30 EN ROUTE FOR QUEBEC. 



and to a much better advantage than anything I could say with 

 my present knowledge of the city, confined as it is to a day only, 

 and that too a Sunday, when none of the places of interest to the 

 visitor were open, and the long lines of huge, gloomy stone buildings 

 frowned upon pavements, and churches, especially that massive 

 structure, the Notre-Dame Cathedral alone, were the scene of flock- 

 ing multitudes. 



Early the next day, at about seven o'clock, we were aroused 

 from our sleep and told to get ready at once as the train for Quebec, 

 and the one on which we intended leaving, started from the other 

 end of the city at about half-past seven, a truly cheering bit of news. 

 Hastily dressing and descending to the hotel parlor I found my 

 friends just hurrying down from their room, and together we went 

 to the clerk to inquire if breakfast was ready ; to our surprise it 

 was not, but soon would be. Here was a long delay of five or ten 

 minutes before the door to the breakfast-room was opened, and we 

 were summoned to table just as the coach drove up to the door 

 bringing us word that we were probably already too late to catch 

 the train ; but breakfast must be eaten, and some six minutes were 

 lost again which made the driver sure we were too late, while it 

 assured us that we had had just enough hot steak and coffee to 

 make us wish for more. 



Nothing could be done, however, but to pay an exorbitant hotel 

 bill and urge the coach off at its fastest gait for the depot at the 

 other end of the town. We had six minutes, I think, in which to 

 accomphsh our journey of about a mile over the hardest of pave- 

 ments, and in a vehicle that tossed about from side to side threaten- 

 ing every moment to upset as we fairly steamed down the streets, 

 rattling as if our life depended on the amount of noise made, and 

 bouncing about in a manner calculated to digest what little nourish- 

 ment we had taken before our ride was half completed. 



We reached the door of the station on the minute, purchased 

 our tickets, received our checks from the driver, who had left his 

 team at eminent risk of its running away to procure them, and 

 stepped on the train as it was just moving from the depot. 



