Elizabeth Smith Shortt diary 6

Feb ’82 Am despicably awfully wicked - Just
think I accepted Mr Halls gallant offer to escort
me to church tonight & whats more – did it of malice
aforethought – because I wanted to disappoint Williams
who did call after I left & presuming I had gone to
my own church as usual followed to St. James but
she wasn’t there -
I hope you are feeling better than you did & feel “youth’s
bright wine” welling up in your veins as the poets say
but I know better it only creeps along & is venous old
at that – but there are two grinds tomorrow & six
lectures besides & I have not “read up” yet – so goodnight
Have been dissapating [i.e. dissipating] – Mr Smiley[?] & Gibson hired a
lovely double carriage & team & took Mrs S & I to a

Select Assembly at Centreville - Left here about 2-oclock [i.e. 2 o’clock]
Tues [i.e. Tuesday]. It was very select & nice & I did enjoy myself –
of course this was against the rules of the nunnery - but I
did not see anything improper about it. Had the most
lovely drive coming home - saw the dawn break & the sun
mounting in the eastern sky - so beautiful & calm.
But after tea that same day - I collapsed into lunacy &
scared the girls out of their wits, did not study till I went
off to sleep – but have taken the lectures today. I met
Mr. Maguire [?] at the ball – he of Ottawa acquaintance says
Rose is married & settled down - Mr. Gibson wants me to go
to the Bachelors Ball at Sydenham - says he will do anything
I wish if I will only go – go with his friend & his wife or take
some other girl if I like with me. But I’m not going anyway.
Feb 26. Have been very studious & quiet this week till Friday &
then lecture first thing ─ then as we did not care about
the next lecture wh [i.e. which] was to be a ‘grind’ (classical name for
oral exam ─ instituted by [act?] Parliament - 1800) we went to the
hospital [crossed out: wh] Dr Depuis giving us a sleighride over ─
back again & as Mr Mac’s rig was at the door he took Miss Beatty
& I for a drive ─ or rather I drove them till chem [i.e. Chemistry] lecture at
Eleven wh [i.e. when] we dashed up to Univ [i.e. University] in great good spirits.
Was introduced to Miss Fitzgerald who is [underlined: the] topic of the

hour – a third yr [i.e. year] Arts student who having passed the 2 first
year courses at Toronto without attending & cannot go there
was compelled to come here. She is ‘divinely fair & most divinely
tall’. That Andrew Lawson in T. who told her of me and we struck
up friendship at once. She knows Geo [i.e. George] [Hambly?] - is from St. Kitts [i.e. St. Catharines]
Wh [i.e. when] came into dinner found a letter from one of the Arts boys
C. Herald - asking me to go for a long sleighride - but I did not go
Mr. Mac drove me down to the PO [i.e. post office] then back to lectures &
then at five Miss Reynolds & I went to Dr Dicksons to tea -
Pleasant evg [i.e. evening] met Miss Mathar the poet & author -
After tea went to church & after to Evangelical Services wh [i.e. where]
Oscar [Owen?] held forth - After that was over Mr. [Thom?] came
up claimed acquaintance & walked home with me. He is
very nice - has seen much of the world & is a good talker
Found wh [i.e. when] I came in that Mr Linton had called & also
night before Mr. Anglin - who meant to take us for a drive but
we were at the hospital - next day worked at Anatomy till
after 12 - the prosector giving us good drill on the brain
After dinner Miss R & I called on Miss [Fitz?] & we are the best
of friends? - She came with me to the hospital. There was
an operation – poor Lilly had to have some more of her
ankle taken off - Miss F stood it sans a shiver & her
talking to me kept me up – the best I ever stood it yet

She thinks maybe she will study medicine after Arts course
After that I went to Mrs. Leslies for tea & spent a pleasant
evg [i.e. evening] there – Mr. Herald was there & walked home with me
that half hours agony ended he said [underlined: goodbye] – Came home
early as had an engagement for a drive – had been in only few
minutes when Mr Anglin with lovely double rig & span
dashed up to the door & away we went – for the folliest-loveliest
drive you could imagine with glasses coleur [i.e. couleur] de rose.
I had the pleasure of driving too till my arms were limp
He is one of the nicest manliest fellows you could meet
They say he is engaged – I do not know but I do know he is
most kind always & we all thoroughly enjoyed the drive
unless some little monster ċ [i.e. with] green eyes worried the others
as it sometimes does because I get the preference shown me
I do have the happiest times-only an occasional blue spot
when something serious like that half hours misery c [i.e. with] C.H-
disturbs the sweet serendipity of my dreams . Today is Sunday
Mrs Beatty & I went over to the hospital after dinner to fix on
[Esme’s?] apparatus [inserted above: sequel – ran away ċ [i.e. with] married man] she is a nice girl – been there long time
hip disease- wished us to come – bandaged her up and brushed
Lilly’s hair & came away leaving them grateful for the time.
Mr Gibson has taken a school for 6 mo [i.e. months] – & now Mr Hall is the only
man in the house - & he is small- Theres [i.e. there’s] Mrs S. talking at him now-

Monday evg [i.e. evening]- This has been blue Monday. Yesterday Miss B-
attacked me about reading novels on Sunday & left me angry
at something I said – & I was not in the best mood at dinner
Mrs C- & Miss R- at tea began exercising their wits over
me - & of course I spoke up for myself - & Mrs. S & Mr H for me-
but I do hate rows with all my heart & I’ve felt like
‘nobody’s child’ ever since – too proud to cry & miserable not to
& so have carried a stone in place of a heart all day.
Heu me miserum! [Latin: Woe is me!] we’ve made up again but I am blue still
I know I too was to blame - I might have been wiser & better - &
I’m sure I’ve felt like the most wicked disagreeable person
alive - for the last 24 hrs – as tho’ [i.e. though] I must be unbearable &
altogether hateful & life has not been rosecolored today.
“I am of the most decided opinion that a greater proportion
of ink to the size of the bottle would expedite the writing of
this letter and might aid in its legibility. To a casual observer
it would seem that the greatest part of that scarce fluid was
on my finger & thumb but being of a literary turn of
mind – it is of course but a mark of beauty quite
suited to a successor in part to Mrs. [Jelleby?]
(Cont [i.e. Continued] in No. 6)

Bacon – “This I dare affirm in knowledge
of nature, that a little natural philosophy,
& the first entrance into it; [three words crossed out: will bring about]
doth dispose the opinion to atheism; but; on
the other side much natural philosophy, &
wading deep into it; will bring about men’s
minds to religion-"
[“]An old lady ċ [i.e. with] any amt [i.e. amount] of luggage beside
trunks proper, she had an enormous bandbox
tied round ċ [i.e. with] a scarf of huge dimensions – also
an immense bundle – she wanted to go to Lockport
she informed the agt [i.e. agent] - who said she couldn’t go
there tonight she declared she could & would & wanted
a ticket - Agt [i.e. agent] said he’d give her one to the Bridge but
she wo’d [i.e. would] then have to go by Tonawanda- She said
Don’t care nothin’ [i.e. nothing] ‘bout [i.e. about] Tonawanda – I’m goin’ [i.e. going] to Lockport
after great exercise of mind over her luggage she
returned - declaring aloud - “I vow I druther [i.e. I’d rather] have
no luggage than to be so bothered” - She then took out
a clay pipe & began to smoke - as she was at the door
a bootblack caught her as a prize & she all
smiles at such ‘a operation - exhibited her
pedal ornaments to me - after the shiner had shined.
(Toronto-G-W-) E-S-

S.B.H. in Scribners, March 1881 says;
It is quite time that we should come to have
a true idea of what constitutes Purity.
Purity means spotlessness, not mere ignorance.
it is a mental poise, that attitude toward evil
which can only be taken & maintained where a
knowledge of evil exists. It is not what one
knows that constitutes impurity but what one
loves… Knowledge instead of weakening
& corrupting the character really strengthens
& purifies it & if it be of the right kind of knowledge
rightly given. There must be a pure & right
way of looking into whatever God has
ordained.
The old fashioned idea that women should
be guarded from all knowledge of evil is hardly
practicable in these days of newspapers, French
novels & free & easy manners – A knowledge
of the utter corruption of human nature must
in some degree reach the most sheltered women
of the present day & it lies with every mother
to accept the responsibility of seeing that it
comes in the right way.

Proof that the Bible is inspired
It must have been written by good men
viz Angels or by bad men or devils
otherwise it must have been inspired
It was not written by good men for
good men will not lie & it reads that it
is divinely inspired
It was not written by bad men for it
condemns bad men to everlasting perdition
Therefore it must be inspired
Supposing we admit for a moment that
the Bible is but a [one word crossed out: auto] biography of a
good man – It is certain no other man
ever that has lived through all time is
not comparable to him – And that in his
life on earth his is more than human
He is Divine.
Rev E. P. Roe says: –- Inasmuch as we
do not climb to some obscure point in
Science from whence to understand it neither
should we do so in religion.

Cor [i.e. Corinthians] III. “ Let no man deceive himself
If any man among you seemeth to be wise in
this world, let him become a fool - that he may
be wise - For the wisdom of this world is foolishness
with God - For it is written. He taketh the wise in their
own craftiness &c.”
“Put a needle point into the ocean take it out -
see what impression remains if we wish to know
how much the world would miss us–“
Blackie “Society is in a perpetual state of conspiracy
to lop an overweening estimate of ourselves” -
Pope “What a mighty inconsistency is man”
Pliny “Theres nothing so proud or so paltry as man”