A droll fellow that, I take it from his name: but all
colonists are queer fellows, eh?"

"Bad news from home?" said Mr. Slick, who had noticed my abstraction.
"No screw loose there, I hope. You don't look as if you liked the
flavour of that ere nut you are crackin' of. Whose dead? and what is to
pay now?"

I read the letter and the memorial, and then explained from my own
knowledge how numerous and how valuable were the services of my
deceased friend, and expressed my regret at not being able to serve the
memorialist.

"Poor woman!" said Mr. Hopewell, "I pity her. A colonist has no chance
for these things; they have no patron. In this country merit will always
obtain a patron--in the provinces never. The English are a noble-minded,
generous people, and whoever here deserves encouragement or reward,
is certain to obtain either or both: but it must be a brilliant man,
indeed, whose light can be perceived across the Atlantic."

"I entertain, Sir," I said, "a very strong prejudice against relying
on patrons. Dr. Johnson, after a long and fruitless attendance on Lord
Chesterfield, says: 'Seven years, my Lord, have now past, since I waited
in your outward rooms, or was repulsed from your door; during which time
I have been pushing on my work, through difficulties, of which it
is useless to complain, and have brought it at last to the verge of
publication, without one act of assistance, one word of encouragement,
or one smile of favour. Such treatment I did not expect, for I never bad
a patron before."

"Ah!" said Mr. Hopewell, "a man who feels that he is wrong, is always
angry with somebody else. Dr. Johnson, is not so much to be admired
for the independence that dictated that letter, as condemned for the
meanness and servility of seven years of voluntary degradation. It is no
wonder he spoke with bitterness; for, while he censured his Lordship,
he must have despised himself. There is a great difference between a
literary and a political patron. The former is not needed, and a man
does better without one; the latter is essential. A good book, like
good wine, needs no bush; but to get an office, you want merits or
patrons;--merits so great, that they cannot be passed over, or friends
so powerful, they cannot be refused."

"Oh! you can't do nothin', Squire," said Mr. Sick, "send it back to Old
Marm; tell her you have the misfortin to be a colonist; that if her son
would like to be a constable, or a Hogreave, or a thistle