s Lane, in
indignant tones, read aloud the offending note.

"Don't you think that little rascal should be nearly annihilated?" she
asked, turning to the Doctor.

"I think he should be instructed," replied the latter. "Will you send
him to me, Miss Bell?"

"Most gladly, but I don't believe he will come."

"Yes he will, if you don't frighten him beforehand. Don't say a word to
him about the affair, but send him with a note to me and tell him to
wait for an answer."

The next evening Carl appeared at the Doctor's residence with the note
from Miss Bell. "I am to wait for an answer," he said.

Dr. Barrett only nodded as she wrote on steadily for a moment, seeming
too much engrossed in her work to notice him. Then she read the note,
thought a moment, excused herself and left the room. Returning
immediately she said, "It will be half an hour before the answer is
ready. Can you wait?"

"O certainly."

"Then sit down here and look over the Youth's Companion while I finish
my letter."

For some moments there was silence and then the Doctor, laying down her
pen, turned to the boy and said, pleasantly; "You are Carl Woodford, are
you not?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"It has been so long since I saw you that you have almost grown out of
my knowledge. You are getting to be almost a man. You must be fifteen
years old."

"Not quite. I will be next June."

"Almost a man," said Dr. Barrett softly as she looked thoughtfully into
the fire. After a moment's silence she asked, "Carl, what is it to be a
man?"

The boy drew himself up with a self-conscious air as he replied.

"Why, to have your growth, and get into business for yourself."

"Well, that is not quite it," said the Doctor smiling, "for I have my
growth and am in business for myself, and yet I am not a man."

"Maybe it means having a mustache," said Carl, with a slight flush.

"That has something to do with it certainly, but Mrs. Flynn has a
mustache, and she is not a man."

"Well, I don't know how to explain it then," said Carl.

"You have studied grammar, will you parse the word man?"

"Man is a common noun, masculine gender, third----"

"What does masculine gender mean?"

"It means male."

"Then to be a man means to be a male. How does the grammar define
gender?"

"The distinction of nouns with regard to sex."

"Have you studied physiology?"

"Yes'm."

"Was it the physiology of man or woman?"

"Why, it didn't say anything but physiology."

"You st