Page:Robert Carter- his life and work. 1807-1889 (IA robertcarterhis00coch).pdf/23

Rh Among Robert Carter’s earliest recollections was the rejoicing caused by the battle of Waterloo. He was then only seven years old, but he always remembered the illuminations and shoutings and talk about Bonaparte and Wellington. It seemed at the time as if all things must thereafter go on smoothly, since the mighty foe had been conquered and was banished to St. Helena. But the long war and the great triumph had to be paid for, and for many years the heavy taxes bore down hard upon the working classes. Thus the early years of this century became very trying times financially in Britain. The day wages of an ordinary laborer were but a shilling, while those of the artisan class were only a little more.

Earlston was famous for its ginghams; these were the best in Scotland, fine, soft, and silky, and a larger part of the families in the village were weavers. The work was not done in mills, but each weaver had his loom set up in his own cottage, and sold his web when finished directly to the merchants.

In Thomas Carter’s cottage there were six looms, worked by himself, his two eldest sons, and hired helpers, for a stern necessity compelled every member of the large family to go to work as soon as they were able to manage a loom.

At the age of nine years and six months Robert was taken from school and put at the loom, and from that time his education was acquired entirely by his own exertions. Of this period he wrote long afterwards:—

“My work was light, but tedious. From dawn till ten and sometimes till eleven at night I had to toil until my task was done. I cared little for the confinement, but felt grievously the loss of books and mental improvement. From early childhood I had an insatiable thirst for reading. The stories of Wallace and