1837 HANDWRITTEN LETTER BY AN AMERICAN TEACHER DETAILING AND PROTESTING ROMAN CATHOLIC TRADITIONS OF THE EARLY QUEBECOISE: "every few minutes my ears were saluted with a discharge of Musketry...on the Lords Day...a descecration they consider...

On offer is a superb Lower Canada [Quebec] autograph letter signed, "Lusena Patch", Napiervill[e], [Quebec, Canada], June 3, 1837, 3 1/4pp., 8" x 13". Ink, rag content paper. Patch, [who research suggests is from Fitchburg, Massachusetts], was assigned to a school in Napierville and is disappointed by the town and its Catholic residents. The children are uneducated; no school before her arrival. She complains that there are no proper Christians save for another woman that also newly arrived. There are no protestant meetings except for the occasional traveling minister. She is particularly horrified by the Catholic grand procession, which she describes in great detail: "The first Sab. I spent here was what is called the grand procession day with the catholics and my heart was exceedingly pained with what my eyes were compelled to see and my ears to hear. The first I saw after raising in the morning was people assembling at the tavern oposit with their guns; and every few minutes my ears were saluted with a discharge of musketry and this on the Lords day such a descecration they consider a part of worship...At the close of the services the bell was run and a discharge of musketry. Then came the procession in the first place were the boys of the congregation with flags. After them the females, after them, came the ringers 24 in number dressed in white frocks, their heads uncovered as no man is alowed to be in the presence of the priest with his head covered, then came the priest preceded by two boys strewing flowers in the way...He was dressed in a white sattin robe wrought in the most elegant style with different colours and a band of some material resembling gold. He had a canopy over his head born by 4 men...The street had been previously prepared by sweeping and placing bushes by the side of it. Every thing was calculated to please ignorant people and children." Condition: Ink somewhat light on first page, but readable; area of staining page 3, affecting a couple of words. Overall VG.