212 RURAL LIFE IN CANADA 



tinue in existence worth while, without this stream of 

 fresh blood from the country, with its cool nerves, firm 

 muscles, and good habits."* The " Law of the City," 

 as well as the " Law of the Yukon," is given by Robert 

 W. Service in the words : 



This is the Law of the Yukon, and ever she makes it plain: 

 " Send not your foolish and feeble; send me your strong and 



your sane; 



Strong for the red rage of battle; sane, for I harry them sore; 

 Send me men girt for the contest, men who are grit to the 



core; 



Send me the best of your breeding, lend me your chosen ones; 

 Them will I take to my bosom; them will I call my sons; 

 Them will I gild with my treasure, them will I glut with my 



meat; 

 But the others the misfits, the failures I trample under my 



feet."f 



That virile tribute is checked as soon as dissatisfaction 

 prevails in the country; it ceases when degeneracy 

 begins. In the unrest of the rural community lies the 

 chief cause of the recent falling off in candidates for 

 the ministry. 



Gentlemen, Christ calls strong men to heathendom 

 through the prospect of uplifting a pagan people. Does 

 He not also call such men to the country through the 

 prospect of upholding a Christian one ? 



But I should be utterly unscientific if I made my 

 chief plea the possibility of failure in supplying the 

 church with candidates for the ministry, the city with 

 the red blood of leadership ; the failure to send forth 

 these would be only symptomatic of disease in the rural 



* " Men and Religion Messages," Vol. VI, p. 119. 

 t Robert W. Service, " The Spell of the Yukon." 



