"You say that you do not know the married name of your sister?" he said,
as they drew near to the towering sides of the great vessel.

"No; I do not."

"And you have not seen her for many years?"

"Not for many years."

"Nevertheless, you are quite sure that you will recognise her when you
do see her?"

"Ay, as sure as I am that I'd know my own face in a lookin'-glass, for
she had points about her that I'm quite sure time could never alter."

"You are involved in a great difficulty, I fear," continued his friend,
"for, in the first place, the time at your disposal is not long; you
cannot ask for the number of her berth, not having her name, and there
is little probability of your being able to see every individual in a
vessel like this while they keep moving about on deck and below."

The captain admitted that the difficulties were great and his
countenance grew longer, for, being as we have said a remarkably
sympathetic man, the emotions of his heart were quickly telegraphed to
his features.

"It strikes me," continued the missionary, in a comforting tone, "that
your best chance of success will be to enter my service for the
occasion, and go about with me distributing New Testaments and tracts.
You will thus, as it were, have a reason for going actively about
looking into people's faces, and even into their berths. Excuse me for
asking--what do you think of doing if you find your sister, for the
vessel starts in a few hours?"

"Oh, I'll get her--and--and her husband to give up the voyage and return
ashore with me. I'm well enough off to make it worth their while."

The missionary did not appear to think the plan very hopeful, but as
they ran alongside at the moment them was no time for reply.

It was indeed a bewildering scene to which they were introduced on
reaching the deck. The confusion of parting friends; of pushing porters
with trunks and boxes; perplexed individuals searching for lost luggage;
distracted creatures looking for lost relatives; calm yet energetic
officers in merchant-service uniform moving about giving directions;
active seamen pushing through the crowds in obedience to orders;
children of all sizes playing and getting in people's way; infants of
many kinds yelling hideously or uttering squalls of final despair.
There was pathos and comicality too, intermingled. Behold, on one side,
an urchin sitting astonished--up to his armpits in a bandbox through
which he has just crashed--an