Death of a King, Death of a Love, May 1910

Edith and a beau. Is this Charlie Gagne?

In early May, 1910, Edith  Nicholson writes her mom a letter from her Missionary School in Westmount. She thanks her mom for the phone call the night before, consoling her for her loss. Her ‘beau’ one Charlie Gagne has been killed in a hotel fire in Cornwall, the Rossmore Fire.

In all the Nicholson stash of letters of the 1910 era, there are only a few long distance phone calls made.  All for very special occasions. It cost too much to use the phone – and besides, the post moved quickly in those days.

The Rossmore Fire of Cornwall, Ontario is an infamous one: a dozen or so people died. Many more escaped, climbing out of windows. According to the news accounts of the day, it was mostly the boarders who died. These people felt they knew the hotel, so tried to escape by taking halls and stairwells… but they wereover come with smoke. Only a part of Charlie’s body was recovered. Hopefully, Edith didn’t read about that fact.

Coincidentally, another, more important person died right around then: Edward VII.  Likely all the public mourning over the King’s death must have somehow played into Edith’s own, more personal mourning. I will have to figure this out as I write her story for my next e-book. The follow up to Threshold Girl www.tighsolas.ca/page10.pdf.pdf

Edith and Charlie were not engaged, but they did have ‘an understanding.’ This is how Edith later explained it to a niece.

If the Census of 1911 is correct, Charlie was a French Canadian, the only son of elderly farmers and he worked as a bank clerk. Not a very likely prospect for Edith…Perhaps this is why her father, Norman, doesn’t comment on the man after being introduced to him at the train station.

Charlie is a Presbyterian, for in a letter to Edith before his death, he tells her he is spending all this time at the Presbyterian Church. Perhaps he converted for her..Who knows?

I think, for the purposes of my book about Edith, I will make him a convert of Westmount Methodist… that can be why she finds work there, he tells her about the school.

 
1095 Greene Avenue

May 3, 1910

Mother Dear,

Your letter received this am. It was so good to hear your voice over the phone. It was quite natural. Oh, how I wish I could talk over everything with you. It seems terribly hard to think it all for the best, when there are so many that are of no use living on and others that are held in esteem cut off in a moment. One thing, I am very thankful for that he wrote me. No doubt one of the last things that he did. I can’t express my feelings. I never felt so badly in my life. But I suppose there are few who have had so pleasant a one as I have, and trouble comes to all.

I had a letter from Bert this noon. Said she knew I must feel very badly as they all did. She said all she could think was the way he used to jig around the camp and tell us about all of his many trips. Herb Tucker called her up on Friday night and told her. I am wondering if he will call me up when he returns from Toronto

I wrote father a long letter last night and Marion wrote one today. It is a blessing that I have my work and that we are nearly finished. Three weeks will soon pass. I interviewed Dr. Villard yesterday afternooon. He said I was wanted back. I asked if it would be possible to get any raise in salary. Said he was sure he could get me $25. That would make $200.I’m glad that that’s settled: same staff back next year.

Tell Bert I received her letter, but I won’t write for a while. She was very kind to think of it.

Your loving
Edith

Sad Mother, Sad Son, Sad Story: the Coys of Newton, Mass. 1910

Nantucket. 1908. Flo and May.

Flora Nicholson and May Watters visited Newton Massachusetts in 1908, before my story Threshold Girl begins.  I do mention the visit, though. I mention that they travelled to Wellesley College in Henry’s Stanley Steamer! All true as I have a letter from Mrs. Coy in Framingham, where she describes how they dropped in on her unexpectedly and how she was doing housekeeping so a bit embarrassed.

 Marion and Edith visit Mrs. Coy in 1912, and she tries to pawn her son Chester off on Marion. Alas, Marion is not impressed.  Chester visits the girls in their new flat  in 1913, in Montreal, but they still aren’t impressed. (Mrs. Coy sort of implies he is not that keen on marrying, anyway. Hmmm.) Then, in later letters, I see that he has gone mad.  Insane.  (Mr. Coy writes this upon Mrs. Coy’s death in 1922. He says he visited Chester who was not able to grasp the extent of the tragedy.)  I wonder if he went mad after fighting in the war.  I’m thinking that’s the  most likely thing. 

Mrs. Coy mentions “the Prince.” Well, Margaret and Norman visit Quebec for the tercentenary celebrations. They were huge! And the Prince of Wales, soon to be king, arrived on a glistening battleship. I mention this in Threshold Girl. www.tighsolas.ca/page10.pdf.pdf   Marion goes to see the films of the Coronation and Margaret says she doesn’t need to, as she has seen the KING  already, IN PERSON.

Flo also writes in her letter home that she went to Nantucket with some nurses from the Newton Hospital. And to Norumbega Park.

August 4, 1908
148 Hollis Street,Boston.

My Dear Marion,

Yesterday AM, when I arose I put on an old kimono as it was cool to do a wash in – did a large wash as Chester was gone. I got every extra thing I could into the wash, about 11:am I was just putting things to rights after I had finished washing, and I was about to put a clean table cloth on the dining table as I had taken the other off to wash – when the bell rang. I answered and what was my surprise to find Flora, her cousin Miss Watters and Dr. Watters. I was glad to see them but felt ashamed of my appearance (just my luck). Flora has changed I scarcely think I would have known her had I met her elsewhere. They must be having a good time. They came up in a “Stanley.” I did not get time to ask half I wanted to: I should like to have had the girls come up for a day, but I did not insist as I know there is a lot to see and even half a day with me would not be interesting for young folks.

Dr. Watters appears like a fine young man. Flora said Marion is to teach in Montreal this next year. Herbert might like that. I do not know, but you might go there to live? I supposed Mr. Nicholson can’t go home often, he is so far away. Does Edith return to Three Rivers? I want you to sit down and write me: you owe me a letter. Last summer, you know, Old Orchard had a big fire and one of the cottages burned, I think, belonged to Mr. Norman Nicholson, formerly of Lawrence. I thought you might be a relative of Mr. Norman’s.

Mr. Coy is well this summer. Chester has gone to Maine and New Hampshire. I wish I could have known we were to be alone. I would have asked Ross down. You see, our quarters are limited and I have no help, not so fortunate as you with your three girls. How is your mother. Please remember me to her and your sister, Mrs. Hill. I suppose you had a great time at Quebec and saw ‘The Prince” which to your loyal heart would be reward enough for going.

Love,
Marion (Coy) (cousin)

In-Between Stairs

Tea Party 1910 style

This is “The Tea Party” 1910 style. The Nicholsons in Richmond, with Mrs. Montgomery, the ‘comic’ figure of my book Threshold Girl presiding,and looking very ‘waiterly’ in her tie, which were fashionable for women in the 1910 era.

 

A 100 years ago. The so-called Century Mark. It’s just a number, significant only because we have 10 fingers.

 

My book, Threshold Girl, www.tighsolas.ca/page10.pdf.pdf  is about EXACTLY 100 years ago today, in Quebec, Canada in a town called Richmond and a city called Montreal. The book is based on letters I posted years ago, in their raw form, on www.tighsolas.ca.

 

In August 1911, an election has just been called (the famous Free Trade Election) and Flora Nicholson has just been accepted to Macdonald Teaching School, despite failing French.

 

Her mom, Margaret, and her sister, Marion, get busy sewing her up for school.

 

If the ratings for the British television show Downton Abbey are any indication, people are still interested in the Edwardian Era, as it were, The Laurier Era in Canada.

 

Downtown Abbey is just a twist on the Upstairs Downstairs Theme, an ‘iconic’ television show which is also being brought back.

 

I saw Upstairs Downstairs for the first time just a couple of months ago. (I missed it when it originally aired in the 70′s, cause I was a way at college.) It’s terrific, of course.

 

Threshold Girl covers much the same area as Upstairs, Downstairs, except it is more of an In-Between Stairs.  The Nicholsons were middle class and had no servants.  So they played both parts, sitting in their ‘white dresses’ at tea, and then doing the dishes afterwards. 

 

That’s what the middle class is, I think: a class that aspires to better things, and fears falling back into the lower class.  We all know the feeling, right? What with the stock market crash of August 2011 (as it will be come to be known).

 

Considering that my retirement savings are now back where they were in early 2006, when the bank manager told me “You are right on track” it feels comforting to run away to 100 years ago. When times were simpler. Or were they?

 

Threshold Girl was originally called Flo in the City. I have been writing a blog for two years under that name, as I worked out the plot and researched ‘deep background.’  Flo in the City -a Work in Progress.blogspot. http://flointhecity-aworkinprogress.blogspot.com

 

 

Funny Hats and All

I'm so pretty

Four Women, 100 years ago. They left behind letters. I wrote a book. Threshold Girl, the first of three books about Women in the 1910 era. The Laurier Era in Canada.  www.tighsolas.ca/page10.pdf.pdf.