Arlington High School - Indian Yearbook (Arlington, MA)

Page 28 text:

s ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLARION. exquisite stained-glass windows, the richly-carved altars, the life-like sculp- ture, the golden candle-sticks and the stately architecture modelled after the Roman, combine to give us some com- prehension of the immense amount of time and labor, necessary to the con- 5 iruction of such an edifice. After making a detour of the lower .own, we start for the summit of Mt. Royal. The road winding around the mountain to its summit is very pictur- esque; it is beautifully shaded by noble oaks and maples, and affords an ever increasing prospect of the city below. Af- ter a short drive, the highest ridge of INIount Royal is reached, and we have, indeed, a magnificent panorama spread out before us. There we perceive the entire city laid out like a map, and yet we may easily distinguish several of the most prominent buildings. We see the spires of the churches and many of the elegant mansions in the upper town, the immense lousiness blocks beyond, the NEVER PUT OFF until to-inonv v what ca!i l c doin ' to-day. Xow is the time ami the CENTRAL tlie iilaee to iniy Shirt Waists, neckv;ear. Ribbons, laces, Gloves, notions, Etc., Etc. It is i i the Fitiance Block, Mass. A vc. F. R. DANIELS, 266 Mass. Ave., Periodicals, Alagazines, CIGARS and TOBACCO. Also, complete Line of Gents ' Fnrishing Goods, Hats and Caps. liveryt kina new. All the latest styles. O. J. DERBY, Jeweler - and - Optician, Opp. Medford street, - Arlington, Mass. :: Established iSjj. Promptness and Reliability, combined with Skillful Exe- cution, our specially. ( )culi-• c prescriptions filled, etc. Cl cks called for aiut tlehvered free. The most iin])ortant thing about a prescripton is what is left out. If you have it put up at Cdbittcmore s pbannacy, Massachusetts Ave., iis you probably do, you jret just what your doctor orders and notliiug more. Tliis deeply interests you. custom house near the wharves, the sail- ing craft lining the shore, and finally, the blue St. Lawrence skirting the city on its way to the sea. This view alone is worth a visit to Montreal. We like to linger here and breathe in the pure oxygen of the brac- ing air and gaze for hours far out over the city. But time presses, and we can- not tarry longer. Descending the gen- tle slopes of the mountain, we close the day ' s round of sight-seeing by a visit to the Grey Nunnery. Our sensations here are quite the re- verse from those which we experienced on the mountain. Heart-rending sights greet the eye at every turn. In one room homeless and friendless children are gathered. They sing to us in French, some of the little songs which they have learned at the convent. But they are not like other children. Their faces are pale and thin, their eyes are large and sorrowful, all childish joy and activity seem to be utterly crushed out of them. But a sadder spectacle awaits us. In one of the rooms of the convent, there are a numlier of beds, in which gray- haired women, wrinkled and decrepit from age, are reclining. Too fee1)le to walk, too old to read, too weak to speak; what has life in store for them? Noth- ing but a miserable, monotonous exist- ence, barren of all joys or comforts; nothing to do l3ut to pine slowly away, till death shall end their sufferings. Yes, life must indeed be a blank to them; without one fair picture to brighten for an instant its dull, dark page. W e leave the convent glad to breathe the fresh air once more, but sensibly sad- dened by what we have seen and heard, and it is not until a walk in the bright sunshine lias partially restored our spir- its, that we can recover our former cheer- fulness. ( )nr sojourn at Montreal is now rap- idly drawing to a close. At seven o’clock in the evening we leave the city for our night journey to the old French town founded by Champlain and his as- sociates. Early the following morning we are in

Page 27 text:

ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLARION. 7 Rock, marked for the prominence of two gigantic boulders guarding the entrance, and, last of all, the Cascade,” remark- able for the size and beauty of its mag- nificent snow-white crests. This latter rapid is scarcely inferior to the Long Sault. Night is now approaching, and we be- gin to look eagerly forward for the first glimpse of the Lachine Rapids, the most formidable of them all. About six o ' clock, on turning a sharp bend in the river, we suddenly come in full view of these boisterous surges, from whose angry crests jagged points of rock project here and there. A trained Indian pilot here takes command, and we wait with breathless interest for the steamer to pass successfully the many dangerous reefs, and glide from out the tumultuous waters into the smooth river again. A few minutes more brings us to the world-renowned X ' ictoria Bridge, a mar- vel of engineering skill, and well-deserv- ing to be classed among the wonders of the world. And now we are approaching the out- skirts of Montreal. The buildings of every description seen along the water front, the lighthouses perched here and there in the river, the numerous steam- boats plying to and fro, and the vast quantities of shipping lining the shore all give evidence of our close pro.ximity to the largest city in the Dominion of Can- ada. -■ t 6.30 we reach the pier, and are transferred by Alorey’s omnibuses from the steamboat wharf to the elegant Wind- sor Hotel, a palatial structure, supplied with every modern convenience. It is situated on Dominion .Square, directly opposite the famous St. Peter ' s Cathe- dral. Montreal has well been termed the city of churches. There is scarcely a street in the upper portion of the town which does not contain at least one or two structures designed for religious worship. As our party can devote but one day to sight-seeing in the great Canadian metropolis, a carriage ride is arranged for that purpose, to the principal points of interest in and about the city. On our route we are enabled to obtain a passing glimpse of the City Hall, the Court House, and the Bank of Montreal, and an opportunity is offered for a closer inspection of one or two of the most celebrated churches. Notably among them are the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Lourds with its lofty twin towers and its magnificent altars, and the Church of the Jesuits, interesting from an historical point of view. But of all the places of public worship for which Montreal is famous, by far the most worthy of note is the St. Peter’s Cathedral, which, as I have previously mentioned, is situated on Dominion Square, fronting the Windsor Hotel. It is supposed to be an accurate reproduc- tion of .St. Peter ' s at Rome, only on a reduced scale. For twenty-eight years this costly pile has been in process of construction, and it is not yet fully com- pleted. It is surmounted by a dome, while on either side of the main portion of the building are spacious chapels. The E. E. Upham, P7 ovision Dealer, The Choicest BEEF. PORK, LAMB, ■ And other Meats. Butter, Eggs, LaiE, Cl sse. Game and IGgetables of all kinds in their season. M as sack usetts A ven ue, A rl in ' r[on. Mass.

Page 29 text:

ARLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL CLARION. 9 sight of the Plains of Abraham and the embattled walls of Quebec. But our stay in this historic spot we are obliged to defer till after our further journey down the St. Lawrence, and up the Sag- uenay. Shortly after leaving Quebec behind us. we behold upon our left the Falls of INIontmorency, with its crystal waters sparkling in the morning sunshine. These beautiful falls, leaping over a ledge of solid rock, hurl a magnificent column of water with almost perpendic- ular descent far down to the base of a gigantic clif¥, two hundred and forty feet in height. Scarcely has this splendid cataract faded from our view, when we reach the southern end of the island of Orleans, which the bold explorer and navigator, Jaques Cartier, in 1535, chris- tened the “Isle of Bacchus.” So attrac- tive, indeed, is the appearance of thio island, that after a forty minutes’ sail along its shores, green with the verdure of summer, it is with feelings of deep regret that we bid them farewell and continue our voyage down the river. The .scenery now becomes, hour by hour, more wild and romantic. The ocean tides begin to be felt. The once placid surface of the rn-er has become rough with tumultuous waves, which in- crease in size and energy as we ])roceetl. Lofty mountains rise on either liand. The rocky pinnacles of Cape Tourment tow- ering two thousand feet into the air, come into view. For miles, not a hu- man habitation is seen, not .1 luit makes its appearance along the shore. Nature is here in her primitive state, robed in all her grandeur and sublimity. Moun- tain after mountain, peak after peak, rise up before us, each striving to outdo his neighbor, in height and majesty. ( 3 ne is filled with awe, and stands speechless with wonder before those stupendous cliffs, the grandest works of nature. About four o’clock in the afternoon we come to a landing at Murray Bay, a village most romantically situated amidst the wildest scenery. Frowning heights covered with dark pines and ev- ergreens tower up in the background. The village is a very fashionable sum- mer resort and contains two hotels and several private cottages. In making the journey from Murray Bay to Riviere du Loup, the steamer ploughs directly across the river through the roughest part of the St. Lawrence. The ship rises and falls on the huge bil- lows, which rage in blind fury and hurl themselves with tremendous force at the toiling vessel. To me, who had never had the de- lightful experience of being rocked in t he cradle of the deep, the sensations produced by the undulatory motion of the waves, were anything but agreeable. I was conscious of having a swelled head, which most certainly did not result from pride, for I never felt more utterly in- significant than at that moment. I took a promenade upon the deck, endeavor- ing to throw off my sea-sickness; but I felt, I imagine, somewhat like a peg-top, when, as the boys say, it is just going to “die out.” Fearing I should sprawl most ungracefully upon the deck, if I continued my perambulations much PLEASANT STREET MARKET. Frank P. Winn, Prop. Dealer in.... Beef, Pork, Mutton, Lamb, Poultry, Vegetables and Canned Goods. FISH OF ALL KINDS. Headquarters for Ginger Ale and Hainpden Cream. Fruit in their season, also Game.