cheaper here, though the boot-maker himself said they were not so
good; still they look to me to have a great deal of hard wear in them,
and there is a wonderful difference in the price. I don't think Henry
could have done without another pair, as they are by a long way the
safest and best things to wear in the winter. (Sunday morning.) I
have'nt been to church this morning, because it's three-and-a-half or
four miles away, and the roads (owing to heavy rains yesterday and
last night) are a mass of mud, and I have nothing but thin shoes. You
see I came down from Montreal expecting to be back again on Saturday
morning, and I can't get back now before Tuesday morning. I saw Hardy
last night, and slept at his farm with Henry. I think on the whole he
is well placed, for placed he certainly is. I made up my mind long ago
to close with the first chance that offered for him unless there was
some good moral or political reason against doing so. I can't see the
shadow of such a reason in this case. Hardy is a middle-aged,
intelligent-looking man, fairly cultured and educated, free and easy
in his manners, as everyone is here. From what I hear, I should say he
was inclined to be a little quick tempered, not a lot, not what you
would call a hot-tempered man by any means. I think it would take a
great deal to make him angry, but when he did become so, it would be a
flare up and out again like a bunch of tow. He seems a genial sort of
chap too, as he always says the best he can of everybody, and is
always ready for a laugh. He has the reputation of being fair and
upright in his dealings. When I talked to him about wages he said he
certainly could'nt give Henry anything to start with during the time
that is left for outside work before the winter; he would require too
much explanation, and be too raw at his work to be of any value beyond
his keep, and during the cold weather there was practically nothing to
do but cut wood and attend the cattle. I find that even a skilled hand
can seldom get more than $10 a month with his keep at winter work