COUNT OR COUNTERFEIT. CHAPTER I. During one of the trips of the Mail Steamer, in which I officiate as Purser-and whose beat, it may be stated, is between the head of Lake Ontario and Kingston-we had as passenger a fine, hale, hearty old gentleman, from the vicinity of the ambitious and stirring little city of Hamilton. He had been one of the earliest settlers in that quarter of Her Majesty's North American dominions, and, without laying any great tax upon his memory, could recollect the time when the aforesaid city consisted merely of a farm house and a log tavern. Mr. Nicholas Newlove-for so was the senior calleddilated to me with pardonable pride upon the progress which Hamilton had made during the last few years, but qualified his commendation by censuring the bad taste of conferring upon it the name of an old country town. وو "Can any thing be more idiotically preposterous said he, discharging clouds of protesting smoke from the clay tube with which I had accommodated him—“ than such a practice, which is becoming calamitously common in Canada? Some people defend the usage on patriotic grounds, urging that it tends to keep fresh the recollection of the land of our forefathers. To me, however, it assumes an aspect diametrically the reverse of all this." "How so, sir?" I ventured to interject. "The matter, I think "-rejoined Mr. Newlove-" is abundantly plain. Why do we not find a plurality of Edinburghs in Scotland, or Dublins in Ireland? Because such repetitions would be simply ridiculous. As well might you have a brace of Johns or Andrews in one family. When, therefore, a Canadian dubs the village which he has called into existence, after an old country town or city, I cannot help concluding that he contemplates this colony becoming a separate and independent nation. It is only upon such a treason-teeming theory, that you can find any glimmering of rationality in the custom which I am denouncing. Hamilton—as doubtless you know-is a town in the county of Lanark; and as Canada is as much a component part of the British empire as Lanarkshire, why should it contain a duplicate Hamilton, except on the supposition that the sacred bond connecting us with the parent island is destined to be snapped by godless hands?" This reasoning appeared to me to be rather far-fetched, and though I said nothing, the expression of my countenance, doubtless, indicated that such were my sentiments. “I can see with half an eye”—continued Squire Newlove (for I may mention that he wrote himself J. P.)— "that you think me an old dreamer. One thing, however, you must admit, that in a practical point of view, the tantological custom which I condemn is at once absurd and inconvenient. "For instance, if in directing a letter to our Provincial Woodstock, you omit the supplementary initials C. W., the chances are great that the Mercuries of the Post Office will convey the missive to the locality where the fair but frail Rosamond Clifford was done to death' by the jealous better half of Henry II. Again, we shall suppose the case of a monied Cockney visiting Canada for the purpose of fixing upon a place of residence. Attracted by the familiar name of London, he directs his steps to that quarter of the colony, and what is the very probable upshot? The pilgrim's mind being impregnated with the idea of the British |