Hedley Declares That A Fog Signal In The Morning
Did Not Awake Me, But He Slept Through All.
About twelve, Dick arrived
from Montreal, much better, and our car was fastened to the train and on
we went to Toronto.
We all tried to read, but oh! the shaking, and dust,
and heat were overpowering; still it was interesting to see what
appeared a primitive country with forests half burned, with stations at
"cities" consisting of apparently two or three wooden houses in the
wood - I say apparently, for Sir D. Macpherson told me there were
splendid farms near the railway. Sometimes we saw a pretty lake with
park-like scenery around, and we thought "here we could make a pretty
country place." At ten o'clock Saturday night we arrived at Toronto, and
Sir David Macpherson and his carriage were waiting for us, and it was so
delightful to drive in an open carriage with a lovely moon shining and
the sweet, cool air refreshing us, that we were very sorry the drive was
so short. Lady M - - and her daughter, Miss M - -, only in their house,
which seems like an English one in the style of arrangements - servants
and conservatories, and greenhouses, &c., and my bedroom is furnished
like a Scotch one, full of pretty quilts and muslin covers, and odds and
ends. I was delighted to find myself between two very fine sheets, and
slept like a top. Evelyn had a headache and did not get up or go to
church. We drove to the nearest and had a nice service and fair sermon
from a Mr. de Barr, son of a Canadian Judge; Dick, Miss, M - -, and I
stayed to Holy Communion, and I was struck with the remarkable number of
young people who remained. After luncheon I had a long talk with Sir
David. He says we are quite wrong about free trade: as the world is, it
should be fair trade, or England will continue to lose, as she is now
losing, every year. The Canadians are obliged to have Protection on
account of the United States, who would send their manufactured goods by
English vessels and so ruin Canadian workshops. No country can grow and
prosper which only produces the raw article of food, &c. Land alone
cannot make a people rich or great; he thinks the Conservative party are
not half, active or energetic enough, and we must have workmen orators
stumping all over the country to reach their own class, or we shall lose
all influence with those who will really be the ruling power. Here, he
says, the Conservatives are two to one in the House of Commons; the
Radicals here abuse their country, and try to hinder and injure all the
enterprise which would enlarge its borders and bring emigrants to take
possession, and do all they can to lower it in the estimation of
outsiders, in hopes that if things come to smash they might have a
chance of a reign of power.
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