When he took anything in hand the master went through with it.  Before the week was out he had given up the farm, arranged for an auction sale, and for going to Canada.  My heart was filled with misgivings as to what would become of me.  I knew crops had been short for two years, and, though he was even with the world, the master had not a pound to spare, and depended on the auction-sale for the money to pay for outfit and passage to Canada.  I had no right to expect he would pay for me, and all the more that he would have no use for a lad such as I was in his new home.  It was not so much of what might happen to myself after they were gone that I thought about, as of parting with the family, for I loved every one of them.  I knew they were considering what to do with me, and one day, on the master getting me alone, he seemed relieved on telling me the new tenant of the farm was going to keep me on for my meat.  I thanked him, for it was better than 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