodwork of the cathedral is carved
from solid oak. Many beautiful paint
ings adorn the walls-some Of them SO
dark and faded as to give evidence of
great antiquity. We penetrated to a
room, behind the Cathedral proper,
where were linen garments, candles and
massive silver sacramental services, &C.,
but, on reading notice in French upon
the door: DO not enter here without
good reason" we retired.
From the Cathedral we were driven
to the "Grey Nunnery,n 1t was little
too soon for the midday worship, so we
gazed around the beautiful little chapel,
all white and gold, the light admitted
from above. AT the left hand of the
altar was the loveliest picture of the
Madonna and child that L ever saw,
with the words beneath, " Voila Votre
Mere 1t was the ideal face of the
mother, wrought with the artists purest
conception of womanly love and ten
derness. On the opposite side was a pic
ture of st. Joseph. .s.T .7st
silence! for the good nuns are enter
ing, two by two, and kneeling on the
floor, while, in low monotone or chant
they repeat their prayers. Their attire
is anything but picturesque, with theil
dingy grey dresses, long blue aprons ant
close black hoods; but there are severa
faces among them that are beautiful
even in that gafb. Prayers over, we g
to the Infirnary, where we find old mel
and cripples, and the lame, halt, bin,
| and manned, in large, light room, a