BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. XXXI 



Strickland, and then removed to a house placed at their 

 service by their friend Mrs. Stewart, where Mr. Traill died, 

 after a short but severe illness. 



Upon her husband's death, Mr. Strickland urged Mrs. 

 Traill to return to the old neighborhood of their first settle- 

 ment, now a thriving village, and her daughter Mary obtain- 

 ing a position as teacher in the school there, they returned to 

 live once more on the banks of the Otonabee. Mrs. Traill 

 had several times during these years sent home small collec- 

 tions of pressed ferns and mosses. These found a ready sale 

 in England. One of these collections attracted the attention 

 of Lady Charlotte Greville, who succeeded in so interesting 

 Lord Palmerston in Mrs. Traill's literary work as to obtain 

 for her a grant of £100 from a special fund. 



"With this unexpected and welcome present Mrs. Traill 

 purchased the house and lot where she now lives, and which 

 with a loving thought of her husband's old home in the 

 Orkneys and of their first home in the bush, she has called 

 " Westove." 



Lady Charlotte Greville also sent her a large package of 

 seeds and a screw-press, with which she could press her ferns 

 more effectually. 



In 1869, her botanical notes were utilized in supplying the 

 letter-press for her niece, Mrs. FitzGibbon's " Canadian Wild 

 Flowers," and in 1884, Mrs. Traill published her " Studies of 

 Plant Life in Canada," also illustrated by her niece, now 

 Mrs. Chamberlin. 



While the latter book was in the press, Mrs. Traill paid a 

 visit to Ottawa and enjoyed the pleasure of meeting many 

 who had been interested in her work, of renewing old friend- 

 ships and making the personal acquaintance of many with 

 whom she had corresponded on kindred subjects. She was 

 also greatly indebted to Mr. James' Fletcher, of the Experi- 

 mental Farm, for his kind aid in reading the proofs of her 

 book. i 



