On our arrival at Montreal we presented letters of introduction to
the German Consul, and the leading members of the German Society,
and I soon became fully occupied in the exercise of my profession.
Dr. X---- (now one of our most distinguished physicians) not only
tolerated my vocation, but, with a magnanimity worthy of his genius
and ability, gave me counsel and advice, and recommended me as
highly as possible to his confreres and the public. Some few
resident doctors threw cold water on my enterprise, but, to their
credit be it spoken, the profession at large treated me invariably
with the greatest kindness and courtesy, shewing thereby a
liberality and largeness of heart which is ever the outcome of real
ability.

I was not long installed in my new home when, as we were sitting
cosily round the fire, the door bell was rung furiously, and on my
going down to receive my visitor, I was astonished to find a
gentleman with a newborn baby wrapped in the tail of his broadcloth
coat. He said he was its father, and that the mother had taken
suddenly ill before any provision could be made for its reception,
and he implored me to take it, as he would otherwise feel impelled
to throw it in the river. I thought my heart would break to see the
poor infant so ruthlessly treated, so I took it from him, promising
to see it safely to some charitable institution. He told me his name
was Ferguson, that he was in business in Montreal, and that if I
would deposit the child in some charitable institution and call and
see its mother during her recovery, he would pay all necessary
expenses. It was too late that night to go out with the child, so I
prepared some food for its nourishment and kept it till the next day,
resolved to go after dusk and see the Lady Superior at one of the
nunneries, but to my chagrin I discovered that the nunnery was closed,