The Point (December 20)

To begin at the beginning, my grandparents… bought their cottage in the early thirties. They christened it ‘Providence’ after a home they once rented in a village south of London. ‘Point’ was a nod to the rocky outcrop where it stood. Nothing this side of the Atlantic could equal the original Providence’s old-world charm. Still, neither Granny nor Grandpa was nostalgic for the chills and rising damp they had left behind. The unfamiliar warmth of the pine-scented rooms was easy to get used to, and the Point became a treasured escape from daily life in Toronto. On driving in, they would park the car in a hut that served as a garage in summer and a boat shed in winter. A grove of pines surrounded both it and the main building. Dappled sunlight trickled through the branches, and the view across the Bay was glorious. Naturally, there was no electricity, telephone, or indoor plumbing. In a word, it was paradise.

(pp. 2-3)

As Henry James observes in ‘The Portrait of a Lady,’ a house can have a “history and a character” of its own. And that profile was certainly true of Providence Point. It projected love and respect for the virtues of comfort, companionship and continuity. As such, it could appeal as much to youthful Robbie as to his older grandparents. Lucky are those who grow up in not only an emotional environment but also a physical setting that radiates such qualities. Can you recall a special place like that? If you can, by all means describe it in a Comment.

(Illustration generated by AI)