After his departure time hung so heavily upon my hands, my present aimless, carefree life being in such striking contrast to the activity and excitement of travel, that I secretly resolved, as separation was inevitable, to resume my old life, and thus be of assistance to my husband.  Unknown to him I wrote to my publishers for a fresh supply of books, and started for Michigan, the State which held within its boundaries the first scenes of sorrow my young life had known, when, amid helpless and hopeless hours of persecution, my girlhood seemed rayless and forsaken, but when kind friends had come in the hour of need, and helpful hands had lifted me from the dark depths.  From there I wrote to Mr. Arms, communicating to him my intention to travel.  He sent me a touching reply, saying he had never intended me to battle with the outside world again, but, if I deemed it best, it was perhaps well.

I had cherished a desire to visit the place in which I lived with the family of Ruthven, for then I could look above and beyond the clouds of early days, and discern the many golden gleams and rosy rays, the many halcyon hours of happiness and hope.  So, after the spirit has passed through the purifying fires of persecution, it can calmly look back with a triumphant soul song.  But these old scenes were in places so remote and inaccessible that I was forced to forego the pleasure of visiting them; but in many other places I found the old familiar landmarks gone, and the transformations of time had placed in their stead forms and faces new and strange.

CHAPTER XVII.

    “A generous friendship no cold medium knows,
    Burns with one love, with one resentment glows.”

After remaining in Michigan until late in the winter, we crossed over to Canada via the Grand Trunk Railway.  Our first stopping place was at Saint Mary’s, where at the depot we found a nice sleigh awaiting us with, all the necessary appurtenances for comfort, in the way of robes and blankets.  Deposited at the hotel in safety, we handed the driver seventy-five cents and were astonished at having fifty cents returned.  Supposing there was some mistake, we demurred, when he said, “My charge is two York shillings or twenty-five cents United States money.”  Surely we thought the spirit of Yankee greed has not yet penetrated the Provinces, when two women, three trunks, satchels, &c., can be comfortably transported for so small a sum.  At the hotel we were at once ushered into a warm and comfortable suite of rooms, a pleasant contrast to the usual season of weary waiting for a room.  Indeed during our entire stay in the town there was not one omission of attention to our comfort.

At Port Hope we were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Mackey, of the Mackey House, and received from them such kindness as we could scarce expect from old friends.  Just here let me say that I had heard so many sneering allusions to the character of the “Canucks,” that I was quite unprepared for the universal polish, elegance, cordiality and kindness of the Canadians.