Page:Robert Carter- his life and work. 1807-1889 (IA robertcarterhis00coch).pdf/104

88 amount of reading of manuscripts, often to a late hour at night, sometimes in very difficult handwriting, and yet to the close of his life he never used spectacles.

His authors were always his friends. At his funeral Dr. McCosh paid a warm tribute to his liberal dealings with him. Spurgeon wrote to him on one occasion, “I am glad that Robert Carter and Brothers are not only publishers of my sermons, but also true and generous friends, with whose conduct I am more than satisfied.” Dr. Guthrie and his family bore similar testimony. After his death, Dr. Macduff of Glasgow wrote an article about him for a Scottish paper, from which the following is an extract:—

“In these days, when the questions of copyright and royalty between this country and America are keenly debated, and caustic reflections are often, and I doubt not at times with good reason, thrown out regarding the niggardly dealings of Transatlantic publishers, it is only a pleasure and a duty on the part of an author to record with gratitude an exception.

“My intercourse with his house extends over a quarter of a century. In addition to modest royalties paid by the firm, there has been over and above, for a long course of years, a personal annual gift of £25. More than once I attempted remonstrance. It was of no avail. Regularly as the end of January came around, the well known yellow envelope made its appearance with its wonted contents, the value of which was greatly enhanced by the warm and generous words which invariably accompanied it. We had met more than once pleasantly, both in this country and on the Continent. On the latter occasion, we formed one of a happy travelling party with the late Dr. Guthrie. Possibly from his reticence regarding many a good deed, he might not like my making this small revelation, But I make it, as I think