ing care they were due, and friends, nay, even
strangers from distant lands travelled to see him, and marvelled at his
decorous and kindly behaviour, which charmed as well as astonished all
beholders.

'His virtues, however, strong as they were, did not render him immune to
the weaknesses to which young children are liable, and in his fifth year
he developed a chilblain of the most painful description. Every remedy
was tried, dried turnip seed, applications of roasted capers, poultices
of wild figs and nard, fomentations of honey and turbot's roe, and many
other recipes for the curing of chilblains, recommended by anxious
friends. Nevertheless the blain grew chillier and chillier until at last
they were compelled to send for a physician.

'The physician, after spending a whole afternoon examining the foot,
eventually took the most serious view of the case imaginable, and
hastily wrote out the following prescription, promising to call again in
a few days:--

[Illustration: Basil Herbert develops a chilblain]

1 Pint New Gruel.
1 gr. Tincture of Green Acorns.
1/2 gr. Hypo.
1/16 gr. Castor Sugar.
3 Clove Kernels.
1/2 lb. Coffee Essence.
3/4 lb. Sugar of Zinc.
2 gr. Bisulphite of Lead.
1 Pint Spirits of Sulphur.
5 gr. Bicarbonate of Saltpetre.
1 oz. Table Salt.

'Three drops to be mixed in a quart of lukewarm water and gently rubbed
into the roots of the blain every five minutes, day and night, until its
disappearance, which, if all went well, should take place in about six
months' time.

'I was sent out at once, without a "please" or "will you kindly" of
course, to the nearest chemist to have the prescription made up. But,
alas! he was unable to do it, as he had only three of the necessary
ingredients in stock,--the bicarbonate of saltpetre, the table salt, and
the hypo. I now went in turn to every chemist in the town, only to find
that not one of them could supply me with _all_ the necessary
ingredients. One perhaps had the tincture of green acorns and the hypo,
while another had all but the coffee essence and the clove kernels. Some
again only had the spirits of sulphur and the sugar of zinc, and so on.
Now, in my despair, I resolved to buy each separate ingredient at a
different store and mix the prescription myself, but, alas! I was no
nearer obtaining it, as no one could supply me with the clove kernels.
Determined to succeed, I visited in succession every town in Sicily, but
not a