My Mother's Sympathy And Love For Everybody Appeared, Too, In The
Hospitality She Delighted To Exercise.
That, indeed, was the common
virtue of the country, especially in the native population; but from
all my experience
During my wanderings on these great plains in
subsequent years, when every night would find me a guest in a
different establishment, I never saw anything quite on a par with my
parents' hospitality. Nothing seemed to make them happier than having
strangers and travellers taking their rest with us; there were also a
good number of persons who were accustomed to make periodical visits
to the city from the southern part of the province who, after a night
with us, with perhaps half a day's rest to follow, would make our
house a regular resting-place. But no distinctions were made. The
poorest, even men who would be labelled tramps in England, travellers
on foot perhaps where cattle made it dangerous to be on foot, would be
made as welcome as those of a better class. Our delight as children,
loving fun too well, was when we had a guest of this humble
description at the supper-table. Settling down in our places at the
long table laden with good things, a stern admonitory glance from our
father would let us into the secret of the new guest's status - his
unsuitability to his surroundings. It was great fun to watch him
furtively and listen to his blundering conversational efforts, but we
knew that the least sound of a titter on our part would have been an
unpardonable offence.
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