At six o'clock dinner was served by the public library Board in the art room of the reference library building. There were 229 at the dinner which deserved far greater consumption than the hospitality of the day had left room for, but "the feast of reason and the flow of soul" were much in evidence. The chairman of the occasion was the President of the public library Board, Mr. Turnbull. A most hearty address of welcome was made by Chief Librarian Locke and was responded to in kind by Mr. Legler of the Chicago public library. After dinner the building was thrown open for inspection and the visitors enjoyed greatly seeing the magnificent reading room as well as the other departments of the library. Of special interest was the J. Ross Robertson historical collection of 1,000 Canadian pictures, representing various phases of Canadian life from the earliest period.
It was a happy, if tired party that left on the special train at 10 p. m. for Ottawa with most grateful memories of cordial hospitality and pleasant company in the day spent in Toronto.
M. E. AHERN.
THE DAY AT MONTREAL
One's capacity for receiving bounteous acts of hospitality may be never so unconfined; one's pleasure in accepting them may be never so untrammelled by thoughts of unworthiness or of the hopelessness of ever making an adequate return for all this charming thoughtfulness and lavish entertainment; yet there comes a time when one's vocabulary of appreciative acknowledgments merely and abjectly fails from overwork, and collapses with nothing more articulate than a gasp left to signify an impotent desire to do justice to the occasion. With many of the librarians this unhappy condition became acute in the course of the day at Montreal. Leaving Ottawa on Wednesday morning, July 3rd, by special train, a goodly company—comprising the Post-Conference party, reenforced by numerous "trippers" whose return passage made Montreal the point of departure—was received, on arriving at the latter city, by a local committee, headed by the librarian of McGill University, and was promptly transferred to a long line of comfortable vehicles which were soon moving up town through the broad streets and past the stately buildings of Canada's largest city. To the traveller from the western plains the upward direction of the journey was especially noticeable and much sympathy and some solicitude was expressed for the stocky horses in their long pull through the warmth of the midday sun. But they plodded sturdily on, conscious of the pitiless grade of those rock-ribbed streets only as part of the day's work. And soon they came to the shady drives and beautiful banks of Mount Royal Park and so onward and upward to the summit, whence the unparalleled outlook over the city, the majestic St. Lawrence and the country beyond unrolled before the admiring eyes of the visitors. After an all too brief enjoyment of this superb spectacle, the party re-entered the waiting carriages and was quickly conveyed down hill and deposited on the beautiful campus of McGill University, where, to the accompaniment of noonday whistles and bells, luncheon was served under the trees. These Canadian garden affairs, how they impress the visitors from over the line! The dignified beauty of the setting rendered complete by the invariably benevolent co-operation of the weather; the profusion and variety of appetizing and daintily served viands, and the unobtrusive yet efficient service—truly the stoutest jingo was led to exclaim with unfeigned heartiness: "They do these things so much better in Canada!" After luncheon a brief inspection was made of several of the college buildings, notably of the charming library, with its delightful reading room, which was visited by some in order to study its architecture or its administration, but by many more for the purpose of paying their respects to the official home of the librarian of the University, their cordial host and the ubiquitous chairman of the committee to whom the entertainment at Montreal was due. Mr. Gould won the hearts of his guests completely and earned their lasting gratitude and perpetual wonderment, the former through the generous hospitality he provided for them; the latter through the calm, simple, self-effacing yet all pervading way in which he dominated the situation and acquitted himself of his arduous task. And still there was more to come, for on reassembling on the lawn the visitors found a long and inviting line of motor cars in waiting, and in these a tour of the city was made, ending at the pretty new public library in the suburb of Westmount, where they met with a pleasant welcome by Miss Saxe, the librarian, and—with more refreshments! From here the guests dispersed and made their way back to town in small groups at their own convenience. An invitation from the White Star Line to join in the festivities on the new steamship Megantic to mark its impending maiden voyage, attracted some of the librarians during the evening. The Post-Conference party reassembled on board the steamer Saguenay and left for its pleasure trip at nine o'clock, while the others went each his own way, some homeward, some by circuitous routes prolonging their holiday, but all with regret that the delightful Canadian days had come to an end, and with deep gratitude and appreciation of the cordial hospitality and gracious good-fellowship of their Canadian brethren and indefatigable hosts.
C. B. RODEN.
POST CONFERENCE TRIP
"Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticism,
Strong and content, I travel the open road."
So the librarians assembled aboard the "Saguenay." The day in Montreal had been a full and pleasant one and its evening found the post-conference party tired but tranquilly expectant of the joys the boat's departure was to bring. To this some excitement was lent by the dash on board, just as the gangplank was going in, of the New Jersey Library Commission contingent who had lingered too long at the reception tendered the A. L. A. on the White Star liner "Megantic." Many friendly farewells were waved by the A. L. A. members whose official travels ended at Montreal. As the boat started for Quebec, deck chairs were soon filled by those who wished to watch the noble sweep of the river and the graceful skyline of the city with its myriads of lights.
During the short stop at Quebec the next morning only a few strenuous ones ventured ashore. The majority were content with the splendid view of the city with its frowning precipice crowned by the Citadel and the graceful pile of the Chateau Frontenac, below which were spread the picturesque roofs of the Lower Town. It was the Fourth of July and after the flags flourished by the patriotic members of the party had been duly saluted, everyone settled down to the calm enjoyment of a safe and sane fourth. The boat glided past the falls of Montmorency, the lovely Isle of Orleans, the wooded shores of the river where in one place forest fires raged, showing a thin tongue of flame under a hovering cloud of smoke, and on from the stately grandeur of the St. Lawrence to the wild beauty of the Saguenay. It was here that the real business of travel began. Baedekers made their unblushing appearance, most of them bearing on their backs the mystic symbols 917.1. The maps and guidebooks provided by the company were studied while the really "litry" were turning the pages of "A chance acquaintance" or "The golden dog."