Excerpt of Letter to Catherine Parr Traill (in Lakefield, Ontario):
Howell Street (Caer Howell Place)
The Avenue, Toronto
April 2, 1878
My Dearest Sister,
I am ashamed of my long silence and yours was such a sweet letter; but we have been in such a muddle with our sudden moving from Weston that I could not get an opportunity of writing. And here we are at last, and my room fit to sit down and write peaceably and out of the dirt. We had thought to remain in Weston until June, when Robert’s year’s rent expired, but the man, a rough Englishman, wanted to sell the place directly, having a good chance; and Rob thought we might as well get the bother over now as then.
We have a nice house in the Avenue, close to the Park, and are surrounded by lovely trees in which the birds salute the morn. My room looks directly up and down the broad avenue and is very bright and cheerful. All the fashionable killers come here for walking and riding and babies in their cabriolars, and pretty well dressed children. Nellie is enchanted with the place and hopes that this may be the last move. She has been working herself half to death to get things in their places and our good Scotch girl has consented to remain with us for the next month at least.
