continent, and that the star-spangled banner is to be waved over
them in pity. The star-spangled banner is in fact a fine flag, and
has waved to some purpose; but those who live near it, and not
under it, fancy that they hear too much of it. At the present
moment the loyalty of both the Canadas to Great Britain is beyond
all question. From all that I can hear, I doubt whether this
feeling in the provinces was ever so strong, and under such
circumstances American abuse of England and American braggadocio is
more than usually distasteful. All this abuse and all this
braggadocio come to Canada from the Northern States, and therefore
the Southern cause is at the present moment the more popular with
them.

I have said that the Canadians hereabouts are somewhat slow. As we
were driving back to Sherbrooke it became necessary that we should
rest for an hour or so in the middle of the day, and for this
purpose we stopped at a village inn. It was a large house, in
which there appeared to be three public sitting-rooms of ample
size, one of which was occupied as the bar. In this there were
congregated some six or seven men, seated in arm-chairs round a
stove, and among these I placed myself. No one spoke a word either
to me or to any one else. No one smoked, and no one read, nor did
they even whittle sticks. I asked a question, first of one and
then of another, and was answered with monosyllables. So I gave up
any hope in that direction, and sat staring at the big stove in the
middle of the room, as the others did. Presently another stranger
entered, having arrived in a wagon, as I had done. He entered the
room and sat down, addressing no one, and addressed by no one.
After awhile, however, he spoke. "Will there be any chance of
dinner here?" he said. "I guess there'll be dinner by-and-by,"