some two years previous. It was more difficult,
however, for him to persuade his father and mother
that his decision was a wise one. “If ye
maun leave us,” said his mother, “can ye
no seek anither hame nearer han’, an’
no gang awa across the water to yon’ wild place
they ca’ Canada?” “We maun try to
be reasonable, woman,” said his father, “but
I canna deny that the thought o’ our first born
son gaun sae far awa gie’s me a sair heart.”
It was equally hard for the son to bid farewell to
the land of his birth, and of a thousand endearing
ties; but prudence whispered that now was his time
to go, while he had youth and health, to meet the
hardships that often fall to the lot of the emigrant.
When his parents saw how much his mind was set upon
it they ceased to oppose his wishes, and with his
wife and children, he soon joined the large numbers
who, at that period, were leaving the British, for
the Canadian shores.
As may be readily supposed, the parting between the
two families was a very sad one; but the last adieus
were finally exchanged, and the poor emigrants were
borne away on the billows of the Atlantic. During
the first few days of their voyage they all, with
the exception of their youngest child, suffered much
from sea-sickness. This child was a little girl
about three years old; and it seemed singular to them,
that she should escape the sickness from which nearly
all the passengers suffered, more or less. They
soon recovered; the weather was fine, and many of
their fellow passengers were very agreeable companions,
and they began really to enjoy the voyage. But
this happy state of things was but of short duration.
Their little girl, wee Susie, as they called her, was
seized with illness. They felt but little anxiety
at the first, thinking it but a slight indisposition
from which she would soon recover; but when day after
day passed away with no visible change for the better
they became alarmed, and summoned the physician, who
pronounced her disease a slow kind of fever, which
he said often attacked those who escaped the sea-sickness.
He told the anxious parents not to be alarmed, as
he hoped soon to succeed in checking the disease.
But with all the physician’s skill, aided by
the unceasing attention of her fond parents, the sad
truth that wee Susie was to die soon became evident.
When the sorrowing parents became sensible that their
child must die, they prayed earnestly that her life
might be prolonged till they should reach the land.
But for some wise reason their prayer was not granted;
and when their voyage was but little more than half
accomplished she died, and they were forced to consign
her loved form to a watery grave. The lovely
prattling child had been a general favourite with all
on board, and her sudden death cast a gloom over the
minds of all. Words would fail me to describe
the grief of the parents and the two affectionate little
brothers when they realized that “wee Susie”
was indeed gone, and that they could never enjoy even
Print
Word
PDF
