Travel Diaries and Journals

Journal Continued

Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 27th 1851

Mild & Pleasant

We all rose early. Father, Carrie, Cornelius, Fred & I attended our church in the morning. Father preached On our return home we found that Mr Murphy, Stan and Annie, Albert and Mary Emma had already arrived we having resolved to follow the old New England fashion of collecting all the family together for a good Thanksgiving dinner. This was soon served, and we all did abundant justice to Mother's good cooking. Turkies puddings pies &c dissappearing in short order. Then we remained quite a long time at the table chatting in quite a merry humour We toasted Father as the best looking man at the table which I thought true. After dinner Annie presented Mother with a very pretty cap, and the children insisted on giving some of us a sleigh ride on the ice in the back yard. The remainder of the afternoon passed very pleasantly indeed. We had some very good singing, and Albert entertained us by speaking some of the pieces that he was accustomed to repeat on like occasions in boyhood About seven o'clock we commenced singing some of the sweet old hymns that we had been accustomed to sing from the time we could remember. How sadly yet sweetly those [plaintive?] notes recalled the past, and brought back the Thanksgiving days when Grandmother and [Uncle's?] family united with ours in celebrating it.

[text written on left margin] Father read the [ninetieth?] Psalm in a very solemn and impressive manner and after making some very appropriate remarks was followed by Mr Murphy in prayer Supper at [eight?]. Our pleasant little family party broke up about ten; Stan and Annie Albert and Mary Emma returning to the city

Edinburgh August 13th 1857

In the morning called at Macfarlane's bade Mr Young & the rest good bye at the head of Infirmary Street. Met several students & while standing speaking to them, Saw Sophia & James Forbes coming down. Walked down the Bridge with them, left S. to go to D. Thomson's & J. F. & I went to see Fred at the Brewery. J. F. & I in the afternoon went down in the Leith coach & called on John Moore. Saw Mrs M. bade them good bye. Walked along to Trinity & dined there. Fred did not come down. Went down to the greenhouse to smoke got a fuschia which S. wrapped up for me, bade Mr. R. good bye. Maria asleep. Did not awake her. bade Mrs. F. good bye. S. came to the door, nearly broke down at last on leaving all my dearest friends [good bye--2 lines drawn through this] for how long? had to run off to the train. J. F. with me. We called again on Fred & then I went home. Oh such a trial I had, tried to keep off the evil moment to the last but the hour came

Edinr. to York

I must part with my mother. Oh what a trial to leave & part with her whom I loved [struck through: better than] so dearly & my father too & Jessie Mary, Robert & William I assumed composure I was far from feeling. My heart was ready to burst but I must tear myself away. the hour has come & I must go My father Robt. Wm. Taylor, Fred, James T. Banks at the station bade me good bye & off we went Left N.B. Station at 9.15 Stopped Dunbar 5 minutes Berwick 10 minutes . I went outside the station at Berwick but it being dark I could see very little, however I saw the Tweed & could make out the general appearance of the town We stopped again at Newcastle & York at the latter we had 20 minutes & I went into the refreshment rooms to have a cup of coffee for which I paid 1/ rather scalped. I saw the Cathedral A young fellow sitting opposite me in the train & I went to see it, it is a

on bd. S.S. "Candia"

I wonder that Fred did not write me either he who has been the best kindred & truest friend ever I had next to my own family How anxiously did I look over the letters to see if there was one for me but I was doomed to be disappointed. I daresay you would not think I would sail so soon & then you had had no letter from me. 2 or 3 long months will pass away or it may be longer before I can expect to hear a word from home the thought of that makes me most miserable & sad. How often do I ask myself the question How are all at home has my mother become at all reconciled to my absence. Oh how often I now tax myself with neglect to my mother. how often have I greived & vexed her who has always been so kind to me what self denial & patient endurance has she undergone for our sakes & in what a Sorry way I have repaid them. Sometimes when I think I shall never see that face again which I have loved so well I am almost mad with the thought. But I will put my hurt in one all seeing providence who

Monday August 17th 1857.

I awoke this morning at 6 oclock after a good nights sleep the steward brought me some coffee at 7 clock which did me a great deal of good I can get up now feeling only a little squeamish & a slight headache. on awaking here in the morning one night imagine they were in the midst of a farmyard. there are cocks crowing geese cackling pigs grunting ducks quacking sheep bleating cows bellowing dogs barking & the medley filled up by the "niggers" who make such a horrid yelling we have had rather a rough night of it the cabin windows are all bolted down. The Fushia which I got from Fred still keeps green although I am afraid it will not stand the voyage I lost a good deal of the earth out of the pot between London & Southampton & the sea air will be too strong for it. however I hope with good doctoring it may yet see Calcutta. I have been upon deck & what a beautiful sight meets the eye. Our fine ship tearing through the