Homesteading 



well brought up young women, and some from 

 homes of refinement and education in the 

 Motherland, follow the men of their choice 

 to the prairie country. Now, this is a class 

 of women that Canada stands sorely in need 

 of, though the Canadian worshipper of the 

 Goddess of Getting On may not realize the 

 fact. It is true that a considerable number 

 of single women find employment in the towns, 

 who shrink from becoming wives and mothers 

 on the prairie under present conditions ; and with- 

 out attempting to go into details or to elaborate 

 the question, the thoughtful reader will easily 

 perceive that such a state of things is not a healthy 

 one for the future of the growing young nation. 



Mr. G. Fox Smith, in his interesting, if some- 

 what doleful story of " The City of Hope " (Sidg- 

 wick and Jackson, Ltd., London), has drawn a 

 picture well calculated to bring home to his 

 readers the dangers that exist. 



" But," it may be asked, " what would you 

 have ? Canada is a free coimtry, with demo- 

 cratic institutions, whose object is to let the 

 people rectify evils themselves, and how can 

 Government help ? " 



True, but it is just in that plastic state when 

 public opinion is especially needed to mould 

 it, and that must be my excuse for offering a few 



208 



