FARMER FROM ROXBURGHSHIRE FEMALE WORTH. 165 



merit where we breakfasted. Mrs T apologized for 



the mean appearance of her house, which I assured her was 

 unnecessary, as I found few in the country so good, and its 

 shining cleanness imparted more interest to me than the highest 

 glitter of British fashion. She was in excellent spirits, and 

 entertained us with many particulars of her journey from Scot 

 land. Arriving at Montreal when cholera was raging in 

 a dreadful manner, and her husband being in a delicate state 

 of health, no time was lost in pursuing their route. In pass 

 ing up the St Lawrence with her family and luggage, the 

 boat admitted water so freely, that she was forced to walk by 

 the river side with an infant on her back. The population&quot; 

 being panic-struck at the havoc cholera was making, shut 

 their doors on emigrants, who, they imagined, had introduced 

 the disease into the country, and she was under the necessity 

 of baking bread for her family with her own hands, and firing it 

 under a tree. After relating many particulars of their first settle 

 ment, she concluded by stating, that in Scotland she had three 

 maid-servants constantly at her own command, here she had 

 no servants, and was happier without them. On remarking 

 it delighted me to find her in such excellent spirits and pleased 

 with her situation, as the change from the old country to 

 Canada appeared more trying for ladies than gentlemen, she 

 replied with animation, &quot; O no, sir, ladies can manage their 

 own department here, but gentlemen require assistance in 



theirs.&quot; Mrs T spoke with so much good-humour and 



feeling, that it would have been rudeness to have maintained 

 an opposite opinion ; and without investigating which of the 

 sexes in the middle ranks of life undergo the greatest priva 

 tions at first settlement, observation convinced me females get 

 sooner reconciled to their duties, and discharge them with 

 better effect than males. Much as I have ever esteemed my 

 countrywomen, they never appeared to so much advantage as in 

 Canada, where their energies had been fully called forth and 

 developed by the new circumstances in which they were 

 placed, and their exertions induced me to regard many of them 

 as heroines. Emigrants are desired to bring out wives to 

 Canada, and I add my testimony to the justness of the recom 

 mendation. In almost every case that came under notice, my 



