Sherbrooke, Monday.--Many thanks for your letter, which I have just
received; I also got one from Frank, and one from mother this
morning when I arrived here. I have just settled Henry's business,
and left him to his own resources at the farm. His address is, c/o
W. Hardy, Eton Corner, P.Q. Your letter and those from home were
almost the first reminders I had about my birthday. I just
remembered, about an hour before I got them that it was past and
over. You see I, in a manner, anticipated your wishes about letting
you know what I think of the country, though, on reading it over, I
don't really know whether I have talked a lot of rubbish or not. I
have given you a lot of semi-political cant, when what you want to
know is simply, how easy is it to make coin out here. Well, I think
the answer to that is pretty easy. If a man is not ambitious, and
would be content to be a common or garden farmer for the greater
part of his life, and have, say a $1000 a year to settle down on
when he gets old, why let him ask some to give him some land and
begin. Everyone says it's the jolliest life going, but then
"everyone" is a farmer, so their opinion is no more than consistent.
That is just about the state of the case at present. If a man is
ordinarily careful in the choice of his land and the situation
thereof, he has the best possible chance of making a comfortable
living, and if he has got an agricultural soul his life will
probably be a happy one. Concerning the preparatory training
necessary before buying a farm, I should say there was some bosh
written on the subject. Mind, I am only talking, I'm not giving
deeply-studied opinions, or anything of that sort. I know too
precious little about it. I've seen it stated constantly in books
and newspapers, that "_anybody_" can easily get ten dollars a month,
and their keep to begin upon. I say emphatically anybody can't.