, 1886-06-29
MEETING STREAMS.
"A gentleman to see you. sir

one at the moment my hhi "oN s"'
announcement for l was trying hard to
finish a short story l had engaged to write
Inv n certain date for a well-known maya
zine. For some days past my clerical du-
ties had been unusually heavy and time
was precious. Besides, / was in the midst
of an animated conversation between the
two chief characters in my tale, ana TINS
interruption sadly disturbed its course.
Still my work could wait for a few min
utes If it was necessary.
"Who is it, MARTHA
"a stranger, sir"
"Show him in,r and with a sigh my Ms.
is laid aside.
The person who entered my study was
a young fellow of some two and twenty;
tall, rather handsome, and with n smile
that took me at once. ! shook hands with
him and offered him a chair.
MY name is Davies" he said. "You are
not likely to kno anything about me, as
l came here yesterday. l need some help,
and | nave come to ask you for it."
Mr.. Davies spoke shyly, and, in
deed it was easy TO see that he was not an
ordinary beggar. l could not tell that 1t
was money he wanted, but my experience
led me to suppose 1t was. No one knew
better than | how often men like him had
gone to wreck and ruin for lack OF some
timely assistance in this vast northwest.
and II | could be of use to him 1t was my
plain duty to be so.
Al do not know If | have any claim upon
you" he continued, but / was looking
through the directory in n store this morn
ing, wondering if could chance On the
name of a friend, when l noticed yours,
sir-Mr. Stephenson. Some near relations
of mine in the old country are called Stew
enson-S-t-e-v-e-n-s-o-n," he spelt the word
and then went on with a wistful air:
"Your name is not spelt quite in the
same way" he observed, "but directories
are not always correct, and the name Is
not a common one. Perhaps you are n
connection of these friends Of mine; they
live at Pocklington in Surrey"
No; | had not even heard OF the Steven
sons OF Pocklington; but l had watched
Mr.. Davies attentively while he made S,s
statement, and CONN AZ the FED for the
tI>tit had no beePather the air of some
<.niilslon' 1t ma, but the mans manner
made me believe tina he was sincere.
Would he say in what way l might be of
use to him' His hopes had evidently been
a good deal dashed, for he continued in a
slower and graver tone;
"Two years ago l came from England to
Canada. was at Rugby, sir; n my
father is IA clergyman. When i left
school | was articled to a solicitor, but /
did not tnke kindly to desk work. l soon
knew | was not cut out for that sort OF
thing. However, l did not think of any
thin else until n cousin of mine, who had
settled near T~oronto-his farm is a few
miles north of the city-wrote me to come
out to him. / jumped at the oaer. l
didn't know anything about farming
which would be against me, but could
learn. In any case was sure l should
like its free, open-air life a long way
better h the atmosphere of a stuffy
Office
l nodded approval. If Mr.. Davies had
set about to win my entire sympathy no
could not nave hit upon a better plan to
gain IT, l had often pointed out that we
Canadians are for the most part ar agri-
cultural people, and had deplored that SO
many Of our young men were not content
TO stay on their fathers farms, but went
to the city. | had preached to many n lad,
better be n farmer any day than IA clerk.
OF course, II that will to Cupar maun to
Cupar,' as the wise Scotch proverb says,
but, in most cases the exchange from the
country to the town is not n beneficial one.
well" continued Mr.. Davies, " / stayed
with my cousin until a few days ago. Last
month | received n letter from an old
schoolmate called Thompson, who is
ranching beyond Calgary, asking me to go
out to join him. les rather IA wild life
but l thought | would like it,, so | left
Toronto and reached Winnipeg yesterday.
i find l have not quite enough money To
take me to Calgary, where Jim Thomp-
son is to meet me. / have 1913 and some
cents, but | need a few dollars more. VIII
You kindly lend me n small sum-"
allow much do you requirei' | asked.
"The fare is about $40" he said sugges
lively.
suppose | lend you $40. will that dor"
"Yes, sir. I'll send you the money back
as soon ms | see Jim Thompson. lie told
me before | started that he would pay my
passage out to him II necessary, IL l
thought | had enough. OF course, | might
stay in town and wait till hear from him,
but it would be n waste of time"
agreed with him. Then | wrote out a
check for $40 in favor of Edward Davies
and handed it to him. He thanked me and
withdrew. / went back to my MS, and
succeeded in picking up the thread OF my
story.
A few weeks later the loan was repaid
me. BY one of those curious condolences
which sometimes happen, the same mail
which brought me the money and CRATE
full letter in which Mr.. Davies ac-
k~nowledgcd my opportune assist
ance to him also brought me u
cheque for n much larger amount than |
had expected from the publishers of the
magazine for which my story had ap-
peared.
Time went by, and soon Mr.. Davies and
the episode in which he had figured com
pletely passed out of my mind.
The evening Of the same day that Mr..
Davies had called upon me, | was present
ht a bright and delightful party given by
my friends, the Dalstons. They had been
induced to come to Winnipeg from Ham
ilton during the amous "boom," OF which
many In the eastern provinces have n
sufficiently lively recollection. They had
been in time TO share in the phenomenal
and unnatural prosperity OF the period OF
imitation, but when the terrible reaction
set in, and prices went down and down
every day, they had suffered severely.
However they were CHEEKY, wholesome
minded pepole, who faced. their trouble
bravely. At the time of which | write
Two or three years ago the full extent OF
the collapse was not understood. Mr..
Dalston was telling me how confident he
was that n good harvest would cause trade
to revive, and that the the country would
speedily recover was expressing a SINH.
lar conviction, though l could not pin my
faith To the results OF one season, when my
attention was taken by n remarkable face.
which | did not remember ever having
seen before in the society OF the city.
The face itself was perfectly familiar to
me, indeed, ii must be known to a great
many others, as art has made 1t live al