ite ready to turn his hand to anything,
from boot-blacking to medicine-carrying. His one dissipation is cutting
out of paper, or buying in lead (on the rare occasion when we find a
surplus), an army of little soldiers. I have brought a patient into the
consulting room, and found a torrent of cavalry, infantry, and artillery
pouring across the table. I have been myself attacked as I sat silently
writing, and have looked up to find fringes of sharp-shooters pushing
up towards me, columns of infantry in reserve, a troop of cavalry on my
flank, while a battery of pea muzzle-loaders on the ridge of my medical
dictionary has raked my whole position--with the round, smiling face of
the general behind it all. I don't know how many regiments he has on a
peace footing; but if serious trouble were to break out, I am convinced
that every sheet of paper in the house would spring to arms.

One morning I had a great idea which has had the effect of
revolutionising our domestic economy. It was at the time when the worst
pinch was over, and when we had got back as far as butter and occasional
tobacco, with a milkman calling daily; which gives you a great sense of
swagger when you have not been used to it.

"Paul, my boy," said I, "I see my way to fitting up this house with a
whole staff of servants for nothing."

He looked pleased, but not surprised. He had a wholly unwarranted
confidence in my powers; so that if I had suddenly declared that I saw
my way to tilting Queen Victoria from her throne and seating myself upon
it, he would have come without a question to aid and abet.

I took a piece of paper and wrote, "To Let. A basement floor, in
exchange for services. Apply 1 Oakley Villas."

"There, Paul," said I, "run down to the Evening News office, and pay a
shilling for three insertions."

There was no need of three insertions. One would have been ample. Within
half an hour of the appearance of the first edition, I had an applicant
at the end of my bell-wire, and for the remainder of the evening Paul
was ushering them in and I interviewing them with hardly a break. I
should have been prepared at the outset to take anything in a petticoat;
but as we saw the demand increase, our conditions went up and up;
white aprons, proper dress for answering door, doing beds and boots,
cooking,--we became more and more exacting. So at last we made our
selection; a Miss Wotton, who asked leave to bring her sister with her.
She was a hard-faced b