12 CANADIAN NIGHTS 



ings to force or crawl their way out of the general 

 mass and welter of humanity. What is the life of 

 your own class in the great city in which your lot 

 is cast ? The same conflict, only under politer 

 forms. The same struggle to get the better of 

 others. The weariness and the vain endeavour 

 to find in artificial gaiety a little forgetfulness in 

 each fretful day. What do you find here ? A 

 struggle also — the incomprehensible immutable law 

 of all being that only by travail can life ascend ; 

 but under what different conditions ! An honest 

 fight, an open fight, and under surroundings clean 

 and sweet ; and with it great contentment and 

 peace of mind. Surely this is the natural and 

 proper life of man.' " 



Willie Whisper paused to refill and light his 

 pipe. 



" And so," I broke in, " you made the great 

 renunciation, left it all and followed the call of 

 the wild ? " 



" No, no, not by any means. I fought that 

 which I now believe to be my better self hard. 

 I went back to it all, to the intense interest and 

 excitement of politics, to all the pleasures that 

 London can offer to a young and fortune-favoured 

 man. But you are right. The call of the wild 



