A Fair Island
Politics have brought Newfoundland, our oldest colony, into the lime- light ; and I find myself objecting strongly to some accounts of the country and its people that the crisis has prompted. Even the old foolish notion that the country is enveloped in mist has been revived. Now if one desires beautiful clear weather in beautiful surroundings, Newfound- land is an early recommendation. September and October weather is wont to be summery, and for myself I have never seen any other autumnal colouring that can compete. It is of a different nature from ours, for it is spread by bush and lowly plant rather than by forest tree, though often the flourish is set by flames of the Canadian maple. A quantity of berries (some of the bilberry nature) combine their ruddy hues with the purples of the currants and yellow of the golden rods. One of the commonest wild plants most of us are too English to delight in is the conifer, but at least its permanent greenness sets off such circles of colour. Some day the marshes, which are neither beautiful nor useful, will be drained into good agricultural land.
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