20 From The Lady of the Lake, a poem by Scott.
21 These two couplets appear non-consecutively in “The Lighthouse,” a poem by Longfellow.
22 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, a city located across the St. Marys River from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
23 Italian for “in a subdued or low voice” (OED). I have corrected the original, which reads “solto voce.”
24 Properly, “At Queenston Heights and Lundy’s Lane,” the opening line of “The Maple Leaf Forever,” a song that Montgomery quotes in her essay “A Western Eden,” above. The Battles of Queenston Heights (near Queenston, Ontario) and Lundy’s Lane (fought in what is now Niagara Falls) were major events in the War of 1812.
25 This river, which flows from Lake Superior to Lake Huron, acts as an international border between Michigan and Ontario.
26 A city in southwestern Ontario, off Georgian Bay.
27 The term “Queen City” refers to “the pre-eminent or most admired city (of a particular region)” (OED).
28 Montgomery refers here to her paternal grandfather, Senator Donald Montgomery, who represented PEI in Ottawa from 1874 until his death in 1893 (Rubio and Waterston, introduction to SJLMM, 1: xiii).
29 Lord Stanley of Preston (1841–1908) served as the sixth Governor General of Canada from 1888 to 1893.
30 Sir Richard Cartwright (1835–1912), a Canadian politician, known as a talented debater and speaker.
31 The Chaudière Falls separate Ottawa from Gatineau, Québec. The 1891 Census collected statistics from 4.8 million people across Canada for a third time since Confederation.
32 This bridge, which spans 3 kilometres and which opened in 1860, links Montreal to Québec’s south shore.
33 Located in the Montmorency River, outside Quebec City.
34 Pointe-Lévy, a settlement on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Quebec City.
35 Located in Quebec City, the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on 13 September 1759, during which the invasion of British troops led to the French surrendering Québec to the British.
36 Town on the Restigouche River in northern New Brunswick.
37 Located in eastern New Brunswick, off the Petitcodiac River; incorporated as a city in 1890.
38 Pointe-du-Chêne, a New Brunswick community on Shediac Bay near the Northumberland Strait; the SS Northumberland, built earlier in 1891 in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and owned by the Charlottetown Steam Navigation Company.
39 Montgomery would reuse this legend in her 1939 article “Prince Edward Island,” which she contributed to the Canadian Pacific Railway publication The Spirit of Canada (1939) and which is included in Volume 1 of The L.M. Montgomery Reader.
40 Montgomery quotes this line from Scott’s “The Lay of the Last Minstrel” in “A Western Eden,” above.
THE USUAL WAY
By L.M. Montgomery. The College Record (Charlottetown), March 1894, 5–8. Also in Scrapbook 7 (“Written March 1894 / Published March 1894 / In ‘College Record’”). Also in Blue Scrapbook.
1 Montgomery, “The Day before Yesterday,” 233. As Marian Bruce notes, The College Record did not appear in 1895 and was revamped early in 1896 as The Prince of Wales College Observer (see Bruce, A Century of Excellence, 72), to which Montgomery would contribute while a student at Dalhousie.
2 Montgomery, 11 April 1894, in CJLMM, 1: 202.
3 Rubio and Waterston, in CJLMM, 1: 167n4.
4 I have corrected the original, which reads “Cierco.” Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BCE) was a Roman philosopher whose writings had an enormous influence on the Latin language and on European literatures. Nineteenth-century texts such as Henry P. Linton’s Select Orations of Marcus Tullius Cicero, for the Hilary Term Examination of the Junior Sophister Year, from the Text of Jo. Case. Trellis, with a Literal Translation and Notes (1845) featured the Latin text on the verso pages and a literal English translation on facing recto pages; other editions, like the one described here, included notes in the end matter.
5 The phrase “Quæres a nobis, Grati – ” is from “The Oration of M. Tullius Cicero for the Poet A. Licinio Archais” and is translated literally as “You will ask then of me, Gratius” (Linton, Select Orations, 76, 77).
6 “A loose-fitting coat the back of which is not shaped to the figure, but hangs more or less straight from the shoulders” (OED).
7 I have corrected the original, which reads “Disgustingly,” following Montgomery’s handwritten corrections in her scrapbook copy.
8 Rubio and Waterston identify this instructor as Herbert Shaw, a graduate of McGill who “had been appointed in September to teach mathematics and drawing” (CJLMM, 1: 168n2).
9 Like the characters in this playlet, Montgomery found Roman History to be “one of the most interesting classes we have” (Montgomery, 14 November 1893, in CJLMM, 1: 175).
10 Julius Caesar (100–44 BCE), Roman politician and prose writer.
11 Eriphile and Iphigenia are characters in Iphigénie (1674), a dramatic tragedy by Jean Racine (1639–1699), French playwright, that Montgomery had studied that year. See Montgomery, 14 November 1893, in CJLMM, 1: 176.
EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF A SECOND CLASS MOUSE
By L.M. Montgomery. The College Record (Charlottetown), April 1894, 2–4. Also in Scrapbook 7 (“Written April 1894 / Published April 1894 / In College Record”). Also in Red Scrapbook, Confederation Centre Art Gallery.
1 Montgomery’s journal indicates that she wrote the piece on 11 April, two days after recording her hesitation to commit to another contribution for the paper since “I haven’t the faintest idea what to write about” (Montgomery, 11 April 1894, in CJLMM, 1: 202; Montgomery, 9 April 1894, in CJLMM, 1: 202).
2 Rubio and Waterston, in CJLMM, 1: 167n4.
3 The Prince of Wales College shared a campus with the Normal School for student teachers; Montgomery had some of her classes in that building.
4 Presumably, Professor John Caven (1826–1914), who taught English and school management.
5 The year 1894 was not a leap year, so February had only twenty-eight days. See also “Around the Table,” note 195, below.
6 This “pea-nut” party actually occurred, according to a journal entry dated the same day as the Second-Class Mouse’s entry, but Montgomery later regretted her involvement in it. See Montgomery, 8 March 1894, in CJLMM, 1: 193; Montgomery, 2 September 1919, in LMMCJ, 2: 179–80.
HIGH SCHOOL LIFE IN SASKATCHEWAN
By L.M. Montgomery. [The College Record (Charlottetown, PE), May 1894.] Scrapbook 7 (“Written May 1894 / Published May 1894 / In College Record”). Also in Bolger, The Years Before “Anne,” 68–69.
1 Montgomery, 19 September 1890, in CJLMM, 1: 46–47; Montgomery, 7 January 1910, in CJLMM, 2: 274; Montgomery, 20 February 1896, in CJLMM, 1: 314.
2 “The North-West Mounted Police was a paramilitary police force established in 1873 to maintain law and order, and to be a visible symbol of Canadian sovereignty, in the newly acquired North-West Territories (including present-day Alberta and Saskatchewan).” Edward Butts, “North-West Mounted Police,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, last modified 12 June 2016, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/north-west-mounted-police/. As Rubio and Waterston note, “Prince Albert was the district centre for the North West Mounted Police” (Rubio and Waterston, in CJLMM, 1: 61n2).
3 The Book of Proverbs, part of the Judeo-Christian Bible, includes several chapters attributed to Solomon, who, according to the sacred writings of Abrahamic religions, reigned as King of Israel during the tenth century BCE. The statement in Proverbs 13:24 (KJV) – “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes” – has been debated as the origin of the more modern proverb “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” which advocates discipline (physical or otherwise) to ensure the proper development of young people.
4 This slur against Montgomery’s Metis classmates is even more derogatory in the slightly different version in her jou
rnal: “Mr. Mustard has a pretty hot temper and as several of the boys have a fair share of ‘nitchie’ in them, we have lively times occasionally” (Montgomery, 19 September 1890, in CJLMM, 1: 47).
5 The North Saskatchewan River. See Brandi Newton, “North Saskatchewan River,” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, last modified 5 February 2017, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/north-saskatchewan-river/.
6 Within a system of ethics, “moral law” refers to a set of behavioural guidelines. In the Bible, this would include the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20:1–17 and Deuteronomy 5:6–21) as well as additional laws found the Old Testament.
7 The Great Lone Land: A Narrative of Travel and Adventure in the North-West of America (1872), by William Francis Butler (1838–1910), English Army officer.
VALEDICTORY
By James H. Stevenson. Excerpted from “Prince of Wales College,” Daily Examiner (Charlottetown), 9 June 1894, 2. Also in Scrapbook 7 (“Written June 1894 / Published June 1894 / In ‘Examiner’”).
1 Daily Examiner (Charlottetown), “Prince of Wales College” (9 June 1894), 2; Daily Examiner (Charlottetown), “Prince of Wales College” (8 June 1894), 2.
2 Montgomery, 5 June 1894, in CJLMM, 1: 215; Montgomery, 6 June 1894, in CJLMM, 1: 215; Island Guardian and Christian Chronicle (Charlottetown), “P. of W. Convocation,” 2.
3 Rubio and Waterston note that Montgomery’s 1893–1894 class “consisted of seventy-seven women and ninety-nine men”; Prince of Wales College had been co-educational since 1879 (Rubio and Waterston, in CJLMM, 1: 167n3).
4 Here, Montgomery refers to The College Record, in which she had published three pieces included in this volume as well as a poem.
5 This German phrase appears on the badge of the Prince of Wales.
6 Properly, “And judge that they who counsel strife / Would bid us smite – a brother.” From “The Triumphs of Our Language,” a hymn lyric by James Gilborne Lyons (1800–1868), Irish-born American hymn lyricist, appearing in his book Christian Songs, Translations, and Other Poems (1861).
“PORTIA” – A STUDY
By Lucy Maud Montgomery. Island Guardian and Christian Chronicle (Charlottetown), 14 June 1894, 3. Also in Scrapbook 7 (“Written June 1894 / Published June 1894 / In Ch’Town ‘Guardian’”). Also in Bolger, The Years Before “Anne,” 140–42.
Also, with minor variations and as “Portia,” in Daily Patriot (Charlottetown), 11 June 1894, 2.
Also, with minor variations, excerpted from “Prince of Wales College,” in Daily Examiner (Charlottetown), 11 June 1894, 2.
1 Daily Examiner (Charlottetown), “Prince of Wales College” (8 June 1894), 2. Montgomery also received the highest score in second-year Agriculture and first-year School Management as well as first-year honours in essay writing and teaching.
2 Daily Examiner (Charlottetown), “Prince of Wales College” (9 June 1894), 2; Island Guardian and Christian Chronicle (Charlottetown), “P. of W. Convocation,” 2; Montgomery, 9 June 1894, in CJLMM, 1: 217. George Eliot, pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans (1819–1880), English author best-known for the novels The Mill on the Floss (1860) and Middlemarch (1871–1872).
3 The original reads “No titled lover with princely retinue,” but Montgomery adds the word “he” and the comma in ink in her scrapbook copy.
4 The original reads “solely,” but Montgomery corrects this as “sorely” in her scrapbook copy.
5 The original reads “succeeds,” but Montgomery crosses out the final s in her scrapbook copy.
6 The original reads “grandeur,” but Montgomery crosses out this word and replaces it with “gardens” in her scrapbook copy.
“WHICH HAS THE MOST PATIENCE UNDER THE ORDINARY CARES AND TRIALS OF LIFE – MAN OR WOMAN?”
Untitled contributions by Belinda Bluegrass and Enid. [Evening Mail (Halifax), February 1896.] Scrapbook 7 (“Written January 1896 / Published February 1896 / In ‘Halifax Evening Mail’”). Also partly in Bolger, The Years Before “Anne,” 159.
1 Montgomery, 15 February 1896, in CJLMM, 1: 311.
2 For commentary on the rhetoric Montgomery used in her journal to describe her submissions to this contest, see Rubio, Lucy Maud Montgomery, 84.
3 “The Prize Awarded,” Evening Mail (Halifax), undated clipping, in Scrapbook 7; Montgomery to Weber, 2 September 1909, in GGL, 91.
4 “Personals,” unidentified and undated clipping, in Scrapbook 7; Montgomery, 25 September 1895, in CJLMM, 1: 145. See also Lefebvre, “Introduction: A Life in Print,” 18–19.
5 For the creation stories of Adam and Eve, see Genesis 1–5 (KJV).
6 I have corrected the original, which reads “That’s he sure.”
7 In the Book of Job in the Old Testament, Job undergoes a series of trials that dramatizes the philosophical question of why bad things happen to good people. Job’s story has been alluded to innumerable times throughout Western history in literature, film, music, and visual art.
8 The original reads “That where one was really found,” but Montgomery corrects “where” as “when” in her scrapbook.
CROOKED ANSWERS
By L.M.M. [The Prince of Wales College Observer (Charlottetown), March 1896.] Scrapbook 7 (“Written February 1896 / Published March 1896 / In ‘College Observer’”).
1 See Montgomery, 7 November 1896, in CJLMM, 1: 334–35; Montgomery, 18 August 1896, in CJLMM, 1: 325–26; Montgomery, 2 February 1897, in CJLMM, 1: 352–53; Montgomery, 30 June 1897, in CJLMM, 1: 368–78; Montgomery, 22 January 1898, in CJLMM, 1: 385–87; Montgomery, 8 April 1898, in CJLMM, 1: 391–95.
2 I have not been able to locate copies of the earliest issues of The Prince of Wales College Observer. A clipping with the masthead of an 1896 issue appears in Montgomery’s Blue Scrapbook.
3 The original publication reads “All the evoked answers,” but following Montgomery’s handwritten corrections in her scrapbook copy I have replaced “evoked” with “crooked.”
4 The original reads “certain visitor,” but in Montgomery’s scrapbook copy she underlines “certain,” adds an asterisk immediately before this word, and writes “critical” in the margin.
5 Properly, “bons mots,” the plural form of a French term referring to “a clever or witty saying” (OED).
6 Properly, Thomas à Becket (ca. 1120–1170), Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 to his death, who was canonized as a saint by Pope Alexander III after he was murdered.
7 William Tyndale (ca. 1494–1536) completed the first English translation of the New Testament and selections of the Old Testament.
8 The Battle of Dunbar was fought in Dunbar, Scotland, on 3 September 1650. A legend states that King Charles II (1630–1685), who had been King of England, Scotland, and Ireland since February 1649, hid from his pursuers in an oak tree until he was able to escape to France.
9 This artificial waterway in Egypt connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
10 This strip of land joins North America and South America.
11 Montgomery would use the “Birds” essay again in the penultimate instalment of “Around the Table” below. Chapter 11 of Anne of Avonlea contains this essay in full (see AA, 112–13).
12 One of Anne’s students signs his “Birds” essay in a similar way in Anne of Avonlea (see AA, 113).
THE BAD BOY OF BLANKTOWN SCHOOL
By L.M.M. The Dalhousie Gazette (Halifax), 4 March 1896, 220–23. Also in Scrapbook 7 (“Written February 1896 / Published March 1896 / In ‘Dalhousie Gazette’”).
1 Montgomery, 18 September 1894, in CJLMM, 1: 240.
2 One of the definitions of “smelt” in the OED is “a small fish … allied to the salmon, and emitting a peculiar odour.”
3 An allusion to Luke 11:25 (KJV): “And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.” See also Matthew 12:44 (KJV).
JAMES HENRY, TRUANT
By L. [The Prince of Wales College Observer (Charlottetown), April 1896.] Scrapbook 7 (“Written March 1896 / Published April 189
6 / In ‘College Observer’”).
1 I have corrected the original, which reads “as they said,” from Montgomery’s handwritten corrections in her scrapbook copy.
2 The word “longer” is pronounced “long-ger.” Montgomery would note later that she had never heard that word for fence rails used outside Prince Edward Island or seen it in any form of literature. See Montgomery, in DCMF, 91; Montgomery, 1 March 1925, in LMMCJ, 3: 337; Montgomery, “Come Back with Me,” 335–36.
A GIRL’S PLACE AT DALHOUSIE COLLEGE
By Lucy M. Montgomery. Halifax Herald, 29 April 1896, 12. Also in Scrapbook 7 (“Written April 1896 / Published April 1896 / In ‘Halifax Herald’”).
Also in Bolger, The Years Before “Anne,” 161–68.
Also in Atlantis: A Women’s Studies Journal / Journal d’études sur la femme 5 (Fall 1979): 146–53.
Also as “The Thirty Sweet Girl Graduates of Dalhousie University” in Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, edited by Devereux, 371–79.
Also excerpted in Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, edited by Rubio and Waterston, 272–75.
1 Devereux, in Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, edited by Devereux, 371.
2 Montgomery, 14 March 1896, in CJLMM, 1: 316. Two articles (“Dalhousie College Gazette” and “Dalhousie College Students’ Societies”) are signed “R.M.H.,” but the remaining (“Fossilized Oxford and Cambridge,” “The Officers of the Various Societies,” and “Names of Students Who Got Through”) are unsigned. In the last of these pieces, “Montgomery, Lucy” is listed under “English” / “Second Year,” even though she was a first-year student.
3 Devereux, in Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables, edited by Devereux, 371.
4 Headnote to “A Girl’s Place at Dalhousie College,” 147, 146, 147.
5 The first two extracts appear in canto 2, the third in the prologue of “The Princess: A Medley,” a poem by Tennyson.
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