A Victorian Journey

Mrs. Simpson, with a mixture of eager anticipation and some maternal anxiety settled herself and her letter into her favourite easy chair beside the empty fireplace.  She settled her spectacles on her nose and eagerly perused the letter from her only daughter, now far away in the colonies.  The single, much crossed sheet required some concentration to read.

28 June, 1864
Dearest Mama:
I am writing this now as we have only 2 days left of our voyage.  We are now in the St. Laurence River and will make Montreal on Wed. if the wind stays fair - so says our Captain.  I will tell you all about our voyage in this letter and post it as soon as we arrive in Montreal as I know you will be anxious.
First, let me reassure that marriage to my dear James has proven to be a great happiness to me so you may have no further doubts on that head.  I know you think an apothecary is but another shop keeper but as Papa says, it's an honourable and skilful calling at least as good as a country doctor like himself and I assure you, James is all that is honourable and skilful.
We made the voyage in less than 5 weeks so it was a fast trip I am told.  It seems like a lifetime.  James and I were fortunate to have cabin to ourselves, about the size of the maid's garret at home.  There are 2 bunks: 1 up, 1 down.  There is room for our sea trunk at the foot of the bunks and a wash stand beside it.  There are 2 pegs on the door on which to hang our cloaks and that, dear Mama, is where I have spent the better part of the past 5 weeks.
You must know that women are only permitted on deck in the afternoons when the weather is fine; and the poor souls down in the steerage, not at all.  I had cause to meet some of those poor souls as I will now recount.
Our first 2 weeks were fine weather and I found that I am one of the blessed who do not get sea sick.  Mrs. Greally, in the cabin beside ours, is not.  Poor thing, she has suffered greatly but the ginger tea  with which you supplied me so generously,  helped her and I brewed her numerous pots during the voyage.
It was during the 3nd week that the weather became rough and stormy.
Then not only did poor Mrs. Greally suffer but even James who had not hitherto shown any sign of illness!
It was during this time that a steward banged upon our door and begged the "doctor" to come as there was a woman in steerage giving birth.  James protested that he was not a doctor but an apothecary and that the steward had as well ask me to go since I had at least attended several births.  (With Papa you know Mama.  When I went with him on his rounds these last few years, as I'm sure you know.)
         To say the least I was taken aback,  but the upshot was that I attended a birth in the steerage and a more noisome, disgusting environment I never hope to find myself in again.  Dark, stinking and crowded and everyone in sight being ill and hard enough to stay on one's feet even when not being ill with the tossing and shaking the ship was enduring!
         There was only one other female well enough to help and she only 14 years old!  However, Mrs. O'Neil had birthed several children already and things went very smoothly once we had cleared her a space to "get on with the job", as Papa says.  She was very Irish when in the throes and one would have thought her husband an evil man but he, sick as he was, called his encouragement across the cabin and cradled their youngest who had fallen earlier when the ship began to toss and having broken his arm was in a deal of pain.
         Once the babe arrived and I saw her bathed, well wrapped and feeding I returned above stairs to beg James for a little poppy seed juice for the child with the broken arm.  Dear James grumbled that I would put him out of business but when I retorted that chickens come home to roost, he gave me enough to last the little lad a week!  The steward and I set the arm and I went twice daily to dose him as I didn't trust his parents not to overdo the thing.  They being very generous with the whiskey and such but good people none the less.
         And here we are in Montreal!  James' cousin Hugh and his wife Mary are as good as their word.  Their house is not overlarge but James and I now share a room twice as big as our cabin on the ship!  No bunks for us now!
Montreal is a bustling town; I do not term it a metropolis.  I have seen London and this bears no comparison having but one properly cobbled street!  But the people seem friendly and are all very busy so we shall look about us for a place to settle.
Do not fret over me dearest Mama, I think I shall be very happy here.
Your loving daughter
         Elspeth Grant. (Mrs)

15 Oct., 1864.  Toronto
My Very Dear Mama:
         You know I would never deceive you!  Indeed I thought it not proper in me to discuss with you, the births I attended with Papa.  I assumed he told you all and that you approved!  But now I am a married woman and can recount my experiences I am sincerely grieved that you do not!  Please do not be angry Mama.  I was not harmed by the experience and dear James has taken  no disgust of me knowing these things.  In fact, he says I am good for business because women will ask questions and buy medicinals of me that they will not of him!  So you see it's all for the best and no harm done.
         You will notice our address has changed to Toronto.  We spent a fortnight looking about Montreal but there are plenty of apothecaries in Montreal and not much room to start a new one.  So we decided after much consultation with Hugh and others that Toronto is the place to be.  James arranged for a steady supply of medicinals to be shipped and we were on our way up the St. Laurence and across the Great Lakes that reminded me forcibly of the ocean, so big as they are!  Also there was a storm and people became ill and I brewed several pots of ginger tea to settle stomachs.  It is becoming a habit.
         Upon arrival in Toronto, I realized that here again was no metropolis.  Toronto lacks even one cobbled street!  Papa at least, would approve of our lodging.  We have leased a shop, with living space above.  It has two rooms:  a bedroom which is of good size and the second is about the size of the parlour at home, perhaps a bit bigger.  In this room, we cook, eat and sit.  As we have little furniture and few possessions it seems quite commodious.  Darling James says we shall have a proper house in a year or two but I am quite content as we are.
         This will be my last letter until spring as the lakes freeze in winter.
Until then, all my love
Mrs. Elspeth Grant

12th April, 1865
Darling Papa
How glad I am that Mama is now speaking to you again!  Indeed I am sorry to have let the cat out of the bag.  But it was for the best you know.  I have become something of a midwife in this town!  This reminds me that some time in August I shall need the services of one myself.  So you can tell Mama that and perhaps she will resume speaking to me too!
The business is successful Papa.  There was a deal of illness in town this winter and even dear James succumbed.  But chickens do come home to roost and as soon as it became known about town, who should arrive at my door but the O'Neil's oldest boy, Sean, who kept my steps and walk clear of snow for the weeks that James was unfit.  It seems dreadful to say it but illness is profitable for us.
We purchased a lovely piece of land last week and James is very occupied in plans for our house.  Even I must confess that a baby will necessitate more space!  But I shall always love these rooms above the shop.
And so, dear Papa, our life in this new country begins in earnest.  I wonder what the future holds for us?
All my love to you both
Elspeth.