THE LAKE SHORE DIVERSION 105 



When I came to know them well, I told the English- 

 woman of the sensation her first supper had 

 created. 



" Shall I ever forget it ! "she exclaimed. " For 

 days I worked hand in hand and egg for egg with 

 Mrs. Beeton, and then they left it all positively 

 all for us to eat meal by meal, until at the end of 

 ten days we thankfully returned to salt pork." 



Another diversion was the children's party at 

 Fort Qu'Appelle. For this annual event the little 

 town is canvassed and gives as though endowed with 

 the beautiful gift of giving. A giant Christmas-tree 

 is provided, and on this is hung a gift for every 

 child attending school, from the collected fund, but 

 anyone is permitted to hang a gift for another on 

 the tree, so that whilst each small and big child 

 gets some treasure, some get many. Beautiful toys, 

 gloves, handkerchiefs, chocolates, candies, an occa- 

 sional book form the interestingly wrapped parcels 

 which grace the tree, and in addition from the 

 subscription list is provided a highly diverting tea 

 for the children and all who care to join the Christ- 

 mas party. The ladies of Fort Qu'Appelle con- 

 tribute cakes, the Hudson Bay Store lends the china, 

 and the kind of people who do things prepare the 

 feast. At the 1905 Christmas party after tea the 

 tables were cleared and chairs and benches placed 

 in the orthodox manner, the guests sat down, and 

 from the platform the children presented their 

 musical programme, which was strong evidence of 

 the intelligence of themselves and their teachers ; but 

 as yet the Canadian children do not strike one as 

 being fun-loving. They were ever so painstaking, 

 but only two, and those of the tiniest, seemed to enter 



