C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

In and Out 43meet one ordinary person, nor experience one dull moment; all the time wewere onlookers at an exciting drama. There would be an anecdote or story thatleft us breathless and wondering; a halt at some settlement or woodpile and a visitashore; an unknown flower; a new bend of the river; mile after mile of enclosingforest walls; a strange bird, some duck upon the water or woodpecker among thetrees; or a bell would summon us to a meal and, sitting opposite the judge, wewould listen to the table-talk with renewed astonishment. We heard much aboutthat perennial problem of the North, mixed marriages: a practice deplored bythe average white man who will go so far as to refuse to sit down at meals with theEskimo or Indian wife of a friend.One day, on landing at a settlement, we were introduced to Mr X, a fineupstanding Englishman with an aristocratic air. We stood on the mud banktalking with him about the Old Country, when suddenly there emerged from hiscabin a shapeless squaw with an infant in a bundle on her back. He introducedher as Mrs X, and surprise cut short our flow of conversation as we shook handswith the squaw. Then we both began to talk again, in a hurry, yet trying not tobetray our haste.Many stories, in this country, are passed around like newspapers, but, unlikenewspapers, they grow longer and better every time they come into new hands.One day the judge told us a tale of a mixed marriage, talking with inimitableFrench vivacity, flicking his eyebrows and pointing his forefinger for emphasis.After a certain mixed marriage, a formal agreement was drawn up between thetwo parties. Half the children were to be Roman Catholics and half Church ofEngland; '2.7 children were born. Priest and clergyman ran a yearly race to getdown the river first, after the melting of the ice, to assert their rights by baptism.At that time the country had no communications with the world betweenOctober and June. The bishop nearly always won the race and had acquired amajority of the little half-breeds. The births were an annual event. At last theclergyman consulted an inspector of police who advised him to get in eachsummer on the first steamer, taking a fire-hose, and to baptise the new infantfrom the deck while the bishop was stepping ashore.Drink is another perennial problem in this country. Many a habitualdrunkard has gone north in the hope of escaping from himself and his weakness,only to discover that in many settlements the sign "Prescription Drug Store"above a chemist's shop means "Drink sold here" and that there are doctors whocan and will give a permit to buy liquor.