FAILURES 237 



when her friends had come to carry her away the 

 train proceeded on its journey. 



That was the end of disasters, I think, unless what 

 happened on board ship could be called one. People 

 were calling out for beef-tea one rough day, and there 

 was none to be had : on inquiry it was found that 

 some sufferer had sent a hot-water bottle to be filled, 

 and by some mistake it was filled with all the avail- 

 able beef-tea ! Ship life for passengers, generally 

 speaking, seems fairly dull with nothing much to 

 do, so one takes amusement in small things. But I 

 remember one time when we were to pass Messina, 

 soon after the great earthquake, a friend and stable 

 companion of mine, Mrs. Stevenson, and I were 

 anxious to see what we could of the ruins, and as 

 we were to pass the place about four o'clock in the 

 morning the captain said he would give a shout to us 

 through our deck cabin window when we came near. 

 Major B., who also wanted to get up and see, asked 

 us whether we should mind waking him, and he told 

 Mrs. Stevenson where his cabin was and also his bunk, 

 which was next to the door. About four in the 

 a.m/s we heard the captain's voice shouting, " Now 

 then, girls, get up, here is Messina ! " We were by 

 no means girls, though I should only speak for 

 myself, but we got into our dressing-gowns quickly 

 and went out to see all that we could, which wasn't 

 very much. As we were going back to our beds we 

 remembered that we had promised to wake Major B., 

 and Mrs. Stevenson said all we had to do was to walk 

 down the companion and say "Major B." at the door 

 of cabin No. so-and-so, when he said he would be 



