212 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



my experience of the country I never so much as heard 

 of such an attempt. In fact, a woman in America may 

 go anywhere, and do almost anything, without the least 

 fear of being subjected to insult or injury. Whatever I 

 have said, or may think, of some of Uncle Sam's funny 

 ways, I should be unworthy of the hospitality which I 

 have received in his land if I failed to acknowledge his 

 extreme honourableness in this matter. If ever woman 

 is subjected to outrage or insult in the States, it may at 

 once be concluded that the offender is either a man of 

 colour or some recently arrived blackguard from a country 

 that was glad to get rid of him. What Sam thinks of 

 such human vermin is shown by the promptitude with 

 which he strings them up to the lamp-posts — the very 

 best thing that can be done with such wretches. 



By-the-by, I may mention that my habit of speak- 

 ing of the United States shortly as the States is consonant 

 with the custom of the country. They are always, except 

 in official documents, spoken of as the States par excellence, 

 no other State in the world being at all comparable to 

 them. 



