and the brutes in the great army of the fallen, owing to a miserable, weak, and disappointing body. Of course he should have learned, early in life, its deficiencies, should have guarded it, withheld it and himself from exertions which to his neighbor are naught; but he does not always learn this lesson. The human creature who goes through his allotted course with vigorous health and a physical presence fine enough to command the unconscious respect of all with whom he comes in contact has no conception of the humiliations and discouragements, the struggles and failures, which beset the path of his weak-bodied and physically insignificant brother. Heathcote, indolent as he was, had a superb constitution, for which and of which, ungratefully, he had never thought long enough to be thankful. But why was he following Anne? She had told him of her engagement. Even if he could have broken that engagement, did he wish to break it? He said to himself that it was because his chivalry, as a man, had been stirred by the maid's story of Miss Vanhorn's harsh wordswords which he had at once construed as an allusion to himself. Was he not partially, perhaps wholly, responsible for her banishment? But, even if this were true, could he not have acted through Helen, who was by far the most fitting agent? Instead of this, here he was following her himself! Why? Simply because of one look he had had deep down into violet eyes. He had not expected to find her so soon. In truth, he was following in rather a purposeless fashion, leaving much to chance, and making no plans. They had gone to Valley City; he would go to Valley City. Perhaps he should meet her in the street there; or perhaps he should leave a letter; perhaps he should do neither, but merely turn around, his impulse satisfied, and go home again. There was no need to decide now. He was on the way; that was enough. And more than enough. Then suddenly he saw her. She was sitting next the aisle. He put out his hand; she gave hers, and mechanically mentioned his name to mademoiselle, who, helmeted in her travelling bonnet surmounted by a green veil, presented a martial front to all beholders. There was no vacant place near; he remained standing. “How fortunate that I have met you!” he said, with conventional cordiality. "The day promised to be intolerably long and dull." Mademoiselle, who at a glance had taken in his appearance from head to foot as only a Frenchwoman can, inquired if he was going far, in a voice so harmonious, compared with the bonnet, that it was an agreeable surprise. "To Valley City," replied Heathcote. "We also are going to Valley City," said Jeanne-Armande, graciously. "It is a pity there happens to be no vacant place near for monsieur. If some of these good people-" Here she turned the helmet toward her neighbors behind. "Pray do not give yourself any trouble," said Heathcote. "I was on my way to the last car, hoping to find more air and space. If I am so fortunate as to find there two vacant seats, may I not return for you? It will be a charity to my loneliness." “And a pleasure, monsieur, to ourselves," said mademoiselle. He bowed his thanks, and glanced again at Anne. She had not spoken, and had not looked at him since her first startled glance. But Jeanne-Armande was gracious for two; she was charmed to have a monsieur of such distinguished appearance standing in the aisle by their side, and she inwardly wished that she had worn her second instead of her third best gloves and veil. "Mrs. Lorrington misses you sadly," said Heathcote to the silent averted face, more for the sake of saying something than with any special meaning. A slight quiver in the downcast eyelids, but no answer. "She hopes that you will soon send her your address." "It is uncertain as yet where I shall be," murmured Anne. "I thought you were to be at Valley City ?" As soon as he turned away, Anne said: | "Please do not tell him that ours are excursion tickets, mademoiselle. Let him think that our destination is really Valley City." 66 'Certainly, if you wish it," replied Jeanne-Armande, who had a sympathy with all mysteries; this little speech of Anne's gave a new spice to the day. "He is one of the circle around your grandaunt, probably?" "Yes; I met him at Caryl's." "A most distinguished personage; entirely as it should be. And did I not then gravely, but with just the scintillation of a smile in his brown eyes, he took his own place, not beside Anne, but beside the delighted Frenchwoman, who could scarcely believe her good fortune to be real until she found him actually assisting her in the disposal of basket, shawl, bag, India-rubber shoes, and precious although baggy umbrella. N WHEAT FIELDS OF THE NORTHWEST.. overhear the name of the charming Mo the summer of 1879 a number of ag Lorrington also?" "He is a friend of Helen's. I think, I am not sure, but still I think that they are engaged," said Anne, bravely. ricultural meetings were held in different parts of England to consider the influence of American competition on the price of wheat-a subject which the farmers and land-owners were then learning to regard as one destined to receive more anxious consideration from them than any other of a political nature. At one of these meetings Lord Beaconsfield, in the course of an address, is reported to have said that supremacy as a grain-growing country would soon be attained by Canada, and that with this expectation thousands of persons from the States were hast "And most appropriate. I do not know when I have been more comforted than by the culture and manner of that elegant friend of yours who sought you out at my little residence; I hope it may be my fortunate privilege to entertain her there again. From these two examples, I am naturally led to think that the circle around your grandaunt is one adjusted to that amiable poise so agreeable to the feel-ening to change their homes to the other ings of a lady." Anne made no reply; the circle around her grandaunt seemed to her a world of dark and menacing terrors, from which she was fleeing with all the speed she could summon. And one of these terrors had followed her. Presently Heathcote returned. He had found two vacant seats, and the car was much better ventilated than this one; there was no dust, and no one was eating either pea-nuts or apples; the floor was clean; the covering of the seats seemed to have been recently renewed. Upon hearing the enumeration of all these advantages, mademoiselle arose immediately, and "monsieur" was extremely attentive in the matter of carrying shawls, packages, and baskets. But when they reached the car, they found that the two seats were not together; one was at the end, the other separated from it by the aisle and four intervening places. "I hoped that you would be kind enough to give me the pleasure of being with you by turns," said Heathcote, gallantly, to mademoiselle, "since it was impossible to find seats together." As he spoke, he placed Jeanne-Armande in one of the seats, and Anne in the other; and side of the boundary line. This statement, brought into general notice on this side of the Atlantic at the time by the eminent position of the speaker, was held plainly to lack trustworthiness; and our press, having simply compared the quantities of wheat raised in the year preceding by the two countries assumed to be rivals, and having proved that the movement of immigration between Canada and the United States was in favor of the latter, deemed further refutation unnecessary. But the editors of our press, in common with other persons, do not at present appreciate that part of the United States which lies west of Lake Superior, and it may be doubted if it is generally known further than as a country the failure of which to sustain the Northern Pacific Railroad project was the harbinger of the unwelcome financial crisis of 1873, and now more lately as the location of several noted wheat farms conducted on a gigantic scale; whilst hardly so much could be told of the larger and more valuable portion of this land, distinguished throughout its extent by certain peculiarities of soil and climate, which lies north of the boundary line, and forms the new provinces of Canada. However, this country has the elements to support the most prosperous people on the conti- | nent, if it is not destined soon to put the established districts of our grain supply into the same position as they have put the farming lands of England. The Red River of the North rises near the head-waters of the Mississippi, but flowing in the opposite direction to the larger river, forms the boundary between Minnesota and Dakota, and entering the Canadian province of Manitoba, finally discharges itself into Lake Winnipeg. The prairie drained by this river and its tributaries contains, roughly, 40,000,000 acres, and, speaking from our stand-point, is the beginning of the vast section of fertile land which, stretching in a widening belt to the Rocky Mountains, is drained by the Saskatchewan rivers, and further north by the Athabasca and the Peace. This Canadian division contains certainly 150,000,000 acres of land, and may probably be found to include 250,000,000 acres when a thorough survey shall have been made by the Dominion government. The southern limit of this section of fertile land has a latitude as high as that of Montreal, and what may be called its northern limit lies distant one thousand miles. The climate, however, differs essentially from that found in Eastern British America at a corresponding distance from the equator. The isothermal lines, as they approach Hudson Bay from the Pacific Ocean, bend decidedly to the south. The mean temperature of the Peace River Valley varies but little from the mean temperature of the valley of the Red River. Throughout the country wheat may be planted in April, or fully as early as spring wheat is sown in the United States. But as the summer is not warm enough to ripen Indian corn, and the winter, while it lasts, permits no thaw to take place, the climate is a cold one, compared with that over the grain States of the Mississippi Valley; and to this fact, doubtless, the superior quality of the cereals raised here is due. In 1872, railway construction had extended far enough in the Northwest to afford an entrance to this new territory. But the disasters which speedily overtook the two pioneer lines stopped at once all immigration. Three years ago it was resumed. Since that time, it may be safely asserted, in no other part of the United States has it gone forward with so much vigor, and been attended with so much prosperity, as in the Red River Valley. The towns of Fargo and Grand Forks in Dakota, and Winnipeg across the border-the country around them presenting no resources except a prolific soil-exhibit a growth as rapid, and commercial transactions as heavy, as cities which have sprung up in the richest mining districts of the Rocky Mountains. Intense as the character of the immigration has been, it has not yet exercised any disturbing influence on the grain market. The part of the land reclaimed is comparatively trifling. At various points in the valley farms have been laid out, and fields of wheat, some of which are thousands of acres in extent, have been cultivated, but the greater part of the land is still an unbroken prairie, without a trace of settlement. The immigration into the valley of the Red River, and the smaller immigration into the valleys of the Saskatchewan, have been of most importance in proving that this country produces the cereals in a state of perfection which has not manifested itself farther south-a result possibly to have been anticipated from its latitude and soil. In a climate warmer than is needed to bring it to maturity, wheat shows an imperfect development of grain, with a deficiency in weight. It is always more subject to drought, the hot sun acting both to evaporate moisture from the ground and to burn the plant afterward. The same facts are observable in the growth of other cereals. Even grass shows a marked change in value made by latitude. Many of our stockraisers in the Southwest do not sell their cattle in Texas or New Mexico, but drive them from the coarse and poor vegetation there to feed on the sweeter and more nutritious grasses of Montana, the increased price which the cattle bring in their improved condition paying for a drive of fifteen hundred miles. The superior quality of the wheat raised in this new country will be best shown by a comparison made in figures. Duluth and Chicago are selected to furnish a comparison, as the former is the general point of shipment of the northern wheat, and the latter is the place of largest receipts in the grain States further south. To explain the use of the figures below, it may be noted that, for the convenience of trade, on arrival at one of the larger places of receipts, grain is inspected by experts who are public officers, and graded according to its soundness and weight. The difference in market value between the grades Grade No. 1, Hard. AT DULUTII. 11 1 66 is considerable. Take for the purpose | greater strength. The northern wheat the crop of 1880. During the last three is flinty, and contains more gluten; the months of that year there were inspect- southern is soft, and contains more starch. ed at Duluth 1,778,764 bushels of wheat. Until lately, however, the farmer in NorthLeaving out of consideration the fraction ern Minnesota found that his grain, al86,000 bushels, which were of the soft va- though by an analysis of its parts the riety, and, it is assumed, came to this port most valuable, brought the lowest prices from southern counties of Minnesota, the paid in market, because, with the method wheat graded as follows, the amounts be- then used for separating bran from the ing expressed by per cent. : middlings, it made a dark-colored flour. A few years ago the defects were reme87 per cent. died by the millers at Minneapolis, and so successfully that their method of treating wheat has been very generally adopted throughout the country. The result has been that the strong flour made of Red River wheat is quoted at a price of two dollars per barrel over other kinds—a difference which the baker is willing to pay, because from a given number of pounds it makes the greatest number of pounds of bread; and the private consumer is willing to pay, because it furnishes the most nutritive food. The hard Northern wheat, instead of being the lowest, has taken its rightful place as the highest priced on the list of grain. Grade No. 3 1 46 During the same months there were inspected at Chicago 1,571,262 bushels of winter wheat, and 7,988,816 bushels of spring wheat, which graded as below: Winter Wheat. AT CHICAGO. Spring Wheat. Grade No. 2..53 66 66 Grade No. 2..66 66 แ The land is also more prolific. The experience of the wheat-raisers in Manitoba has now been of sufficient length to make understood some of the natural advantages extended to this country for returning large and certain crops. Situated in a high latitude, there is afforded to vegetation a .1.13 greater number of hours of sun each day during the entire season of growth. The winter cold, continuous and with light falls of snow, freezes the ground to an extraordinary depth. Under the disintegrating power of frost, the lower soil is broken up each season for the sustenance of plants as thoroughly as if done by the best artificial means. This is not the only service performed by the frost; later, throughout the period of growth, it keeps within reach of the roots a moisture which renders drought impossible. But most noteworthy is the soil itself-an alluvial black loam, with an average depth of twenty inches, resting on a subsoil of clay. It is very heavy, when wet having No. 2, No. 3, No. 3, Rejected ..1.00 Rejected The southern grown wheat may have in the future, it is probable, a still lower relative value. It alone has been used for export to foreign countries, whose mills were not adapted for grinding with the best results the hard Manitoba wheat, even if the production of the latter were large enough to bring its merits into notice. Now, however, that the improved methods of milling employed at Minneapolis are being introduced into England, with an increased supply of hard wheat, there will doubtless come the same preference as exists in this country for a grain hav-a tar-like consistency, and rich in the eleing its special properties. These improvements in milling have had a most important bearing on the value of all the varieties of hard wheat. The secret of the higher price which the Duluth wheat commands over the best grades from other localities is the fact that it makes a flour of ments which are believed to nourish vegetation. Dropped into this soil, with the other favoring circumstances, seed springs up and grows with an extraordinary vigor, and gives a sound and abundant crop. The average yield of wheat per acre in the Red River Valley, north of Fargo, where the soil becomes heavier and more char- | kets which have been opened to us by acteristic, is twenty-three bushels. In an efficient system of transportation, and Manitoba and the Saskatchewan region found very profitable. Apart from any the average is greater, and amounts to question of loss or gain to the trade of the twenty-eight bushels. These facts be- United States, the subject itself presents come more striking when compared with many features to excite an interest. The results in the district of the wheat supply scheme of the roads for traffic at present at present. In Illinois the average for is so little complicated as to be readily unwheat to the acre is seventeen bushels; derstood. The projects now under way in Iowa, ten; in Wisconsin, less than ten; are to cost vast sums of money. Their in Kansas, ten; while in Texas it is eight completion will present much that is novand one-half bushels. Nor does the land el in the systems of the continent. On seem to deteriorate under a course of crop- the American side, the Northern Pacific ping, as does the lighter soil of States in Railway, at the end of 1880, had built west the south. In the early part of the cen- of the Rocky Mountains a section of 150 tury, Lord Selkirk, fascinated by the re- miles, beginning at a point 260 miles from sources which he beheld in the Lake Win- the terminus on Puget Sound, and extendnipeg region, formed the idea of developing eastward. During the year they had ing them with colonists from his country. Shut off from any market for their grain, and located in a spot at that time practically inaccessible, the Highlanders who came over in accordance with the ill-considered plan of Lord Selkirk were subjected to a great deal of hardship. But many families staid. The town of Kildonan, near the mouth of the Red River, started by these colonists, has been occupied by them and their descendants ever since. By their farming the powers of the soil have been pretty thoroughly tested. In this settlement there are fields which have been sown to wheat every season for the last thirty-five years without the application of any fertilizers, and which in 1879 yielded an average of over thirty bushels to the acre. A soil which raises one grain in such perfection is, of course, suitable for other purposes. Stimulated by the presence of buyers for the mills making the high-priced flour, who offer immediate payment for all their crop, the farmers have so far devoted all their energy to increasing their acreage of wheat. But the other cereals-oats, rye, and barley- -sown to supply local needs, show a like abundant yield, and when brought to outside markets these products of northern soil will be found entitled to the high estimation accorded to the present staple. Of equal importance with the natural resources here is the means of getting the products to market. In the United States the importance of this question will be fully appreciated, and it becomes a matter deserving attention when directly at our doors a large body of land of unusual fertility is being invited to compete in mar pushed westward the main road from Duluth to the Yellowstone River in Montana. By the collapse in 1873 the company were left with a very poor credit, and to continue their work they have been obliged to rely mainly on the earnings of the completed part and the proceeds of the sale of the land grant. The progress made since that time toward completing the transcontinental line illustrates the rapid way in which this country has of late been developing. The construction last year was 360 miles of new road. Recently measures to secure money for continuing the work as fast as it may be required have been successfully taken, and it is believed that the line from Lake Superior to the Pacific Ocean will be finished in 1883. As a terminus, the port of Duluth has hitherto been sufficient during the season of navigation, which lasts, however, only six months. During the remainder of the year grain is left to go eastward by rail transportation around the southern end of Lake Michigan. This lake has been the means of shutting off the Northwestern States from any direct land communication with the East. North of Chicago there is not at present a single line of railway from the prairies. The States of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and the adjoining portion of Dakota are covered with iron roads, but they are all tributary to the Eastern system at the head of Lake Michigan-a fact which sufficiently accounts for the steady and rapid growth of the city at that point. The presence of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, and the character of the country north and south of the latter, which is hilly, and abounds in immense ledges of rock, render |