.' A girl came to the door who
said supper was ready. The master rose to leave. 'Nay, thee must break
bread with us; thee art a stranger in a strange land,' said the wife, as
she took hold of his arm. The evening passed too quickly, for the master
enjoyed his company. On rising to go, the Quaker told him he had a block
of land he had taken for a bad debt. 'And what is the price you put on
it?' asked the master. 'I do not sell in that way. Thou must see the
land and if it suits thee, come back, and I will tell thee its price.
Thee take breakfast as early as they can give it, and you will find a
man whom we call Jabez waiting to lead thee where the land is.'

Next morning as the sun was rising over the lake, the master overheard a
man in the barroom asking for him, and hurried from the table. He was
tall and gaunt, with a set mouth that spoke of decision of character. At
the door were two saddled horses and in a few minutes they were trotting
up Yonge street. When they had to slow down, on account of the road
becoming full of yawning holes, Jabez had much to say about backwoods
farming. He had not the personal experience of a settler, but had seen
much of backwoods life and had known scores who had tried it. 'Not one
in five succeeds,' he said, 'some fail from not having money to feed
their families until enough land is under crop to maintain them, others
from going on stony or sandy lots that yield only poor crops, and not a
few from going where it is marshy and fever-and-ague prevail. Many go
into the backwoods who have not the muscle for its hard work or who
will not be content to live on pork and potatoes, until they can get
better, yet even they might do had they perseverance and self-denial.
The Scotch and the North of Ireland people, accustomed to hard work and
spare living, seldom fail.' They were riding past much land in bush,
generally without a strip of clearing. Jabez remarked the curse of
Canada was giving land to people who would not go to live upon it, who
had no intention of clearing it, but held it to sell. A deal of that
land you see was given as grants to old soldiers. A colonel could claim
1200 acres, a major 800, a captain 600 acres, and a private 100 acres.
Not one in twenty who drew their lots meant to live on them, and of the
few who tried most of them failed and left. Speculators had their agents
round taverns and stores ready to buy soldiers' tickets, and got
transfers for a few dollars, sometimes