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5 Jan 63 John Halifax Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Halifax N.S.

January 5th /63

My dear Mother

I cannot begin my first letter of the year to you without wishing it may be a Happy one and that they may long continue to follow one another.

I got back from my inspection tour at the end of last month, thoroughly tired of winter travelling although putting up as I had at the Scotts at the Albion Mines.* I had as good a chance of comfort and pleasure as I could expect out of my own circle. How I am longing for this mail now due to arrive for, in addition to the eternal doubt about whether the authorities propose keeping me, or letting me go, I want to hear what you and my Father say to all I told you – in fact I am looking for your congratulations for they are indeed deserved.

Frances too is looking out, although she assures me she doesn’t expect it, under the circumstances, for a letter from you. I have her photograph altho’ not a good one, to enclose by this mail, that you may see and learn to like your future daughter, and future, I fear only, for in my unsettled position (even if the old gentleman withdrew his vehement opposition) I do not think he would approve of my now carrying off his daughter to the Staff College.

You would think from all this that he sets a high value on his daughter but I fear it is not that which makes him so opposed to the arrangement, but he is accustomed to have her about him and hates the very name or sight of a soldier in the latter of which she, poor girl, does not by any means agree with him – at least as far as one is concerned.

I do not think I can say more of Frances than that she is quite after your own heart; all that you could wish my wife and your daughter to be. Of course day by day I see more of her and the more I do see her, the more dearly I love her.

This mail should also bring the answer about my ‘moral character’, about which the old gentleman has made enquiries in England – probably the last place where he would hear anything about me, good or evil. This he has done before making up his mind and giving me his final answer, so he says.

The rest of the family say it is merely to gain time and that whatever he hears will make no difference in his decision. All have been so kind; have, when there was a chance, fought mine and Frances’ battle nobly, but the old gentleman being naturally very obstinate is the more confirmed in his opposition, so all have now left him alone & do not mention the subject to him.

His daughter Frances lives almost entirely alone with him and all this time he has never mentioned the subject to her. A curious man. Energetic, hale and hearty and 88 years of age. I ought to wait until your letters come, or until the last moment before entering on the subject, but my mind is full of this to the exclusion of all else and in that I think you will not blame me.

January 6th

Still no mail. I am sure I shall have so much to say in answer to your letters that I am so anxious to get them. It will now I fear be too late to give the old gentleman’s decision by the mail, and should it be adverse, it is still quite possible that I might bring the news in person by the following steamer. Isn’t this altogether a delightful unsettled state to live in, partly brought on myself, you will say – true enough – but that I am very far from regretting.

I want much to write to poor May G* by this mail, but in my present state I am unfit to write to her. This you must explain although if I can manage a letter I will.

Your Christmas letter (for it arrived at Halifax on Christmas Day, although I didn’t get it for a week afterwards) was most seasonable as it speaks of all my Brothers and sisters. Helen, I am sorry to hear is a sufferer but I hope got over her ailments in time to enjoy her Christmas.

Poor May. I fear hers would be but a dreary one indeed, although I understand she was to spend it with you & of all your children, only the two at home and one of those as it were returned after her first struggle with the world.

My letter must have reached you about Christmas time. I hope you thought the tidings appropriate to the time of year.

Thursday 8^th January.

The mail leaves this evening and the English steamer has not yet arrived. This is excessively unfortunate. Six weeks almost have flown and I am still without having your congratulations. Frances says she does not expect to hear from you as under the circumstances she thinks you will not take the same view as I do, but I shall tell her she may expect a letter from you.

Nothing is changed since I closed my letter a month ago. The old gentleman says nothing. His son says he thinks he is trying to forget it altogether. He may succeed but that will scarcely help the matter. All this prevents my remaining here, as one reason for my wishing to stay – that I am engaged. Not but what all the world knows it. I believe today is one of the days that I do not see Frances for it was considered better, altho’ I don’t think so, that I should not be there every day.

I suppose this is dictated by sound judgement but I cannot altogether say I agree. I am flattening my nose against the window and straining my eyes looking at the signal staff if peradventure the mail should come in.

We have had a most extraordinary winter so far. Any amount of sun, thaw and mud, and not much snow. The wind however has changed and I think that tonight will, if it freezes as hard as last night, cover our lakes sufficiently for skating tomorrow. Just now my time has been otherwise occupied and much more pleasantly so that I shall not be as good a performer as otherwise I might have been.

Frances practises in private with an ulterior view to performing at the Rink, but I am not admitted to the rehearsals as she has not yet accomplished it to her satisfaction. I don’t know whether you know what a Rink is. Of course we have rivers and lakes all frozen in winter, but soon the snow comes and spoils out door skating.

To meet this we build a large house like a riding school and let in about a foot of water. This freezes, and being swept and the surface flooded every evening, we have beautiful ice. Here the ‘quality’ assembles, the band plays, of an evening it is lighted with gas, and ladies and gentlemen to any extent perform. This is what is to happen. Up to the present, thanks to the changeable weather, we have not had a fair opportunity of going in for this dissipation.

New Year’s day is curiously observed here. We began by services in the churches – a levee at Government House at one o’clock and then the ladies ‘sit up’ to receive company. The gentlemen go round and call – cake and wine &c. are on the table and flying visits of about two minutes each are paid. I called on thirty people. It is considered rather an insult not to call. My circle of acquaintance is small and I do not care about increasing it. I know all Frances’ friends and as (besides the Naval and Military people) the upper ten thousand* consists of about six families, I am not likely to extend it much.

Several of this set are very serious and do not go out much. All the Haliburton family – I don’t mean Sam Slick*, but the late Chief Justice, Sir Brenton Haliburton who was Frances’ Grandfather, are so, and never go out into society at all – so that I don’t know them to speak to. John Haliburton, her Uncle, has fought my battle well & has not yet given up. He I believe is conducting the enquiry at home by corresponding.

Neither he nor his sisters are married and they all take a great interest in any young lady. I send the best photograph I can get (or rather, that has as yet been taken). It shews her sitting down which is a pity as she is tall and a good figure, but I chose it for the face. I don’t quite know whether I [should] send it you or she – I don’t suppose that makes much difference. I have not only a duplicate but something more – I don’t think I can enter into a regular description – eyes blue, hair brown; a thorough lady you may be sure, very well informed, a good musician, fond and full of life and action, a high minded sensible woman.

She has never associated much with young girls but has always been with her sister who is twelve years older than her and hence she has sometimes the manners and ways of a much older person. This once betrayed me into saying she was not stylish and yet she has a great deal of style about her and a character in herself to be looked up to and respected as well as loved. I could not perhaps say all this to you but I can write it, although not quite for the public benefit.

I wish I were a good word provider that I might describe her to you. When you are to make a personal acquaintance and judge her for yourself is more than I can say.

I owe William a letter, but I am just now almost unfit for that, as I should probably begin telling him something I shouldn’t and what then. Will you give him the enclosed stamps. Tell him that I am getting P.E. Island* & New Brunswicks* for him and will if I can, raise some Canadian, but there will be some little difficulty and some little time necessary to collect all. You can give him plenty of 12½ cent stamps and possibly a 25 stamp from this letter.

I fear of late I have let my correspondents in distant parts rather fall off. I must next mail attempt a letter to Mr West, poor fellow. He seems very dismal and hearing from his old friends may do him good. You are not perhaps aware that the young lady mentioned by him as having married lately, Miss Farreau, was the one whom May was mysterious about. She was a very pretty unaffected simple little thing and withal clever. I hope she is well mated. She was the nicest lady in the island – you will recollect her Brother calling upon you in London and her elder Brother was also a great friend of mine and shewed me civility. The poor fellow who is now quite blind – I don’t know that I have any news for you.

My tandem* are flourishing in the stable, roads being unsuited for much display at present but when the sleighing comes and if all goes well I am promised a few quiet sleighing parties being then indulged, with a certain lady all to myself. The company, the bells and the clear frosty air – stimulants indeed. And as I can go the pace, my beasts being fast, even that rather adds to than detracts from the satisfaction. I came down, through very bad roads, 24 miles rather under the three hours, generally considered good going. Horses in this country don’t look much but they do a great deal. Driving was never an accomplishment of mine before but now I have rather taken to it – or rather circumstances have forced me to it.

What have you decided on doing with Alfred. He is now nearly old enough to be disposed of in some way. Have you at all made up your mind. I am afraid my Father in law (that won’t be) will scarcely offer him a partnership altho’ one would think that it was time he let somebody else do his work for him. I’m excessively sorry that Helen’s God save the Queen is, as far as I am concerned, wasted but I hope when I come home to hear her playing something grander still and then she can wind up orthodox fashion with the ‘Queen’. I’m very vexed that I cannot answer your many queries (as I expect, at least) by this mail, however there is no help. I hope you are all as well as usual.

My love to my Father and Helen & May.

Believe me ever, my dear Mother

Your affectionate Son

J Wimburn Laurie

You will observe a slight scar over Frances’ right eye. Thereby hangs a tale which I will some day tell. Nothing important however but more a joke between ourselves.

* Albion Mines – A coal mine in Pictou County on the northern coast of Nova Scotia

* May G – He presumably means his half-sister, Mary Riley, whose first husband, John Riley had died on 20th October 1862 aged 42 years

* upper ten thousand – A term used in the late 19th century to denote Britain’s ruling elite

* Sam Slick – A fictional clockmaker of Nova Scotia invented by Judge Thomas Chandler Haliburton (1796 – 1865), a local lawyer

* P.E. Island – Prince Edward Island, immediately to the north of Nova Scotia, issued its first stamps on 1st January 1861, before becoming Canada’s smallest province in July 1873

* New Brunswicks – Nova Scotia’s western neighbour, New Brunswick, issued its first stamps in September 1851. In 1860 the Postmaster General, Hon. Charles Cornell was forced to resign after he attempted to issue 5 cent stamps bearing a portrait of himself

* tandem – Pair of horses