, there,
child! don't you go to cryin', whatever you do."

I knocked louder.

"There's somebody to the door; mebbe it's the Doctor. You go and see
what's wanted, an' don't take no more concern about these. I'll see to
'em."

After a little delay, occasioned perhaps by the need of rubbing the
eyelids, which were red, a little pallid lass, apparently about sixteen
years old, shyly opened the door, and looked relieved, I thought, to
find only me at it. She had a small and pretty nose and mouth, large,
heavy blue eyes, flaxen hair drawn neatly, but unbecomingly, away from
her face, looked modest and refined, but sadly moped, and was dressed in
dark green, which set her off much as spinach does a _dropped_ egg.

"Miss Nelly?" said I.

"Yes, Miss Morne," said she.

I had never seen her before; but it afterwards came out that she had
peeped at me through the blinds of her chamber.

"I have brought you a little treat from Dr. Physick."

"O," said she, looking rather pleased; "then isn't he coming to-day?"

"No; he sent me instead."

"I am glad to see you," said she, timidly, but beginning to look really
pretty, as her countenance went on brightening. "Won't you walk in?"

I did so, sat down opposite to her in the cold, shaded "best parlor,"
and went over the directions to her aloud. She kept her face civilly
turned towards me; but it grew utterly blank again, and I saw she was
not paying the least attention. So I played her a genuine teacher's
trick, which I had learned in my school-room. "Now," continued I, "will
you be so good as to repeat to me what I have been saying, so that I may
be able to tell Dr. Physick that I explained it to you perfectly? He was
rather _particular_ about it."

Of course she could not; but this obliged her, in common courtesy, to
listen the second time, which was all I wanted. Then I rose.

She went with me to the door, saying, "I am sorry to give so much
trouble. You are very kind to take so much for me."

"It will be a 'joyful trouble,' if it does you good."

"You are very kind to me. Do you like roses?"

"Indeed I do. Do not you?"

"I don't know. I used to."

There were three blossoms and one bud on a monthly rose-bush, which
stood in an earthen pot by the front door. In an instant she had
gathered them all, in spite of my protestations. She added two or three
from a heliotrope, and the freshest sprigs from a diosma, a myrtle, and
a geranium, all somewhat languishing, and ti