The dinner things had been cleared away when a visitor came out of the woods.  He had a red, flabby face, framed in a thick whisker turning grey.  The chief feature of his dress was a long surtout, that had been part of a gentleman’s dress-suit in its day and a shabby tile hat.  Addressing the master with deliberate ceremony, he told how he had heard of new-comers and felt it his duty to welcome them and tender his services.  He had been four years in Canada and his experience would be of high value in directing them what to do.  Growing voluble he pointed out what he considered were the mistakes we had already made, ending with a plump proposal that, for his board and a certain money consideration, he would take the direction of the settlement and guarantee its immediate prosperity.  He paused and asked for a drink.  Mrs Auld handed him a dipper.  Smelling it, he said experience had taught him the prudence of never drinking lake water without its being qualified by a few spoonfuls of whisky.  ‘If you will be so kind,’ he said to Mrs Auld, ’as to bring your greybeard, I shall have pleasure in giving a toast to your new settlement.’  ’Whisky! cried Mrs Auld, ’there’s no a drop to be found here.’  Turning to the master he said, ’This will never do; you will need bees to raise the shanties, to chop, and to fallow, and not a man will come unless there is whisky and plenty to eat.  A keg of Toronto’s best will be to you a paying investment.’  The master, who had remained silent, carefully measuring the stranger, now spoke.  ’I thank you for your advice, as to your help we do not need it, for, as you see, we are strong in ourselves.’  The Englishman, for such he was, grew angry.  ’You unmannerly Scot, you will have cause to regret scorning my services.  I never had such a reception, for in the poorest shanty they greet you with a cup of welcome.’  So saying he disappeared.  In telling Jabez of him next day, he said the master had done well to come out squarely.  Bees had grown to be a nuisance and a loss.  When they heard of one, drinkers would travel ten miles to attend and others came just for the sport of the day.  The settler would run in debt to lay in a stock of food and whisky.  Out of the crowd that would come several would not do a hand’s turn, but drink and eat; part would work during the forenoon and then, after dinner, join in the talk and drinking; while the remainder would put in a faithful day’s labor.  It often happened that bees ended in quarrels, sometimes in fights.  A settler, Jabez said, would do better to use the cost of drink and food in hiring labor.

In the afternoon the women began writing letters to Scotland, using the tops of chests to rest the paper on.  The sheets were crossed and recrossed, for postage was high, fifty cents the half ounce.  Allan and I walked into the bush to see what it was like.  The trees were all large and well set apart with little underbrush.  Fallen trees and decaying logs abounded.  Whether it was jumping or going