A Girl in Ten Thousand

ffie. If you make up your mind to

with horse-hair, the room had a faded paper, and faded chintz covered the shabby furniture. The woman's plead

hout you, and what w

d to you, mother,-I love you more than words can say,-but I mus

ese ideas until you

glad. She says that nothing has made Dorothy into so fine a woman as taking her life into her own hands, and making the best she can of it. Befor

ery young, remember, and is at school most of the day. I won'

She was a dark-eyed girl, and looked as if she might be any age between seventeen and twenty. There was a likeness between her and her mother quite sufficient to sho

nton, "it fills me with terror

ant to go very much indeed. I am going to talk to father abou

ees by the sofa and threw one youn

thy talks of the full life, the keen interest, the battle,

s which all mothers know, when they put themselves completely out of sight, whe

d, and her words came

l, is this, Effie: What

he be proud and pleased when I come home and tell him all about the new ways in which things are done in London hospitals? You know there are six of us, and Agnes and Katie are growing up, and can take my place at home presently. Of course I know that father is quite the cleverest doctor in Whittington, but nobody

ll never have it to say that your mother stood in your way. I must think, however, of what your father will say to this. I can only warn you that if there is one person your father dreads and dislikes more than another, it is the mo

will do something to earn my living. You are sending George ou

rs. Staunton. "You kno

se, mother. May she come and s

go upstairs and help Susan to put the children to bed. You can bring baby downstairs

answer me one question first. May Dor

seeing her? Your father

ther to stay i

ple over at the farm. Mrs. Watson was taken bad with a stitch

Anyhow, Dorothy can come and see you, and if father does come in before

hildren to bed first

yes, if yo

erfectly dreadful to feel all your strength going and to know that things are at sixes and sevens, and however hard you try you

Now, don't speak another word. I will put the children to bed, and I w

ips on the older woman's brow,

not up to her duties-the children ruled her, instead of her ruling the children. Effie, however, could be masterful enough when she liked. She had a natural sense of order,

pper," she said. "I w

uld like me to take bab

Mother is tired, and she must sleep. Run away, Susan, and

obliged to you. You 'as a wonderful way with

was three months old; he was fractious and disinclined to sleep, but when his sister began to purr a soft song into his ear, an

his cot, drew the cot near the crib where Philip, a dark-eye

us that mother should have a quiet time; she is just worn out, and if she hears baby cry she is certain to send for him.

in a voice of intense importance

e room. She ran downstairs, and bega

fe. A feeling of discontent had stolen over her ever since her eldest brother George had gone to London, to help his uncle in a large warehouse. For months the dream of her life was to give up the little duties near at hand, and to take some great duties which nobody wanted her to do, far away from home. She was quite prepared for the advice which her friend Dorothy Fraser, who lived a

she took up a little frock of one of the children's, and, sitting down by the window, began to work. Her pretty dark head was bent over her task

e said, with a little sigh; "I am ever so much the

ther; he is in his cot now,

Effie! What a comf

father coming in," she said,

; she pushed back her tumbled hair, an

ake you trim,

hair with an affectionate little touch, and

or your nice sleep

for your loving care,

room, and she took her p

the day was supposed to be over, and Dr. Staunton could eat heartily and enjoy himself. It was at this hour he used to notice how very pretty Effie looked, and how sweet it was to see her sitting like a little mouse on one side of the table, helping him and his wife in her affectionate way, and seeing to the comforts of all. It did not occur to him as even possible that Effie could carry such a dreadful

you have not forgotten my favorite dish, and I am glad of it, for I can tell you I am just starvi

inquired Mrs. Staunton. "They sent a

poor soul; but it is a bad case, the heart is a good deal implicated. I shall have to go out there again

heart trouble?" s

h my rule of saying nothing about my patients? You will be fancying and fretting all night that you are going to shuffle off this mortal coil just

, and the sudden memory of her rec

ening, John, Effie would like to ask her friend Dorothy Fraser t

modern girls, is she

," said Effie. "If you only knew

e few prodigies in the world, my little Effie; and, for my part, give me the home birds-they are the girls for my world; they are the girls who will make good w

d beat, as she expressed it. Effie had to keep this knowledge of her friend's delinquencies to herself. If Dr. Staunton knew that Dorothy did not consider smoking the unpardonable sin in woman, he wou

at her husband. "I doubt if Dorothy Fras

his pipe out of his mouth for

very fond of her, and I believe she really is a fine

ng-how does she

St. Joseph's Hospital for years, and is now superin

mewhat impatient way. "You know my opinion o

sake. I hear the steps of the two girls now. You

e head, when I see women who ought to be content with sweet

ps before the dining-room door was opened, and E

gray, her mouth sweet. She had a way of taking possession of those she spoke to, and she had not been two minutes in the sh

t near Mrs

id, after a pause. "Effie has talked

u have known Effie?" i

am going to stay another week. I met Effie the night I came home, and-- But

us voice. "I am slow in making friends myself.

lk, I see so many of them at the hospital. For my part, I think they are worth twenty of those

ld tell us something about the hospital, my dear. It

so I would rather, if you please, turn our conversation to people who are not ill. The wife here is a bit nervous, too, and she is never the better for hearing people talk about what they call 'bad cases.' I think it is the worst thing in the

talking. A slight frown came between her eyebrows.

after a pause; "but I won't talk of it. There a

Staunton, "Miss Fraser can tell

s a fine lady through it all; she thinks she is not, but she is. Do you suppose she will wash up the cups and plates and spoons as they ought to be washed and kept in a sick person's room? and do you fancy she will clean out the grate, and go down on her knees to wash the floor? Your fine lady nurse won't. There is a case o

pale while the do

t like that. If you have an infection case in your practice, send for me. I think I can prove to you that there are some

herself. "He despises ladies who are nurses; he thinks it wrong for any lady girl to go away from home; but I am going-yes, I am going to London. Dorothy is my friend. She is about the grandest, noblest creature I ever met, and I am going to follow in her steps. Mother will consent in the end-mother will see that I cannot throw away my life. Dear mother! I shall miss her

r to see who it was. She recognized the man who stood on the doorstep with a start of surprise, and the color flew into her face. He was the young Squire of the neighborhood. His name was Harvey. His place was two miles out of Whittington. He was married; his wife was the most beautiful woman

e night-bell? Are you g

yes," answere

fie stood trembling on the landing; she felt positiv

ou are coming, father?" she cal

ld. Say I will be do

he chain off the heavy ha

's white trembling face. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair

a voice as she could assume; "my

ook off

e as quick as possible. My little girl is ill-very ill. We w

m," said the hearty voice of

Effie stood by the open hall door looking up and down the quiet village street. The great man of the place had come and gone like a flash. The thing Mrs. Staunton had longed for, dreamed of, and almos

ed to go over and see her friend; she knew she must not do that, however. She shut the hall door, and went slowly back to her bedroom. She wanted to sleep, but sleep was far away. She lay listening during the long hours of the summer n

"I want you; dress yours

word. She scrambled into her clothes-he waited for her on the landing. Whe

sturbed," he said. "There is a very

, father?"

theria. The child will have an awful fight for her life, and at t

she is the only c

ull her through if possible. Now, look here: I can send to London, of course, for a nurse, but she

re she would,

ll 'spring heat.' The folly of some people is enough to drive any reasonable man to despair. They send for the doctor, forsooth, when the child is almost in the grip of death! I have managed to relieve her a bit during the night, but I must have the services of a good nurse at once. Go over and awake Miss Fraser, Effie, and bring her to see me. If she has the pluck she gave me to understand she had, she will come in as a stop-gap until I get somebody else. And now, look here: the case is so infectious,