[Footnote 29: "Whatever may be its fate, the friends of progress will remember that the Province is indebted for this bill (the Free Libraries Act) to the zeal and public spirit of an alderman of the City of Toronto, Mr. John Hallam. With a disinterested enthusiasm and an assurance that the inhabitants of the towns and villages of Ontario would derive substantial benefits from the introduction of free public libraries, Mr. Hallam has spared no pains to stimulate public opinion in their favour. He has freely distributed a pamphlet on the subject, which embodies the result of much enquiry and reflection, gathered from various sources, and he seems to be very sanguine of success."--See Dr. Alpheus Todd's paper "_On the Establishment of Free Libraries in Canada_," read before the Royal Society of Canada, 25th May, 1882.] [Footnote 30: Mr. Boulton retired January 1st, 1884, and Alderman Bernard Saunders was appointed in his stead.] CHAPTER LXIX. Postscript. After having spent the greater part of half a century in various public capacities--after having been the recipient of nearly every honorary distinction which it was in the power of my fellow-citizens to confer--there now remains for me no further object of ambition, unless to die in harness, and so escape the taunt-- "Unheeded lags the veteran on the stage." Three times have I succeeded in gaining a position of reasonable competence; and as often--in 1857, 1860 and 1876--the "great waterfloods" have swept over me, and left me to begin life anew. It is too late now, however, to scale another Alp, so let us plod on in the valley, watching the sunshine fading away behind the mountains, until the darkness comes on; and aye singing-- "Night is falling dark and silent, Starry myriads gem the sky; Thus, when earthly hopes have failed us, Brighter visions beam on high."