hut was the indirect means
of bringing hospitals and stores and many fine things to The Labrador
that the coast had never known before. The ragged man in going for the
doctor was simply doing a kindly act, a good turn for a needy
neighbor. What magnificent results may come from one little act of
kindness! This one laid the foundation for a work whose fame has
encircled the world.

VI

OVERBOARD!

When Grenfell set out to do a thing he did it. He never in all his
life said, "I will if I can." His motto has always been, "I _can_ if I
will." He had determined to plant hospitals on the Labrador coast and
to send doctors and nurses there to help the people. When he
determined to do a thing there was an end of it. It would be done. A
great many people plan to do things, but when they find it is hard to
carry out their plans, they give them up. They forget that anything
that is worth having is hard to get. If diamonds were as easy to find
as pebbles they would be worth no more than pebbles.

That was a hard job that Grenfell had set himself, and he knew it.
When you have a hard job to do, the best way is to go at it just as
soon as ever you can and work at it as hard as ever you can until it
is done. That was Grenfell's way, and as soon as he reached St. Johns
he began to start things moving. Someone else might have waited to
return to England to make a formal report to the Deep Sea Missions
Board, and await the Board's approval. Not so with Grenfell. He knew
the Board would approve, and time was valuable.

Down on The Labrador winter begins in earnest in October. Already the
fishing fleets had returned from Labrador when the _Albert_ reached
St. Johns, and the fishermen had brought with them the news of the
_Albert_'s visit to The Labrador and the wonderful things Doctor
Grenfell had done in the course of his summer's cruise. Praise of his
magnificent work was on everybody's lips. The newspapers, always
hungry for startling news, had published articles about it. Doctor
Grenfell was hailed as a benefactor. All creeds and classes welcomed
and praised him,--fishermen, merchants, politicians. Even the
dignified Board of Trade had recorded its praise.

It was November when Grenfell arrived in St. Johns. He immediately
waited upon the government officials with the result that His
Excellency, the Governor of the Colony, at once called a meeting in
the Government House that Grenfell might present his plans for the
fu