[Burlington—Tuesday, 25 June 1867]
Tuesday morning after reclining on couches for a part of the night we arose soon after 3 to find the heat still excessive; came down lake Champlain under a clouded sky, winds growing fresher and cooler all the time, to Lake George. There were 3 newly married couples on board, and some French Canadians. We were sufficiently occupied, during the day by watching the people & scenery, the Green Mts on one side the Adirondacks on the other. There were also a number of clergymen who had been to a convention in Montreal, fat, sleek, vain, loud-talking men, the very type Dr Holmes has shown up. They crowded eagerly to the dinner table and one stout character whom I had heard declare himself to be Dr Taylor of Philadelphia, sat next me. It was rather a lunch than dinner and tea was served with it; seeing that I had sugar and milk in my cup while his was still guiltless of these comfortable additions he turned to me and said “Madam, where did you get your trimmings.”—I had never heard sugar & milk called trimmings before and did not at first understand what he meant but seeing my mystification he kindly explained himself after a time. What a veneer of piety that man had! The holy words rose to his lips sometimes and were spoken without reverence about trivial things, for instance while we were serving each other at table he said in a loud voice, “you see we must bear one another’s burdens & so fulfil the law of love”—I fancied I could see he was ashamed of this for he turned the subject quickly and began to talk of the scenery of Montreal.
