Homesteading 



— we were soon in town, and putting the ponies 

 safely into the big Hvery barn, withdrew our- 

 selves to the warm hotel. The aspect of these 

 little prairie towns naturally differs a good bit 

 in the winter from their appearance in the summer ; 

 for though there is often a good deal of coming 

 and going connected with the hauling of grain 

 during the former season, people do not linger 

 about in the streets much, with the temperature 

 often many degrees below zero ; so if you want 

 to find the population you must seek them in 

 the pool-room, or the hotel bar, or the comfort- 

 ably warmed and often well-lighted stores, or 

 at their homes. 



To the new arrival from Europe or the East they 

 would probably seem one of the most forlorn 

 and dismal places on earth, worse perhaps than 

 a comfortable camp in the woods or on the open 

 prairie ; but such a one should soon realize that 

 there is a social life, that the folks have their 

 own joys and sorrows, and, knowing each other, 

 there is a community of interest and a common 

 spirit not apparent at first sight, with a fellow- 

 ship growing up round the churches and school 

 that one may hope in the future will bear good 

 fruit of human kindness. 



Though there was an east- and west-bound 

 train both morning and evening, it seemed the 



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