Rev A Brandram No 81
Montreal, 5th April 1839
My Dear Friend,
In my letter of the 16th February I intimated to you my intention of setting out soon after that date on a long tour over the Upper Province. On the 25th of the same month I started on this journey; but on reaching Cornwall I found my progress arrested unexpectedly. The great toe of my right foot had got injured some days before, partly I believe from the effects of winter frost, and partly from bruising. I had paid but little attention to it, not being aware of its real state. At Cornwall however I found it on examination to be in a condition requiring the greatest care and without delay. I was unable to proceed on my journey, and was confined to the house there for eight days. At the end of that time it had not improved, but was rather worse. Fearing that not less than a couple of weeks most probably would be required to restore this injured toe to its natural strength, and finding an easy conveyance to Montreal, I returned to this city, where I arrived on the 6th March. After I came I was entirely confined to the house through lameness for a fortnight, and nearly so for a week more. My improvement then went on better, and now at this stage I find my foot nearly though not entirely returned to its usual state.
Previous to my setting out for this journey I had written to several of the societies in my course stating when I expected to be with them. When I fully saw that I could not proceed, I wrote to the same societies to mention my detention, and the cause of it, and to say that on account of this hinderance, and considering the badness of the roads at this season of the year, I would not set out again till the navigation of the river and lakes should open.
I had been apprised before I set out, towards the end of February, that the weather might soon after that be expected to be bad, and to continue so during March and April. I was in that view advised to defer my journey during that unfavourable season. But I was unwilling to make so long a delay, and therefore set out with the intention of getting on more or less slowly as the roads and weather would permit. I have been hindered, as you see, by other causes from fulfilling my objects. –The loss to our cause from this accident and the detention has not, I am glad to learn been great. A letter I lately received from Toronto sets this before be. My correspondent, the Secretary of the Bible Society there, says, – "I think that in every way your present plan to visit this province when the navigation will be open better than being here at this time. The roads are, and will be, for a few weeks, intolerably bad, that even should you with great labour succeed in moving from place to place, it could not be expected that you could get the people to undergo the fatigue and positive labour that would be necessary to get to the public meetings."
Our winters here is now over, or nearly so. The frost and the thaw are at present contesting, but the thaw gains daily. Our river is still crossable on the ice in one place near the town, but it has become critical to cross it so. In a few days most probably there will be a grand disruption and perhaps and two or three weeks all our waters may be open for navigation. –Thus has passed off and over my first Canadian winter. I feel thankful to God that I have been able to stand it so well. The whole scene and circumstances have been singular to me, and seemed on a review to be like a dream. –To continue and lengthen out the dream, we had last week a most enchanting scene, which lasted for two days. Every tree in our gardens and orchards was converted into a grand candelabra, having all its branches and every twig thickly encased with icy crystals. Only think of the effect of the sun brilliantly shining on a whole orchard of these diamond lustres. I say, only think of it, for to describe it is impossible. We admire a large chandelier or two in a hall or saloon. But look at our orchard! Certainly nothing on earth can be more brilliant and enchanting.
The snow is now fast hastening away from our gardens and fields, and the land and the ground are coming again to sight, and pretty and cheering the sight is. This circumstance leads me to think of Noah's case, after he had been shut up from the sight of land about as long as we have been, or somewhat longer. How delightful must the sight of land have been to him on its reappearing. –There is another circumstance also in Noah's history that the reflecting mind is drawn to and dwells on in this country during the dreariness of winter. Summer and winter must continue, we remember, according to the promise Noah received. Summer therefore, we say to ourselves in our gloom, must again appear, and will dispel all our hoary and frozen deadness.
But let us also draw other consolation from these analogies, and from heavenly promises. How awfully is all this country in general frozen and dead unto God: and so alas, I may say too, is all the world. Oh how few are the saints – the saved – the number of those who are alive unto God through Jesus Christ! But, in the midst of this awful winter horror which the world now presents, we look forward, not with hope, but with absolute certainty, to the season of spring –then of summer –and then of harvest, even a glorious harvest of souls, when all the world will be full of saints, and everyone yielding fruits of righteousness unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That will be of a truth an orchard of brilliance, and of which the splendid scene that has lately been presented to us here, may be considered as an adumbration.
Further and lastly: –During the winter here, preparations are always being made more or less for the Spring: but who can bring the Spring about, but God only. So we, my friend, are making preparations for the spiritual Spring of this world during the present dreary and long continued winter. We are scattering abroad the word of God which alone can bring on the genial season we look for: but still God himself must bring it about, for our labours are nothing. Yet let us labour, and let us pray, for God will cause his sun to shine, and will melt this frozen world, and will usher in in due time all the richness of the promised seasons which with confidence we anticipate, because God hath said and sworn it in his own Blessed Book which we circulate and commend to all. Oh the blessed work therefore of circulating the Scriptures. In this, my Dear Friends, let us all rejoice, and all be faithful.
I remain Affectionately Yours,
James Thomson.
P.S. I have received information that the American duties paid on the Bibles you forwarded to New York for Toronto, will be returned when a document is sent from Toronto is sent stating that they have arrived there. Mr Hyde has obtained this favour for us. JT
P.S. 2nd. I have received no letters from Earl Street since my arrival in Canada. JT.