London to John O 1 Croat's. 347 



a cheery fellowship at night for the Hudson Bay 

 hunter, in his snow-buried cabin on the Sakatchiwine. 

 The books of this little inner library were the body- 

 guard of his genius, chosen to be nearest him in the 

 outsallyings of his imagination. Here is a little con- 

 versational closet, with a window in it to let in the 

 leaf-sifted light and air a small recess large enough 

 for a couple of chairs or so, which he called a " Speak- 

 a-bit" Here is something so near his personality 

 that it almost startles you like a sudden apparition 

 of himself. It is a glass case containing the clothes 

 he last wore on earth the large-buttoned, blue coat, 

 the plaid trousers, the broad-brimmed hat, and heavy, 

 thick-soled shoes which he had on when he came in 

 from his last walk to lay himself down and die. 



On signing my name in the register, I was affected 

 at a coincidence which conveyed a tribute of respect 

 to the memory of the great author of striking signi- 

 ficance, while it recorded the painful catastrophe which 

 has broken over upon the American Republic. It was 

 a sad sight to me to see the profane and suicidal 

 antagonisms which have rent it in twain brought 

 to the shrine of this great memory and graven upon 

 its sacred tablet as it were with the murdering dagger's 

 point. New and bad initials ! The father and patriot 

 Washington would have \vept tears of blood to have 



