"Still, if people can't have even that," said Hugh, "it's well there _are_ institutions. I must say myself, that I don't care much for doing things by wholesale, so I for one could never be a socialist. Things were better planned originally. 'He setteth the solitary in families.'"
"That was long ago, my dear boy," remarked Mrs. Sandford. "It's getting to be an old world, and a cold world, too, I fear."
"Oh, I hope not, Aunt Bella. The old order faileth, giving place to new, only the new hasn't got well worked out yet."
On their way back they took a look at the Old Fort Barracks, and at the site of the old French Fort, near which the exhibition buildings, or "Fair grounds," yearly present such a striking contrast to what must have been the silence and loneliness of the spot when it first became a British settlement. And the cool lake breeze was most refreshing after the heat of the July day, and sent them back to the hotel, reinforced for dinner, after which they were not disposed to do more than sit quietly on one of the balconies of the hotel, Mrs. Sandford knitting with great satisfaction, and the others amusing themselves with observing the ever-varying line of pedestrians constantly passing to and fro on their way from places of evening entertainment.
Next morning all the junior members of the party started for a ramble on foot, going first along King Street and looking in a more leisurely fashion at the various handsome public buildings, the banks, the great newspaper offices, a little off King Street, the fine post-office on Adelaide Street, the attractive picture and bookstores, and then turning up Church Street, pursued their way to the Normal School buildings, where Kate exhibited to her companions with some pride, the various educational appliances of that center of the public school education of the province, the handsome, and even luxurious lecture-rooms, class-rooms, library, and last, but not least, the spacious and delightful Kindergarten, a paradise of infantine education, which was Kate's especial delight, and which to Hugh and Flora was a charming novelty in "school-keeping." After that they continued their walk in a desultory fashion along the shady streets of that quarter of the city, admiring the handsome churches and villa-like residences which there abound. Then they crossed the Park to take one more look at the beautiful University buildings, and came back to the Arlington by the way of St. George Street with its fine residences, and Spadina Avenue, just in time for an early luncheon before preparing for their departure by the good steamer _Corsican_.