The rain of the forenoon had been followed by an outburst of heat and the sunshine beat with fierce intensity on the narrow square that formed the yard of the barracks at Montreal. There was a milkiness in the atmosphere which, conjoined with the low bank of black cloud that hung over the St Lawrence where it rolled out of sight, indicated a renewal of the downpour. The yard was deserted. Dinner was over and the men lounged and snoozed indoors until the sun abated his fervor, always except...

"Well-written narrative of the American campaign of 1813." - United Empire, 1916Robert Sellar (1841-1919) emigrated to Upper Canada from Scotland in 1856 where he secured employment as a printer's apprentice.In order to chronicle the heroism of the region's original British settlers and to refute the growing notion that the only true "children of the soil" were French Canadian, Sellar wrote a collections of simple stories of backwoods life. Other l...

In "The Narrative of Gordon Sellar Who Emigrated to Canada in 1825," Gordon Sellar offers a captivating autobiographical account of his journey from Scotland to the New World, vividly illustrating the hopes and hardships faced by 19th-century emigrants. The prose is marked by an earnest and reflective style, drawing on Sellar's rich personal experiences and keen observations of both the landscapes crossed and the myriad cultural interactions encountered. Through detailed descriptions and a...

Excerpt: "A glance at the map shows the south-western extremity of the province of Quebec to be a wedge shaped bit of territory; the St. Lawrence on one side, the United States on the other. All that is related in the following pages is associated with this corner of Canada. The name of the book comes from the newspaper in which most of the tales first appeared. There is a purpose in the book. It attempts to convey in a readable form an idea of an era in the life of Canada which has passed...

Excerpt: "One evening in the beginning of the eighteenth century—as nearly as we can conjecture, the year might be that of 1720—some time about the end of April, a young man named Lamh Laudher O'Rorke, or Strong-handed O'Eorke, was proceeding from his father's house, with a stout oaken cudgel in his hand, towards an orchard that stood at the skirt of a country town, in a part of the kingdom which, for the present, shall be nameless. Though known by the epithet of Lamh Laudher, his Christia...

In the early 19th century, "The Young Lady's Mentor" serves as a quintessential guide for women navigating the complexities of societal expectations and personal development. This anonymous text is imbued with a didactic tone, using a conversational yet authoritative literary style. It encompasses a wide range of topics, including morality, behavior, education, and domestic roles, reflecting the prevailing Victorian ethos. The book not only draws from contemporary social norms but also eng...