es, and, happily, succeeded in producing
a healthy change in the course of a few hours. So urgent had been
the case, that, in attending to it, my mind had lost sight of the
little boy on my first and second visits. As I was leaving the house
on the morning succeeding the day on which I had been called in, I
met him coming along the passage with an armful of wood. The look he
gave me, as he passed, rebuked my forgetfulness, and forced me to
turn back and speak to his master.

"Look here, Maxwell," I said, speaking decidedly, but in a voice so
low that my words could not be heard distinctly by others in the
room--"you must take better care of that boy Bill, or you will get
into trouble."

"How so, doctor? I am not aware that I ill-treat him," returned the
shoemaker, looking up with surprise.

"He is not clothed warmly enough for such weather as this."

"You must be mistaken. He has never complained of not feeling warm."

I took hold of Maxwell's pantaloons. They were made of coarse, thick
cloth, and I perceived that there were thick woollen drawers under
them.

"Take off these heavy trowsers and drawers," said I, and in place of
them put on a pair of half-worn corduroy pantaloons, "and go out of
doors and stand in the rain until you are drenched to the skin. The
experiment will enable you to decide for yourself whether Bill is
warmly enough clad."

I spoke with earnestness. Either my manner, or what I said, produced
a strong effect upon the shoemaker. I could see that I had offended
him, and that he was struggling to keep down a feeling of anger that
was ready to pour itself forth upon me for having presumed to remark
upon and interfere with his business.

"Understand me," said I, wishing to prevent the threatened outbreak
of passion, "I speak as a physician, and my duty as a physician
requires me to do so. The knowledge of, and the experience in
diseases, which I possess, enable me to understand better than other
men the causes that produce them, and to give, as I should give, to
the unthinking, a warning of danger. And this I give to you now."

"All very well, doctor," returned Maxwell, "if you don't raise false
alarms."

"Do you think I have done so in the present case?"

"I don't think any thing about it. I know you have."

"Then you think the lad warmly enough clothed?"

"If I did not think so, I would dress him more warmly."

"You have on three times the thickness of clothing that he has." I
fixed