Prospective
lifelong friendships, male and female in every form of
"the Collegiate," had been put to this touchstone,
sometimes with shattering effect. If you would not serve
with Wallingham the greatness of Britain you were held
to favour going over to the United States; there was no
middle course. It became a personal matter in the ward
schools and small boys pursued small boys with hateful
cries of "Annexationist!" The subject even trickled about
the apple-barrels and potato-bags of the market square.
Here it should have raged, pregnant as it was with bucolic
blessing; but our agricultural friends expect nothing
readily except adverse weather, least of all a measure
of economic benefit to themselves. Those of Fox County
thought it looked very well, but it was pretty sure to
work out some other way. Elmore Crow failed heavily to
catch a light even from Lorne Murchison.
"You keep your hair on, Lorne," he advised. "We ain't
going to get such big changes yet. An' if we do the
blooming syndicates 'll spoil 'em for us."
There were even dissentients among the farmers. The voice
of one was raised who had lived laborious years, and many
of them in the hope of seeing his butter and cheese go
unimpeded across the American line. It must be said,
however, that still less attention was paid to him, and
it was generally conceded that he would die without the
sight.
Pages:
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242