National Republican., 1883-08-04

both lent their charm, for, as the sun dropped
behind the hills tho moon tossed its shield
up into the sky, and began, as the Indian
legend has it, "to trail its vanished foe by
his crimson track" The white hills of New
Hampshire loomed cloudlikc against the sky
before us; tho Lachine rapids frothed and
leaped to the right; tho mighty river, with
its sails and islands and shores of loveliest
verdure was all cOlors by turns, and the
presence of "tho mountain" abode with us.
On the way down we saw the city reservoirs
which are followed out of the living rock
and kept filed by ano less grand hydrau-
lie engine that the Lachine rapids themselves.
Apropos to this name, | heard an elaborate
explanation Of its origin, given by loud
voiced colonists to an admiring group, of
which / was q credulous part. He said the
rocks, with the angry waters foaming about
them, were like the tusks Of q boarhound,
and tho name was q corruption of "Le Chem"
but alasl when repeated tho legend with
laudable pride, l was crushed by the historic
fact that La Sale, as he sailed and sailed
along the great length of water, thought he
had discovered the passage to China, and so
called IL La Chino.
Coming along the down grade of the noun
tain we saw bit of the foreign element that
made us fancy we we're in Italy-an old monk
dressed in the habit of Lacordaire, and wear
ing shovel hat, toiled slowly along reading
his Office; his sandaled feet just showed
under the white folds of his gown, and his
great rosary clanked with a little rattle, as if
"the conscience dog stirred in his kennel"
The prettiest church in Montreal is beyond
doubt Notre Dame de Lourdes but it Is little
known to tourists, although 1t contains the
most valuable-from an artistic standpoint
statue in the city. II is in the old French
quarter at the junction of the Rue st. Cathe-
rine and Rue st. Denys, and is second only
to the church of the Gesu in tasto and rich
ness. The last named is considered by archi-
tects a singularly pure specimen of the re-
naissance, and its frescoes and paintings are
of high order. The pastor Is Father Hudon,
provincial general of the Jesuits in Canada,
and the president of st. Mary's college, which
is part of "the Gesu." This and the grand
semnary-which is an offshoot of st. Sulpice,
and the root of all the semnares in tho
United States-are famed as seats of learning
and not theological only for the scientific
world lends it's dictum to the assertion.
Although SO rich in historic memories
Montreal is very poor in monuments. There
are but two in its whole extent-a statue
of Queen Victoria, perched styleitewise on n
lofty column, and another of Nelson similarly
mounted. The latter is weatherbeaten and
stained, and the severity of the pedestal is re-
lieved only by an alligator which sprawls it's
marble length along and symboizes tho battle
of the Nile--for the inscription hardly counts.
The figure stands, observation glass in hand,
as if it were trying to sight its prototype
in space
To the student of church history Villa
Maria, on the mountain-of course-is an in
teresting spot. 1t is great convent with a
community Of nearlya thousand nuns and q
school of seventeen or eighteen hundred pu-
pills, and it is the outgrowth of the mission
school planted in the Wilderness in 1892 by
Mother Bourgeoys, who wisely said, ave
will teach the Indian women, for tits the
mothers who give the faith"
Have given you any idea of the delight
association, feel that this is very brisk
American "dab." / am making at its at
fractions, but the mail closes in half an hour,
and tomorrow sees us. en- route for Quebec,
SO l must say au revoir. L. l.. ID.