"
"It seems to me," continued Cabot, "that the conditions here must be
fully as bad as those that led to the American Revolution, and I should
think you Newfoundlanders would rebel, and set up a government of your
own, or join the United States, or do something of that kind."
"Perhaps we would if we could," replied White; "but our country is only
a poor little island, with a population of less than a quarter of a
million. If we should rebel, we would have to fight both England and
France. We should have to do it without help, too, for the United
States, which is the only country we desire to join, does not want us.
So you see there is nothing for us to do but accept the situation, and
get along as best we can."
"Why don't you emigrate to the States?" suggested Cabot.
"Plenty of people whom I know have done so," replied the young
Newfoundlander, "and I might, too, if it were not for my mother and
sister; but I don't know how I could make a living for them in the
States, or even for myself. You see, everything we have in the world
is tied up right here. Besides, it would be hard to leave one's own
country and go to live among strangers. Don't you think so?"
"How do you make a living here?" asked Cabot, ignoring the last
question.
"We have made it until now by canning lobsters; but it looks as though
even that business was to be stopped from this on.
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