The North Side 



their one taste of a life higher than their con- 

 stant toil. It is idle to ask whether their 

 lot is more or less happy than that of more 

 " advanced " communities. Even if we allow 

 that happiness is the end, it is perhaps more 

 evenly distributed by a principle of compensa- 

 tion than is generally evident. If they are 

 denied the joys of the "Football Special" and 

 " All the Winners " ; if their sole glimpse of 

 the achievements of science, such as the electric 

 light, Is afforded by the play of some warship's 

 searchlight, which in the early days of such in- 

 ventions must have scared their simple wits to 

 distraction ; if of what is passing in " the 

 world" they are as ignorant as their own 

 beasts ; yet who, being master of his fate, 

 would not choose theirs in preference to that 

 of the stunted slaves of modern industry } 



Were it not for the difficulty of bringing 

 them to market, vegetables might be grown in 

 large quantities In these valleys for the supply 

 of European markets during winter. But 

 carnage over the mountain passes is out of the 

 question ; and the tiny steamers which en- 

 deavour to keep up communication between 

 the little ports and Funchal are often unable in 



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