Donald Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal immortalised as the "Cheeryble Brothers" in Charles Dickens' book, Nicholas Nickleby. Donald's mother was the sister of the Canadian explorer John Stuart, partner of the North West Company who rose to become Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company. Smith was educated at Anderson's Free School and on leaving at age sixteen he was apprenticed to become a lawyer in the offices of Robert Watson, Town Clerk of Forres. By the age of eighteen, Smith chose another career path: offered entry into mercantile life at Manchester, and a career in the Indian Civil Service, his choice was to pattern himself
Dickens in America about Dickens's visit was so great that parlour songs were written about the trip and we hear one of the songs which includes a lyric about praying that Cunard boilers wouldn't burst. The same song warns Dickens that the American cities' citizens would "eat you." Dickens recorded whiling away the time when, he wasn't seasick, with conversation and card games. There are many activities aboard the Queen Mary 2 but Miriam spends some of her time decoding the last line of "American Notes". She finally accomplishes her goal. Dickens had originally planned to end the book with the following: "Neither