so. That does'nt mean that I _hope_ I shall be settled soon. More
than that. I am beginning to arrive at more definite results as to
my enquiries, etc. Then as to our being sick or in sorrow, you may
also make yourself as comfortable as circumstances will permit;
neither of us, I think, were ever in better health or more in
earnest in the business of life. And concerning the "blues" or
"sorrow" contingency, why I never whistled so long or so loud
before. That's because there are not so many people to talk to, and
none that object to music. There's no girls either to talk to. We
don't know a single one in the country. Hard luck, isn't it? Now,
about the weather--cheerful subject (it's raining like mad). So far
it has displayed just as much inconstancy as is usually met with in
England. The first night we spent here was cold, the next day was
hot, and the next day hotter still, and then it remained so for
about a fortnight. Now it has cooled down again, and is pretty
changeable. It seems to me so far the main difference between this
climate and the English one is the difference between the mean
temperatures of summer and winter. In Devonshire I should say the
average mean difference between summer and winter is about 40°, and
in Sherbrooke it's probably more like 100°. In both countries sudden
changes and rises or falls are common. In this country it will fall
from, in summer, say from 90° to 60°, and in England it will fall
from 70° to 40°. It therefore stands to reason that this climate
must be the most healthy, if people do not mind the heat, for
anybody, no matter how thinly clothed, can always, with a little
exercise, keep themselves healthily warm with the thermometer at
60°, but it is by no means always easy to prevent getting cold when
it falls suddenly as low as 40°. In winter, I am told, it will
frequently fall from 0° to 40° below; but then the winter here is
such a recognised institution that everyone is prepared for such