Page:Robert Carter- his life and work. 1807-1889 (IA robertcarterhis00coch).pdf/139

Rh joined the Temperance Society and had decided that there must be no more giving of whiskey in their home. But,” said she, “here is sixpence for you, and that will be far better for the wife and bairns than that you should be drinking whiskey.” As he walked down the street he met Mr. Lundie, who said, “I suppose my wife did not give you any whiskey to-day, Jock.” “Na, na, sir.” “Well, here is a shilling for you, and you‘ll find yourself far better off than if you had had the whiskey.” Jock took the shilling, and with that and Mrs. Lundie’s sixpence he got more whiskey than he had had in many a day, and came reeling back to the manse, where he stood holding on to the front gate, waving his hat and shouting, “Mr. Lundie and the Temperance Society forever! Mr. Lundie and the Temperance Society forever!”

After some months of travel in Great Britain and on the Continent, the party returned to America. They had sailed to Europe on the “Pacific,” one of the Collins line of steamers, and on the voyage Mr. Carter had noticed some little incident which he thought betokened negligence in the arrangements of the vessel. He had almost forgotten the circumstance, and while in London he went to the Collins office and chose state-rooms on the “Arctic,” doing everything but actually engage his passage. Suddenly there flashed into his mind a recollection of the incident, and he decided to take passage on the Cunard steamer “Europa,” which sailed the same week, The “Arctic” was lost on that voyage, and a large number of passengers perished. At Halifax the “Europa” took on board and carried to Boston the survivors of the wreck. After leaving Halifax, a heavy fog settled down over the “Europa,” just as it had around the “Arctic” at the time of the collision which caused