AUF WIEDERSEHEN 357 



On the last day my brother came down from his 

 homestead and invited my dog back for the winter. 

 So on the very last night of all I made my round 

 after the last feed, and saw all the beasts tucked up 

 comfortably with bedding up to their knees and 

 mangers full of the hay they love so well. This is the 

 saving grace in chief of farming on the Canadian 

 prairie ; the frost may seize your marketable grain, 

 but there is always food for beasts and men. I knew 

 that every four-footed friend would have plenty of 

 provender and be well cared for during my absence. 

 Things still jarred at times between me and my 

 caretakers, who had many of the failings of their 

 many virtues, but the give-and-take theory is in 

 everyday practice in Canada, and they proved 

 entirely equal to their undertaking, and no words 

 can convey one's appreciation of their care and 

 thoughtfulness and general trustworthiness through 

 that winter. Mr. Wilton nursed the new horse 

 night and day after he had badly staked himself ; 

 and when I got back in the spring everything was 

 in perfect order, and the bill from the Hudson 

 Bay Store for the groceries supplied in excess of the 

 sum credited to the farm for eggs and butter was 

 jive cents. Through them it has always seemed to 

 me that, although the British have much to learn 

 from Canadians in their method of active work on 

 the land, they are most valuable and desirable as 

 general caretakers and overseers. These people, 

 who were in every way worthy of British tradition, 

 and amongst those who have gained for the British 

 the homage revealed in the term " salt of the earth," 

 went on to New Zealand in the spring, and New 

 Zealand was the richer. They would have done 



