up and down. It would be very poor economy to
save a few pounds, and be worried to death. You have no idea how
difficult it is to get any rest when you are the mother of a family.
One day--I've often intended to tell you about this, and make you
laugh!--you know how you have told me how lonely and sad you feel when
_you_ are ill, and lie all day alone in your room, never seeing a soul
except when your meals are brought up. _Well_, at the beginning of this
attack I awoke one morning with a crashing headache. I struggled up,
hoping it would go off after breakfast, but it grew worse. Robert
brought me in here and tucked me up on the sofa, and ordered a `quiet
day.' He said it was such a comfort to think that I _could_ be quiet,
and need do nothing but lie still and rest. He could not have borne to
go away and leave me ill if he had not been sure of that. Dear, blind
bat! He had not been gone five minutes when cook arrived for `orders.'
There was nothing in the house except the bit of mutton, and she thought
that was going bad. Would I like to look at it? She stood there gazing
before her in that calm, detached way they have--it is so maddening!--
never making one single suggestion, while I wrestled with it all--
children's dinner, kitchen dinner, dining-room dinner, kitchen supper,
to-morrow's breakfast... I was so worn out that I forgot all about my
own lunch. So did she! After she went it took about ten minutes before
the horrible throbbing in my head calmed down to what it had been
before, and by that time nurse appeared to say that Joyce had some spots
on her chest, and did I think it was wise for her to go out? Would I be
able to keep her for an hour while she promenaded with Lorna? Lorna got
so fratchety if she was in all day. I investigated the spots. I sent
for the doctor, and said they were _all_ to stay in, and nurse was
cross, and slammed the doors all day long. I lay down again, and
sniffed smelling-salts, till cook came back to say the fishman was very
sorry, but he _had_ no smelts, and what would I have instead? After
that I slept for a good quarter of an hour, till a parcel arrived with
tenpence to pay. I had only a sovereign in my purse, and no one had
change. There was nothing for it but to get the keys and go upstairs to
my bureau. After that the piano-tuner arrived. He comes once a
quarter, and picks his visits with demoniacal cunning for the very
_worst_ times in the whole three m