Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-09-10
LOVE AND PERIL.
By THE MARQUIS OF LORNE.
Copyright, 1861
CHAPTER l.

GdAPIER l.
There is an amount of egotistic van
ity about us that makes US fond of recall.
ing our exploits and acts, however silly
these may have been. do not believe
that anybody looks back with the horror
that novelists imagine men must feel
even upon such deed as the Staying of
a man. On base murder they may look
lack with horror, but even then the re-
vengeful feeling which prompted the at
tempt lives ON in the breast Of the slay-
er, and he is apt to think Of his work
with some of the qualification of satis-
fed anger rather than with remorse. So,
at least. it has seemed to me, judging
from instances that have come under my
observation both among savages and
civilized men.
Unless something we have done
brings to us misery Of some kind, either
poverty or danger or difficulty, we dc
not regret our actions. When we suffer
from them, then. indeed, do we say,
why the deuce was l fool enough to
do it?'' But in this bad world bad works
are not always followed by suffering,
and it becomes a daily wonder to those
who believe in the prompt return Of a
sowing Of wickedness in harvest Of
destruction how the cause of wrong is
so often apparently triumphant.
But am moralizing too much, and
the observations l have made are only
due to this--that I once was held by my
friends to have behaved in very silly
manner, and yet did not at all regret
it. On the contrary, look back with
interest, amusement and even joy to
the days when 1 was acting rather the
part Of wild man Of the woods than
the part taken in real life by your hum
BILE servant John Uptas. ESQ.,, of To-
ronto, now barrister at law and doing
fairly well in my profession as the
times go. l have not yet got silk
gown, but the prospect of such gar
ment is not far, and Osgoode hall, the
great building where we plead in the
provincial courts, sees many more for
lorn countenance than mine and many
figure far more bent pacing the corri-
dors and passing the handsome Italian
doorways of its solid architecture.
Gowns and law used not to be to my
taste. I was always of an active spirit,
and stories read in boyhood of adven-
lures in the far west made me think
that the life Of q Hudson bay trapper
gave q career far finer than that Of most
generals. What was the knocking over
a few battalions at distance with
heavy artillery compared with the glory
of taking single handed the life Of a
grizzly bearf These impressions contin-
ued to exercise their sway on my mind
and could not stand college. l loved
Professor Wilson and admired the tai
ents Of several of the gentlemen who
adorn the chairs Of the university; but
fled with friend from their seduc-
tions, and resolved, come what might,
that few years among the hunters and
trappers should harden my body and, as
! thought also. improve my mind.
Several of us students fell to talking
about such aspirations one evening at
supper. / felt tolerably independent
having few dollars invested in good
funds, my heritage from frugal father,
and ! magnanimously offered to pay the
way for the chum I had asked to accom-
pany me. We both resolved to throw
learning to the winds and to start as
soon as might be--where goodness only
knew. Not to the United States; we
were patriotic and we knew that our
own north land afforded opportunity
enough for adventure. Westward, of
course-westward the course of empire
takes its way. We drank good many
times to the success Of our journey, but
morning brought neither hot coppers
nor repentance.
In less than fortnight g time we had
made what little preparations we need
ed and we were off by the Grand Trunk
railway to Detroit and Chicago. AT
that time our great national enterprise,
the Canadian Pacific railway, was in
the air, or at most hidden away in the
brains of some enthusiastic gentlemen
who were looked upon as having more
imagination than ballast in their COM
position. But Chicago was, of course,
already fact. Thither we proceeded,
but staid only short while among its
straight and multitudinous streets. The
weather was fine. 1t was summer. We
passed on to places in the headwaters Of
the Red River of the North, as it was
then called, and loving river life we
took to the steamers, and then to boats,
and ultimately arrived at Fort Garry,
the modern Winnipeg.
From there I remember writing tC
our dear Professor Wilson at the uni
versity letter which was sort o.
payment of what the English call ''con
science money" when they send to theil
finance minister the arrears on theii
terrible income tax. Thus my letter wal
kind of acknowledgment Of the debt
owed to our alma mater and the bes
beloved man there.
had been struck by the accounts O
the great freshets that took place ant
still take place in the Red river during
the springtime Of old these flood
caught very many Of the buffalo herd
that grazed in the wide and rich pas
lures on the banks Of the great stream
The buffaloes Were swept awav in hnn
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