Added to all this his friends, being unwilling
to associate with his wife and relations, had, one by one, deserted
him, and left him almost alone to brood over his ill-advised alliance.
Whilst moodily glancing at an evening paper he saw an advertisement
for an organist who would be willing to go to Canada, and at once
seizing at the idea he applied for the post, which he eventually
obtained without great difficulty, sailing for Montreal in the
spring of 1855, to play the organ and direct the music of one of the
leading Episcopal churches in this city. At that time there were,
very few musicians of ability in Montreal, and Mr. Grandison soon
became quite popular, both professionally and socially. His wife was
at first invited out, but, finding that she seldom accompanied her
husband on these occasions, her name was, in time, dropped from the
invitations, and Mr. Grandison was treated as if he were a bachelor,
many indeed being altogether unaware of the fact that he had a wife
and family.
Among those who took Grandison by the hand was a certain Mr. Sedley,
a professional man of high standing. Mary Sedley, the daughter of
the latter was possessed of a remarkably fine voice, and was one of
the ornaments of the church choir, so that the family were naturally
interested in the advent of a new organist from England, under whose
careful training the music of the church was to be developed and
improved.
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