The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1872-07-31
LETTER FROM MONTREAL,

Cno d-olcku6SS-oouie
dings-Sandy-Hook and
New York Harhor.
MONTREAL, DOMINION OF CANADA, }
PROVINCE OF QUEREc, 7
July 18th, 1872.
E2;sor Ab6evine Press and Banner:
Mr. DEAR S1R.-Being compelled
by ilLhealth and want Of relaxation
to leave home for q season, it is my
privilege to be here. 1t is indeed a
privilege to leave ones narrow sphere
and to mingle with men Of other
States and nations-to watch their
different manners of life, and to hear
their views and feelings expressed, as
enc walks their streets, or sails upon
their waters, or rides upon their Rail-
roads, or al he sits with them in their
moro private hours in the family;
and it has occurred to me- that per-
hsps it may interest some Of your
readers, to hear how these things i'm
press q Southerner, and it may be
that something's may. tend to help us
in our impoverished condition-sor
there is mnch to learn from our Nor
thorn neighbors and from these peo-
pie Of Canada.
Taking the steamer at Charleston,
July Sd, / was ushered into a new
world-how different from tho quiet
Of Willingtonl Life upon steamer
is indeed life, such as landsman
dreams not of: Though raised upon
the coast, and daily gazing upon the
border ofold Ocean, I had never cross
ed the Bar, but year after year had
longed to look upon that mighty deep,
which seemed 80 grand and vast, and
mysterious to the imagination even !;
and you perhaps can fancy my feel
ings as we left the Dock andAthe city
began to recede from viewl! There
was much in the harbor sadden the
heart, and as Fort Sumter, and Sui
livan's Island, and Morris Island
each eame in view, it was as
though a man were visiting the grave
not Of ones friend or child, not
of parent even, but his country's
grave yard, where all had been bu-
riedl It is hard at times when one
comes suddenly upon these things,
and long buried hopes rise like phan-
toms before the eye, to be still and
calm, and to say "Thy will be done,
oh Godp But it is the present that
we all, ministers and people all, have
to deal with, and we must, by Gods
will, keep these feelings to ourselves,
and hide them in the deep reeesses of
the heart, whittier we may at times
retire and dwell upon them, as we do
upon tho forms and faces, and char
acters Of our dear departed ones.
And now the Bar is passed and tho
broad Atlantic stretches before US, as
calm and smooth and unrufaed al
most as q lake. I have heard men
talk of the grandeur of the noun
tains, but to me there is something
unuttersbly impressive about the
ocean. Nothing so brings to my
mind the "Great Creator" as these
cesseless waters, coming so regularly
too to the shore and then retiring
again, and SO beyond the power Of
frail man to manage or restrain, and
concealing in their bosom such count
less millions of living creatures-the
monster whale ninety feetlong and the
tiny little minnow scarce an inch in
length. Well do I remember when I
6rst learned that the bottom Of the
ocean had been surveyed-that Mau-
~ and others knew the Geography
Of the bottom as we'll as we knew
the land--that Maury said that the
bed Of the Atlantic from Ireland to
this country was SO level, that it seom-
ed made foP laying the cable.
The great and most important
point to each man, woman and child
upon leaving land is Gam I to be sea-
,ickY' Upon this depends all. In
the one case it is actual misery. One
describes sea-sickness thus: "The
irst day you are afraid you will !