y, 'with the dear little baby hands. All of a
sudden, when near St Mary's Church he stood still, and looking in my
face, said:

'"But by-the-bye did I ever give you my likeness?"

'"No," was the reply, "have you got your likeness?"

'"Oh! yes, I will give it you; I will send it by the _real_ post
to-morrow."'

'It seemed,' the lady adds, 'as if the wonderful little mind had been
considering what other kind thing he could do besides repeating the
hymns.'

The whole incident is an excellent example of his sweetness of
disposition, and his innate thoughtfulness for others. It is pleasant to
know that the pretty promise was fulfilled, Mrs Stevenson herself acting
'postman,' and taking the likeness to her friend next day.

The second picture is from the memory of Miss Balfour herself. She too
describes the blue pelisse trimmed with grey astrakhan, which he wore in
the winter of 1853 and '54. In the spring of 1854 she went to the
Stevensons' house to tell her sister that their father had been given
the degree of Doctor of Divinity. The small Louis, on hearing his
grandfather spoken of as 'Doctor,' immediately said:

'Now that grandpapa is a doctor, surely you'll have him instead of Dr
Hunter?'

A wonderfully quick thought and old-fashioned remark from a child not
four years old, but a suggestively sad one too; he already knew so well
the necessity of a doctor to help human bodies, although he could not
yet comprehend the use of one for the 'cure' of human souls!

When he heard that his aunt was going to see a relative in Saxe Coburg
Place, he begged to be allowed to go with her, and, the permission
granted, started off in great pride on his very first expedition without
his nurse, that faithful friend of the Stevenson family having promised
to follow later to take him home. The aunt at least had cause to
remember that walk! He had started gloveless, and would not go back for
his gloves, but popped his cold hands under the cape of his pelisse, and
even then, unconventional as to clothing, said cheerfully:

'That will keep them from John Frost.'

So the pair set out on what proved a chilly and prolonged excursion;
for, in spite of all remonstrances, the child calmly sat down on every
doorstep and rested till he felt inclined to go on again, to the no
small dismay of his aunt, who knew how serious a thing the taking of a
cold was to the placid little personage smiling at her from the steps.