ught up to
follow; they have indeed no motive to improve their general knowledge.

But place the honest and industrious peasant in Canada, and, no matter
how ignorant he may be, when he sees that by his perseverance and
industry he will in a short time better his situation in life, and most
likely become the possessor of a freehold, this motive for exertion
will call forth the best energies of his mind, which had hitherto, for
want of a proper stimulus, lain dormant. Having to act and think for
himself, and being better acquainted with the world, he soon becomes a
theoretical as well as a practical man, and consequently a cleverer and
more enlightened person, than he was before in his hopeless servitude
in the mother-country.

When I left Guelph, I had arranged with my wife that as soon as I could
get the new house ready, I would send for her. I did not think that
this could possibly be done before sleighing-time, as the newly-cut
road was almost impassable for waggons. Judge, then, of my surprise
when, on returning home from the store-house one day, I noticed the
door of my log-cabin open, and saw a lovely curly-headed child sitting
in the doorway. I could hardly believe my eyes--it was my own little
Maria. My dear little boy had remained at Douro with my wife's sister
Eliza, of whom he was so fond that my wife did not like to separate
such friends from each other. On my entrance I found my wife surrounded
by a pile of luggage, laughing heartily at my astonishment.

She told me, she felt so lonely that she determined to brave all the
dangers of the road in order to join me. Accordingly, she hired a
settler who was the owner of a waggon and a yoke of oxen, which she
loaded with the most useful articles we required--bedding and bed-
clothes, &c.,--reserving room in the waggon for herself, the child, and
nursemaid.

During the whole of the first day's journey and part of the next, all
went on smoothly enough, their route lying through settlements; but as
soon as they entered the newly-cut road their difficulties commenced,
and before they had traversed five miles, the waggon was twice upset.
This so alarmed my poor wife, on account of the baby; that she durst
not ride another step of the way, although the travellers had still
upwards of sixty miles to go. Moreover, she was obliged to carry the
child the entire distance; for their teamster had enough to do to look
after and guide his cattle, and the servant girl was to