smoker his pipe, by means of "punk," flint, and steel-the blade of a jackknife "warranted to strike fire," but superseded in time by a steel ring through which the fingers were thrust. The punk in which the spark was caught came from the maple. The clay pipe was universal-sometimes kindled with hot ashes or a coal, and, when black as ebony, whitened in the fire. Lucifer matches were as yet unknown in these parts. They came in with the "fifties" and the decimal currency.

Days of the Axe, the Flail, and the Reaping-hook! There were two kinds of sickles—one toothed, the other plain, and keen as a razor. When a whole family, armed with these, swept across a field, the wheat soon lay bound in sheaves. Many ears dropped, and we youngsters picked them up. The grain crop was often over-ripe ere cut. How particular the farmer was! Every sheaf must be just so. When the cradle came in, there was much shaking of heads over its untidy work. It is now, in its turn, a thing of the past. How many good things are gone!-sickle, flail, frow, ox-yoke, candle-moulds, cradle, potash-kettle, and what not! How many bad things remain !

We boys used to trap the wild pigeon by means of a sap-trough set on edge. What a thrill of delight to see this down! The poor captives were drawn forth, and their necks wrung without a pang! Thoughtless cruelty of boys! I couldn't do it now. I hate even to see anything killed, except a snake.

Where is the wild pigeon gone? Where are the myriads that once blanketed the stooks and obscured the sun?

The "husking bee" was an event. Around a high mound of unhusked Indian corn squatted the invited youth and beauty of the neighborhood, duly paired off. The husks rise higher and higher, under cover of which and a babel of voices, laughter and song, sweet words are said and sweet kisses given. About midnight the floor is cleared for the dance. This was no giddy whirl or stately promenade. The "four-hand reel" was the staple commodity; "steps" the main point-an earnest business. Lacking a fiddle, they danced to a whistle or a "lilt"-danced till dawn. The next night the same-and the next-till the corn season was over. The "quilting bee," as winter set in, afforded a similar means of social enjoyment. These things are all now past, and rural life is dull and prosy. The face of the farmer's son is set town-ward accordingly.

Nearly all the settlers' buildings were log-elm or cedar-neatly dove-tailed at the corners, which only the best axemen could build. A good "corner-man" is now rare. The barn raisin' was a big-often a wild-affair. The foundation laid, and a few rounds added, on a set

day the neighbours assembled. Corner men are chosen, the rest divide into two rival gangs, one at each end of the log to be hoisted. For the first few rounds there is little excitement; the logs are rolled in and slid up in a quiet, orderly manner. But, with the rising walls rises a rivalry, waxing fiercer and fiercer, till the "wall-plate" is placed, and all is over. It struck terror into the heart of the on-looker to see each gang wildly push to get their end up first. Pushed too fast and too far, it left the skid, then-sauve qui peut! Lives were lost in this way.

Were these wild, reckless fellows foolish boys! No. Most of them were grave, middle-aged fathers of families-the self-same sober, serious men who had braved the perils of the sea and the hardships of the wilderness-men earnestly bent on doing their duty to wife and children, King and country. Yes, and not one of them but would have been grieved at heart were any one injured. Bring grave men together-they incline to play. Taking sides, they are boys! These same mad barn-builders built also a nation, and held it at Chateauguay and Queenston Heights!

The polling at elections sometimes lasted two weeks, with royal feasting and merry-making.

How changed the School since that primeval time!
Young girls had not, as yet, begun to climb,
In any number, to the Teacher's throne,
Filled then by men, and almost men alone.
Rare, curious specimens were most of these;
Failures in other lines, and glad to seize
On any lawful means to win their bread;
The people glad to have their children fed
On the best mental food that could be got
Under the circumstances of their lot:
The grim old soldier, on his wooden leg,
Thus spared the dire necessity to beg:
The broken merchant, sunk to penury:

The sailor, battered on the stormy sea:

And he who once had sat in college hall,

But whom the wrestler, Drink, had given a fall.
Such were the "dominies" of long ago:

But then, the salaries were also low-
Twenty or thirty pounds a year, eked out
Precariously, by "boarding round about,'

A fortnight with each family, or so.
But the itinerant soon got to know

The choicest places, and prolonged his stay;

And few had heart to hasten him away.

Studies were few compared with days to come;

The three R's were the whole curriculum.

When we consider the tremendous difficulties and discouragements of pioneer settlement in Canada; the poverty of most of the immigrants; the awful forest to be flung aside; the crushing and incessant toil of both sexes to gain a mere subsistence; the formidable disabilities as to roads, markets, schools, medical aid, the ministrations of religion, and countless other privations-how can we enough admire the pluck, the energy, the perseverance of the long-enduring men and women who surmounted every difficulty, flung aside every obstacle, and handed over to us the foundation, well and truly laid, of this great Dominion, this Canada, this Land of Promise, destined to be a power for good among the nations of the world? The question for us is this:

Are we the men to guide her course?
Know we, and feel, and understand
There is but one Eternal Source

Of lasting sway on sea and land?

The buried empires of the past

Tottered and fell when That withdrew;
And England headlong would be cast
Should she forget the God she knew.

Canada! let thy comely face,

As flint, for Righteousness be set;
A Hand shall brush you from your place
If you forget, if you forget.

XV.

THE PETER PERRY ELECTION AND THE RISE OF THE CLEAR

GRIT PARTY.

BY GEO. M. JONES, B. A., TORONTO

Canada was at a parting of the ways in the year 1849. After over half a century of persistent struggle, she had obtained almost complete self-government, but party feeling still ran high, and commercial depression so aided political hatred that many eminent and many more inconspicuous citizens openly discussed, and advocated separation from the Mother country and annexation to the United States.

The Conservative party was embittered by its loss of power, the passing of the Rebellion Losses Bill, in spite of its vehement protests, the refusal of Lord Elgin either to veto the measure or reserve it for the consideration of the British Government, and, finally, the decision of the British Government to uphold Lord Elgin in his determination to carry out fully, in Canada, the principles of Responsible Government. The Conservatives of the school of Sir Allan McNab did not appreciate a system of government which allowed their opponents to really rule, (1) and some of them were even afraid of full self-government, and shrank from an application to Canada of the system of government established in England. (2)

At the same time Canada was suffering from extreme commercial depression. Owing largely to the abolition of the preference granted to colonial corn and grain, which was a necessary consequence of the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, and to the evil effects of the Navigation Laws, which still kept all but British ships out of Canadian ports, the Canadian business community had been nearly ruined. The value of property had fallen 50% in three years, and the Government was forced to pay the public officials, from the Governor-General down, in debentures which were not exchangeable at par.

The judges in the Society's History Essay Competition, 1913, made honorable mention of this article in succession to those awarded prizes.

(1) Toronto Colonist, Oct. 30, 1849

(2) Hamilton Spectator, March 9, 1850.

The result of this political bitterness and the acute, widespread commercial depression was a formidable annexation movement. Many people believed quite conscientiously that the only way out of the political and economic difficulties of the time was through annexation to the United States. Lord Elgin declared in a letter to the Colonial Secretary (1) that "the conviction that they would be better off, if annexed, is almost universal among the commercial classes at present.' The movement had its headquarters and greatest strength in Montreal, whence were issued the three famous Montreal Annexation Manifestoes. (2) A determined effort was made by the Montreal Annexation Association to spread the agitation in other parts of the country. They met with little encouragement among the French. The Parti Rouge, led by L. J. Papineau, but small in number and weak in influence, espoused the cause of annexation enthusiastically; but the great bulk of the French Canadians, under the influence of the Church and their political leaders, refused to have anything to do with it. In the Eastern Townships, the Annexationists met with considerable success, and in March, 1850, helped to elect Mr. Sanborn, an avowed Annexationist, in Sherbrooke.

In Upper Canada the annexation movement made only slight headway. A Toronto Manifesto was, indeed, prepared, and a new journal, "The Independent," was issued at Toronto for a few months to advocate independence as a first step towards annexation, but Tories and Reformers united, as a rule, in declaring against any separation from the Mother Country. The Upper Canadian Tories were quite as dissatisfied politically, as were their Lower Canadian associates, but they had already laid the foundations of the modern Conservative party in the platform of "Protection, Retrenchment and a Union of the British American Provinces," which had been adopted by the Convention of the British American League meeting at Kingston in July, 1849. They believed that these policies would rehabilitate the party in public estimation, free the English provinces from the danger of French domination, and check the cry for annexation. (3)

The condition of the Reform party in Upper Canada was peculiar. Between 1843 and 1848, while making the last fight for the establishment of Responsible Government, it had showed a united front under the able leadership of Mr. Robert Baldwin. But, when the victory had been won, and the new system was in operation, a natural cleavage developed in the Reform ranks. Baldwin and Lafontaine felt that, with the establish(1) Letters and Journals of Lord Elgin, p 60.

(2) Issued October and December 1849, and February 1850.

(3) For a full aecount of the Annexation Movement and the various measures taken to combat it see Allin and Jones, Annexation, Preferential Trade and Reciprocity.