A farmer's life has forever had its ups and downs, especially in the sometimes harsh climates of the unpredictable Canadian lands. Sinclair Ross outlines two situations of new hope verses the maintenance of hope in his short stories about Canadian farmers. The first misfortune is demonstrated in "The Lamp at Noon," with a farmer named Paul and his family. Storms swept through his land for years creating hardship and depression, until finally taking a turn for the better by slowly diminishing as Paul had hoped. In the second short story, "A Field of Wheat," John, although not living, had been a diligent farmer who managed to pass his enthusiasm onto his family. The family then experienced plentiful crops and were rewarded by generous market prices. Everything had always gone well until a hail storm set in, destroying everything in a matter...