e at all, Mr. Jerome; I'm very glad to have a visit
from you,' said Mr. Tryan, shaking him heartily by the hand, and offering
him the chintz-covered 'easy' chair; 'it is some time since I've had an
opportunity of seeing you, except on a Sunday.'

'Ah, sir! your time's so taken up, I'm well aware o' that; it's not only
what you hev to do, but it's goin' about from place to place; an' you
don't keep a hoss, Mr. Tryan. You don't take care enough o' yourself--you
don't indeed, an' that's what I come to talk to y' about.'

'That's very good of you, Mr. Jerome; but I assure you I think walking
does me no harm. It is rather a relief to me after speaking or writing.
You know I have no great circuit to make. The farthest distance I have to
walk is to Milby Church, and if ever I want a horse on a Sunday, I hire
Radley's, who lives not many hundred yards from me.'

'Well, but now! the winter's comin' on, an' you'll get wet i' your feet,
an' Pratt tells me as your constitution's dillicate, as anybody may see,
for the matter o' that, wi'out bein' a doctor. An' this is the light I
look at it in, Mr. Tryan: who's to fill up your place, if you was to be
disabled, as I may say? Consider what a valyable life yours is. You've
begun a great work i' Milby, and so you might carry it on, if you'd your
health and strength. The more care you take o' yourself, the longer
you'll live, belike, God willing, to do good to your fellow-creaturs.'

'Why, my dear Mr. Jerome, I think I should not be a long-lived man in any
case; and if I were to take care of myself under the pretext of doing
more good, I should very likely die and leave nothing done after all.'

'Well! but keepin' a hoss wouldn't hinder you from workin'. It 'ud help
you to do more, though Pratt says as it's usin' your voice so constant as
does you the most harm. Now, isn't it--I'm no scholard, Mr. Tryan, an'
I'm not a-goin' to dictate to you--but isn't it a'most a-killin' o'
yourself, to go on a' that way beyond your strength? We mustn't fling
ower lives away.'

'No, not fling them away lightly, but we are permitted to lay down our
lives in a right cause. There are many duties, as you know, Mr. Jerome,
which stand before taking care of our own lives.'

'Ah! I can't arguy wi' you, Mr. Tryan; but what I wanted to say's
this--There's my little chacenut hoss; I should take it quite a kindness
if you'd hev him through the winter an' ride him. I've thought o' sellin'
him a many times, fo