Dear Lisa

Dear Lisa is a piece of historical fiction written in the form of letters sent from a teenage girl to her eldest sister. Let this story bring you to small-town Quebec in 1902.

This is part two of three. Didn't read Part I yet? Click here.

Already read Part II? Click here to skip ahead to Part III.

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November 25th, 1902

Dear Lisa,

To get right to it, la réponse est non. I am not smitten of Timothy, nor will I ever be. He was kind and his efforts to get me the answers I was seeking were appreciated, but there is nothing more than that. We acknowledge each other every Sunday at St-James the Less, and that is the extent of our relationship. And even if I did like him, I do not have time for boys. I must prioritize my education and fight to make sure it is equal to that of men.

Moving on, a thousand times Thank You! You are the best sister I could have ever asked for! I cannot believe you were able to send me these. I am simply… ecstatic! I had to translate the clippings for Helene and Julia, but they loved it even if my words were not as magical as those you have sent me. Do you have more from Le Journal de Françoise? I know you have only sent me one article, but I feel as though the entire magazine would be even more enlightening. I know I am asking much of you, but you do not understand how much joy it would bring me.

I do not remember if I have told you about the new pupils from California, but one of the two—Ruth Rand—has been spending more time with us. Miss White obliged us to invite them for crocodile walks to make them feel more welcomed and Ruth is not as bad as I had originally thought. She looks different than us, but she has many interesting stories to tell. I might start sharing the clippings with her as well, because as we both know, “UNITY IS POWER!” This phrase pairs up so well with the Mothering Citizens quote of Grace Parker Drummond that I still can’t get out of my head since this summer: “grâce à la puissance de notre union, nous saurons nous opposer fermement aux torts ou aux injustices portés à notre attention et contribuer efficacement à leur réparation.” It’s so inspiring to feel the power of written words!

I want to go into much more depth with you about the clippings, but I prefer waiting until we see each other again. Otherwise, even though I am sure we agree on most subjects, we will only ever be able to skim the surface.

On another note, I forgot how much I loved Winter here in Compton. It’s always cold in the College, but the mesmerizing landscapes compensate for the fingers I will probably lose to frostbite. During every spare moment, I run up to the top floor to look at the snow settle in the valley and the train roar by in the distance on the Grand Trunk Railway. If only father would allow me to hop on it to come home for the holidays. As you probably predicted, je suis prise ici encore une fois.

Will you be going home for Christmas? Or is father still giving you the cold shoulder?

Felicity

PS. Thank you again for sending me these. I wish I could keep them, but I know that they will be of more use to you. Would you be able to send me a few of the WCTU articles you had shown me over the summer? I would love to share them with Helene and Julia. Their mothers keep them up-to-date on events, but they do not share much more with them.

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December 27th, 1902

Dear Lisa,

Trousers! You have gifted me with trousers! Men’s trousers, but trousers nonetheless! How did you get your hands on these? This must have cost you a fortune! I can only imagine us wearing our trousers, walking into the sitting room with father and our brothers. Bill would probably laugh, Jim would probably just imitate father’s reaction, and father… well we will just have to wait and see. Their expressions will be priceless, I am certain!

Do you wear them often? You must receive many comments. As you can remember from your time here, we do not have a uniform, but I can only imagine Miss Smith’s reaction if she sees me wearing them. I feel as though she will give me enough lines to write to last me until March!

Maybe I will wear them only on days when we do not have class, like today. I fear they will be confiscated, but I will write to you if I change my mind. For now, they are our little secret.

In other news, father was not able to come to the Christmas dance, but Bill stopped by for a quick visit. Miss White allowed it, only because it is a holiday. And the dance was dull. Ever since boys are no longer allowed to attend, there is much less excitement for the events. Not that any boy would want to dance with me, but it would be more interesting than dancing with my classmates, with whom I waltz weekly during our dancing lessons.

Father has sent me a package with chocolates, photographs of mother, and a letter, of course. He is doing well, he is just busy, as per usual. Have you seen him recently? I wish he would write to me more. He also sent me a couple of novels, but none nearly as interesting as the readings you supply me.

Wishing I could be with you,

Felicity

PS. Devrais-je porter les pantalons à l’école? Qu’en penses-tu?

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Want to read on? Find the last letters in Part III.

Missed Part I? Find it here!

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