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Personal Recollections and Reminiscences of a Sexagenarian

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Personal Recollections and Reminiscences of a Sexagenarian /.o ^>?,^^ <' C^x -^ I- ^ 4 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 V 1131 !!llli6 20 I.I 1.25 1.4 1.6 % <r <^ /i ^•m w/ '^1 \\ c^. >^ ^ <r] '^' iS^ 6^ '^ V <?;a t^ ^i- ^€^ r^ Photograpliic "^ 23 WEST MA N STREET WEBSTER, NY. MSSO Sciences (716) 872-4503 Corporation <-^ c^s i W^, Cp- W.r CIHM/ICMH CIHM/ICMH (/x Microfiche Collection de Series. microfiches. Canadian de microreproductions historiques Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut \\ Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire original copy available for filming. Features of this qu'il lui a ete possible de se procurer. 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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. rata 3 1 elure, J 32X : / LIFE IN CANADA FIFTY YEARS AGO: REMINISCENCES OF I PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS AND A SEXAGENARIAN. BY CANNIFF HAIGHT " be a boy ? ' more who would not Ah, happy years ! Once Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. ) IKoronti? ROSE & CO. J I'Ulil.ISHEU BY HUNTER, Rftl?£ 30^9 3^-ar<?-sa. Entered according to the Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year me thousand eight hundred and eighty-five, liy Cannifi" Hakuit, in ttie office of the Minister of Agriculture. V7J^^ TO THE YOUNCI MEN OF CANADA, UPON WHOSE INTEORITY AND HNKItCV (»!' OKA l!A< TK!l THE FUTUllE OK THIS CUEAT HERITAOE OF OURS IlKSTs, TUTS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED r.Y T UK AUTllOTv. X ^ m PREFACE. «••»- "TTTHEN a man poses before the world— even the ' ' Canadian world—in the role of an author, he is expected to step up to the footlights, and explain his purpose in presenting himself before the public in that capacity. The thoughts of the world are sown broadcast, very niuch as the seed falls from the sweep of the husband- man's hand. It drops here and there, in good ground and in stony places. Its future depends upon its vi- tality. Many a fair seed has fallen on rich soil, and yet never reached maturity. Many another has shot up luxuriantly, but in a short time has been choked by brambles. Other seeds have been cast out with the chaff upon the dung heap, and after various mu- tations, have come in contact with a clod of earth, through which they have sent their roots, and have finally grown into thrifty plants. A thought thrown out on the world, if it possesses vital force, never dies. How much is remembered of the work of our greatest men ? Only a sentence here and there ; and many a u n VI PREFACE. man vvliosu ii.inic will i^o down lliroiiL^li all the ai^'cs, owes it L(j llic Until or the vital force of the tliouglit onil)e(ltlc(l ill a few hricf lines. I lia\e ver\ little to sav respectini'' the volume here- witli presented to the puhJie. The j)! iiici[)al contents a2)peare<l a short time ago iji the C't uadian MonihJ and the Cainulian. Mctliotlid iMajiiitne. They were 11 written at a tiniewlien my way seemed liedged around with insurmount:d»le dilliculties, and when almost any- thing that could all'i/i'd me a temporary respite from the mental anxieties that weighed me down, not only dur- ing the day, hut into the loni-' hours of the night, would ha\e l»een welcomed. Like most unfortvuiates, I met >9 Mr. Worldly Wiseman I'rom da} to day. 1 always found him ready to point out the way I should go and what I sliould do, but 1 have no recollection that ho ever got the breadth of a hair beyond that. One even- ing 1 took up my pen and began jotting doNvn a few 1 memories of my boyhood. 1 think we are all fond of taking retrospective glances, and more particularly when life's pathway trends tow^ards the end. The re- lief I found while thus engaged was very soothing, and for the time I got altogether away from the present, lA and lived over again many a joyous hour. After a IMIKI'ACI:. Vll Lime J IkuI ciccuiiiulatud a ijood deal ut' lualU'r, >su(*li as it was, Imt tli(3 tiioiii^lit of puMic-atioii Ikk.I not tlicu cniorod my mind. (Jiie day, wliilc in conversation witli Dr. Witlu'ow, I mentioned what I liad done, and lie expressed a desiiv to see what I iiad written. The papers were sent h'wn, and in a slioit time lie returned them with a note expressing the pleasure the perusal ot' them had altbnled him, and advising me to submit them to the Canadiaib Moiitldij tor publication. Some- time ai'tervvards T followed his a-lvice. The portion of the [lapers that a])peared in the last-named periodical were favourably received, and i was much gratilied not only by that, but from private letters aftei'wards received from diiferent [):irts of the Dominion, conve\^- ing cx[)ressions of commendation which 1 had certain- ly never anticipated.
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