A SUPERINTENDENT OF THE OLDEN DATS. 
indefatigable in his strenuous exertions in getting it 
lined, holed, and planted. He was constantly knock- 
ing about in the rain, dressed in his ship pilot’s coat, 
oilskin hat, and other toggery, he had erected a 
small hut, of two rooms, as a temporary bungalow, 
and quite sufficient for all present wants, no new 
clearing then ever had any thing better. 
He kept steady for a long time, probably the re- 
sponsibility of his position and a sense of the im- 
portant work expected from him, in some measure 
tended to call forth his self-respect. For, it is a 
fact, that position and responsibility act as a powerful 
lever in impelling men to set a watch over, suppress, 
and keep under their failings and faults. They have 
a name and position to keep up, and they must 
command and deserve the respect of their subordi- 
nates j but where this feeling only exists, where it 
is not backed up by principle and self-respect, the 
failings and faults will spring and sprout up on 
fitting opportunities, and, if not observed and com- 
mented on by others, they will gradually get more 
frequent until the man is just as before, perhaps 
worse. The bulk of the heavy work in the clearing, 
holing, planting, and reading having been got through 
for the first season, there was really very little to 
do before the next planting season. Idleness is the 
mother and hatcher of mischief especially where the 
mischief, fault, or failing, has not been thoroughly 
eradicated, merely cropped down and kept down 
by more important avocations. Mr. Kenneth had 
not been seen or heard of for a long time by his 
next neighbour, who began to think it very odd. 
Why, just when he bad so little to do, he should 
have altogether given up coming across to visit him ; 
perhaps he was sick j what more likely than that 
one so long used to a comfortable bungalow and the 
warm climate of the low-country, when suddenly re- 
moved to reside in a mere hut, in a wet, cold and 
misty climate, should have been perhaps laid up. The 
neighbour reproached himself for his want of con- 
sideration and attention, took his umbrella and coat, 
sallied forth into the rain to see how his neighbour 
was living — over black-burnt logs, up to the knees 
through swamps, for there were as yet neither roads 
nor bridges j on he scrambled until he reached the 
verandah of the hut. “Boy,’^ says he. ‘‘ Sar,^’ was 
the reply, and speedily out of the cook-house pops the 
boy, in utter astonishment at the fact that there was 
a visitor, actually a visitor ! an event that never 
happened here. “Boy,’’ says the neighbour, “How 
is your master ; all right, I hope ; just come over to 
look him up, is he in ? ” The boy walks sharply up 
and stands in the doorway, in what seemed to be a 
