Year: 1874

10y e~AsSbNAJ w Httto
home, wondering If anybody would bury
him, and thinking Of the spring of cold
water at home. When Doctor Holway
returned he must have been delirious, for
he has no further recollection of events
until he recovered his senses nearly two
weeks later, and found himself in large,
airy room.


Not until he was nearly well again did
he know the extent of Doctor Holway's
devotion. He had taken him to his house,
consisting of two rooms, an Office and bed
room, and had given the latter up for his
use, sleeping himself upon a sofa in the
Office. He had hired the colored woman
to assist him, and had nursed Ned night
and day back to life. But, TASTE, what
made all this real devotion and charity was
the fact that the doctor himself, having
lost all his property during the war, was
actually so poor, that he sold his watch,
ring, and portion Of his library to pay
the expenses of Neds illness, and never
opened his porte.monnaie to use the money
he would have found there


II was but natural that the two should
form strong friendship for each other,
aud as they became intimate Ned learned
that the doctor had not always been Grip.
pied. An accident upon a railway train
when he was nearly thirty years old had
resulted in perfect deformity. His be-
trothed wife shrank from him, and his
patients decreased in number. Then the
war came, and poverty was added to his
other burdens.


" Ned took care that his generous kind
ness did not place him under pecuniary
loss, but he felt that he owed him his very
life. When he returned home, he spoke
to father, and they have been looking out
constantly for some position to offer the
doctor. 1t was not until poor Mr. Will
sons death left vacant the professorship
of betles-lettres at the college that they
were successful


Doctor Holway, Ned says, is peculiarly
fitted for this position, being close stu
dent and reader in most Of the modern
languages. ="


"Then he will live at B-?"


" After the LIST Of April. In the mean
time he will be our guest"


II must be admitted that Nellie was
very nervous as the breakfast bell sum
moned her to meet her brothers guest and
friend She had heard 30 often of his de-
votion to her brother, Of his learning, his
noble qualities, and his sensitive shrinking
from notice, that she was bitterly conscious
that her carelessness in forgetting his early
arrival, had betrayed her into an act that
might be construed into wanton cruelty or
insult. She was akind-hearted, impulsive
girl, just eighteen, full of gratitude and
pity for the unfortunate physician, and
her step was slow, her heart beating rap
idly when she followed Tasie into the
breakfast-room.


Standing near her tall, stalwart brother
was . man that she knew was her visitor,
and her whole womanly sympathy at once
was aroused. He was short and misshap-
pen, one shoulder twisted higher than the
other, and one leg shorter. But upon the
deformed body was noble head, with
broad, high brow, large, deep eyes, massive
features, and firm, finely y-curved mouth
Clusters Of rich brown hair were tossed
back from the forehead, and curled in pro-
fusion upon the well shaped head. But
the face was very, very pale, and the eyes
sad and wistful.


Nellie forgot her mornings folly, only
remembered that this man had saved the
life Of her only brother, at the risk Of tax
ing himself loathsome and contagious
disease. She went to him, in her impul-
sive fashion, with onlys thi thought in her
heart.


=" You need not introduce me, Ned, she
said, extending both hands to Doctor Hol-
way. awe all owe Doctor Holway too
great debt, to stand upon ceremony in
our welcome. We can never thank you,
sir" she said, with earnest fervor, 'but we
are very, very glad to have the opportunity
to tell you we deeply feel your generosity
and goodness"


The face she looked upon had flushed q
little under the warm sincerity of her words
aud her cordial manner. A voice low and
sweet answered her:


/" Your brother overrates what any Chris
tian man must have done for him."


Breakfast is cooling" said Mrs. Cor
don. " Doctor Holway, my niece, Miss
Anastasia Graham"


TASTE bowed courteously, in answer to
the doctors greeting, and the family gath
cred around the table.


1t made an unfortunate contrast for
Doctor Holway's small, misshappen figure,
that both Mr.. Gordon and his son were
tall, large men, while Nellie, though so
young, was also tall and of rather full fig
ure. But before this first meal was con-
cluded Doctor Holway had made every
member ofthe family forget his infrmities,
in cordial admiration of his great mental
powers, and his peculiarly winning manner.
1t was hard to believe that he had led so
much the life of a recluse, when he was
50 finished gentleman in his courtesy.
Il was hard to reconcile his hermit life
with his thorough knowledge of all news
at home and abroad.


4 Al n.