at, if all I hear about your working all day and most of the night
too, is true, you are going to break down. You can't stand it, my boy:
human nature isn't made in that way. You have got a wife and family,
and you seem to be trying real hard to take care of them. But you can't
burn the candle at both ends without having the fire flicker out in the
middle all of a sudden, and perhaps just when you can least afford it.
Now, do take better care of yourself. You have made a splendid start,
and there are more people than you know of in this town who are looking
at you with a great deal of respect. They want to see you succeed, and
if you want any help at it I am sure you can get it; but don't kill the
goose that lays the golden egg. Don't break yourself up, or there
won't be anybody to help. Don't you see?"

The shoemaker looked up at the good-natured doctor with a quick
expression, and said,--

"Doctor, I'm not doin' any more than I have to, to keep soul and body
together in the family. If I stop any of it, I've got to stop carryin'
things home."

"Oh well," said the doctor, "that may be, that may be. But I'm simply
warning you, as a fellow-man, that you must look out for yourself. It's
all right to trust the Lord, but the Lord isn't going to give any one
man strength enough to do two men's work. I have been in medical
practice forty years, and I have never seen a case of that kind yet.
That's all. I'm in a hurry,--got half a dozen people to see. Don't feel
offended at anything I've said to you. It's all for your good, you
know. Good day."

The doctor departed as rapidly as he had entered, and the cobbler stole
a moment or two from his work to think. How his thoughts ran he could
scarcely have told afterwards, for again the door opened, and the room
darkened slightly, for the person who was entering was Father Black,
the Catholic priest, a man whose frame was as big as his heart, he
being reputed to be one of the largest-hearted men in all Bruceton.
Everybody respected him. The best proof of it was that no one in any of
the other churches ever attempted to do any proselyting in Father
Black's flock.

"My son," said the priest, seating himself in the chair and spreading a
friendly smile over his large, expressive features, "I have heard a
great deal of you since you came back from your unfortunate absence,
and I merely dropped in to say to you that if it's any comfort to you
to know that every day you have whatever as