was accosted by a good natured looking soldier, who, doffing his
military cap and making a slight bow, said, "This is a pleasant place,
young gentleman, of a sunny summer's day."

Edward turned his bright glance on the man, delighted to have found any
one who could answer the questions that were rushing to his lips. "Is
not that," he said, pointing to the island opposite, "the island of
Orleans?"

"The very same, sir: and the point there, is point Levi, which Wolfe
fortified, and destroyed from it all the lower town of Quebec: but brave
as he was, I think he never would have come within the rampart, if
Montcalme had not been the fool to go out and meet him on the Plains of
Abraham--once there, you know, we beat of course; for, other things
being equal, one Englishman is as good as two Frenchmen any day--and
that's what every English soldier knows."

"But," replied Edward, with a smile, "what every French soldier does not
admit I suspect."

"No--no--not exactly--for you know they are a bragging nation."

"Well," said Edward, "they seem to have something to brag of about you
here in these beautiful villages:" and he pointed towards Beauport and
Charlebourg, whose white houses, green fields, and churches, seem to
promise every thing that poets have dreamed of village simplicity,
peace, and contentment.

"Yes, sir," said the soldier, "those have a decent genteel appearance
from here, but if you were once to go to them, and see the houses like
painted pigeon-holes--white without, but within full of all manner of
uncleanliness; the bits of gardens with little but onions in them;
whole fields overrun with Canada thistles; and then the little bits of
dowdy images that they worship; and slivers of wood set in frames, that
they call pieces of the true cross, and there are enough of them, as I
have heard said, to build a seventy-four. If you were to see all this,
my young master, you would agree with me, they were but a set of poor
ignorant superstitious deluded creatures, far enough behind us English,
or even the Americans." The soldier then proceeded to point out and name
the most attractive objects from this commanding point of view. The deep
black ravine, through which the Montmorenci, after taking its graceful
and wondrous leap, passes into the St. Lawrence; and the indentation of
the shore beyond the Plains of Abraham, called Wolfe's Cove, where he
landed his forces on the morning of his victory and death. Edward found