n I looked for. These were busy days
getting ready. Alice noticed that, in all the making of clothes, there
were none for me, and I overheard her ask her mother, who answered in a
whisper, that they had not money enough to take me along with them.
Alice was more considerate than ever with me. To their going grannie
proved an obstacle. She would not leave Scotland, she declared, she
would be buried in it, she would go to no strange country, let alone a
cold one like Canada, nor cross the sea. Her favorite of the family was
Robbie, on whom she doted. 'You will not leave him?' asked the mistress.
'Ou, he'll gang with me to Mirren's,' the name of her daughter in
Glasgow. 'Oh, no; Robbie goes with us to Canada.' It was a struggle with
the dear old soul, and in the end she decided she would brave the
Atlantic rather than part with her boy.

The last day came. The chests, and plenishing for the home they looked
forward to in Canada, had gone the day before and been stowed in the
ship at Troon, and the carts stood at the door to receive the family and
their hand-bags. The children and all were seated and the master turned
to me before taking his place. He shook my hand, and tried to say
something, but could not, for his voice failed. Pressing half a crown in
my little fist he moved to get beside the driver, when Robbie cheeped
out astonished, 'Is Gordie no to go wi' us?' 'Whist, my boy; we will
send for him by-and-by.' At this Robbie set up a howl, and his brothers
and sisters joined in his weeping. The master was sorely moved and
whispered with his wife. 'His passage-money will make me break my last
big note,' I heard him say to her. 'Trust in the Lord,' she answered,
'I canna thole the thought of leaving the mitherless bairn to that hard
man, John Stoddart; he'll work the poor weak fellow to death.' Without
another word, the master hoisted me on top of the baggage, the carts
moved on, and Robbie looked up into my face with a smile. We were driven
alongside the ship as she lay at the quay. She was a roomy brig, and was
busy taking on cargo. Our part of the hold was shown to us, and the
mistress at once began to unpack the bedding, and to make the best of
everything. 'Is it not an awful black hole to put Christians into?'
asked a woman who was taking her first survey. 'Well, no, I do not think
so; it is far better than I expected.' She had a gracious way, the
mistress, of looking at everything in the best light.

In the aftern