Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-09-16
AN ECCLESIASTICAL CITY
Old Montreal, Young Ottwaa
and Busy Toronto.
CANADIAN LUMBER INTERESTS
MontreaIs Beautiful Cathedral and
Meagre Park The iCapital
with its Buildings and
Waterfalls.
THROUGH THE THOUsANDISLEs

QUEBEC, Sept. G.-Beside the citadel
ard the memorials of Wolfe, Montcalm
and our own Montgomery, the regular
lions of Quebec have mostly an ecclesi-
asticsl tone. Churches of the English and
Scotch established religions are here, of
course, but the Roman Catholi, institu-
tions, churches, schools and charities
dennis especially indicated as worthy of
our notice, can orphan asylum for old
people and little children are much the
most important and interesting.
The Ursuline Convent, founded by Mde.
de la Peltrie in l641, and the Laval
University, seminary, school and chapel
have historical associations of the greatest
interest to visitors. They have also many
religious paintings with fine names
attached, of which-mindful again of
Kitty Elison-I do not mention to ex-
press an opinion. In the French Cathedral
a more lively interest than that excited by
the works of art was to be found in watch
ing the constant influx of worshippers at
all hours of the day. Few, if any, paid
their devotions to the grand altar, but the
side chapels dedicated to the Mother of
Sorrows and to st. Joseph, had each
triokling succession of worshippers.
Old peasant men, occasionally with bee
hive hats, evidently of home manufacture,
decent notwithstanding people, market
women with their brown faces and wide
black hats, pretty stylish girls and beauish
looking young men, dropped in one after
another to snatch (as a piously irreverent
friend of mine characterized her own de-
votiop) 'iust mouthful of prayers" made
the necessary genufiections and sprinkling
and departed. There was no posturing,
no apparent consciousness of spectators,
but simple business.like straightforward
ness. II seemed to suit what you would
expect in the women, and in the gnarled
old men too, but the young men looked so
very modern they scarcely seemed to fit in
with the old life that reigns in these time
worn churches.
The Oldest of all the churches in Que
BEGIN Canada it is seid-stands in the
Lower Town, not far below where the
Hope Gate used to span the way, bearing
the date 1858. Its nge and the remini-
SCIENCES attached to it are its chief inter
est; though an inscription near one of the
shrines indicates special value attaching
to devotions offered within its walls. "Who
ever with true contrition and intention of
amendment shall offer here two Ave
Msrias and one prayer for the Propaga-
tion of the Faith shall obtain an Indul-
genoe of 100 Days, applicable to Purga
tory."
Upon perusing this tablet the visitor
finds the basely mechanical faculties of the
mind unconsciously constructing state
ment in the single Rule of Thee. ''If 2
A. Ms plus l P. P. F. equal 100 days,
how many"-but at the third term of the
problem the mind falls off into such vague
bewilderment that arithmetical effort is
abandoned. But why do not all the good
Catholics throng to this little church in
the Lower Town
The Ursuline Nunnery stands foremost
among the ecclesiastical show-places of
the city for its interesting "reminiscences
of the founders the sainted Madame de
la Peltrie, for its pictures, its relics, and,
more inter -sting perhaps to the mundane
minds, its historical associations with
Wolfe's siege of Quebec, in 1853. 1t is
here that Montcalms body was inferred,
his skull, it is said, being preserved in a
glass case, where it is shown to visitors.
For the last fact we can give no voucher
but the guide books, as the afternoon
which we had specially devoted to the
investigation of the Ursuline antiquities,
was blighted by the Sisters, for some
occult reason, declining to receive that
day. This was the more provoking as a
pelting storm came or to keep US priso-
ners long time in the reception room of
the Convent, where we would have felt
our time lost, but for the interest excited
by some particularly pretty girls who
were storm-staid there in the
same manner. Three were French
evidently belonging to the wealthy and
cultured families who form circle of
their own in Quebec. They were very
pretty, and very tastefully though gayly
dressed, each in different style, and in
their animated movements and gestures,
and their fluent, softly ripping chatter
| perfectly unintelligible to our slow
Anglicized ears, in its rspidity and elisous
| and breaks) resembled trio of gay
plumsged birds, shaking the drops from
their wings and posing for flight. There
were also two distinguished looking
| English girls, dressed in black, whose cool,
| light, high. bred voices we admired as they
| spoke to each other, and answered some
casual question of later cOmer but
| wien they came forward to address the
| French girls between whom and them
selves there seemed a slight acquaintance,
there was formslity and stiffness in their
1 bearing and hesitation in their Gallo
| phrases that contrasted strongly with the
! animated and gracious ease OF the others.
There is generally something a little
| peculiar in the dress Of the French ladies
| hero, ut least to our eyes; striking colors
| and peculiarities of shape, becoming and
fitting enough though, in appearance. The
| prevailing fashion in hats, it may interest
lady-readers to know, is turban-like
structure Of pulled and shirred silk, match
inc the dress and adorned with the same
| trimmings as that, generally of contrasting
colors.
The general rendezvous for prone
nades is the Dufferin Terrace formerly
| the Durham Terrace, but new named since
its extension and formal opening by the
Princess and Governor. General last year,
which extends along tine base of the cliff
at some distance below the walls of the
citadel. There the idlers Of the city con-
gfegate Oh pleasant afternoons and even
iugs, promeuading in groups or couples,
listening to the music of the band OF
leaning over the terrace walls to watch the
unrivalled view up and down the river and
the British st aners coming up from the
sea. Cannon man the ramparts of thil
LAY and peaceful promenade and in con
spicuous place stapd the large Russian
guns captured in the Crimean were
Right below the terrace, so closely backed
10 the precipitous slope that it looks as il
one could toss a pebble on to their roofs
crowd the irregular and picturesque build
ings whose fronts open on the narrow Ian,
dignified by the name of Champlan street
An inetfaceable gayety sparkles out ever
from their grim dinginess. There ar,
flowers in some OF the higher Window
where the sun may sometimes reach, brigh
bits OF drspery hanging from others
From the broad and low attic windows o
, one house bridge or balcony stretches I,
the steep hillside, upon which SOM
children and puppies were playing, occs
+ sionally scrambling few steps up the hill
| at the imminent risk, apparently, Of
, tumble and roll to the depths below
When autumn comes all these opel
windows will be shut and boarded up from
, garret to basement, in preparation for tn
snow that will swirl down from the hi
and heap itself 10 a level in those square
shady back yards, which even in this sum
, mer heat seem to partake more of tn
! character of cellars than of pleasur,
, grounds. And yet, no doubt, there wi
/ be bitter complaints when the inhsbitant
il are "evicted" from these spparentl
| Objectionable dwellings. So much is ther
in use and custom.
There are drives in the neighborhood O
Quebec which are as alluringly interesting
$ as the city itself. That to the Falls Q
{. Montmorenci is made particularly SO, nc
), SO much by the falls themselves, beaut
Il full and picturesque as are the cataract, TIA