" [Ob. 1780.]

"Why no, father, I can't say that I remember the Major; but I know the
picture very well. Does she remind you of him?"

He paused again, until the thoughts came slowly straggling, up to the
point where the question left him. He shook his head solemnly, and
turned his dim eyes on his son's face.

Four generations--four generations; man and wife,--yes, five generations,
for old Selah Withers took me in his arms when I was a child, and called
me 'little gal,' for I was in girl's clothes,--five generations before
this Hazard child I 've looked on with these old eyes. And it seems to
me that I can see something of almost every one of 'em in this child's
face, it's the forehead of this one, and it's the eyes of that one, and
it's that other's mouth, and the look that I remember in another, and
when she speaks, why, I've heard that same voice before--yes, yes as long
ago as when I was first married; for I remember Rachel used to think I
praised Handsome Judith's voice more than it deserved,--and her face too,
for that matter. You remember Rachel, my first wife,--don't you,
Fordyce?"

"No, father, I don't remember her, but I know her portrait." (As he was
the son of the old Doctor's second wife, he could hardly be expected to
remember her predecessor.)

The old Doctor's sagacity was not in fault about the somewhat threatening
aspect of Myrtle's condition. His directions were followed implicitly;
for with the exception of the fact of sluggishness rather than loss of
memory, and of that confusion of dates which in slighter degrees is often
felt as early as middle-life, and increases in most persons from year to
year, his mind was still penetrating, and his advice almost as
trustworthy, as in his best days.

It was very fortunate that the old Doctor ordered Myrtle's hair to be
cut, and Miss Silence took the scissors and trimmed it at once. So,
whenever she got well and was seen about, there would be no mystery about
the loss of her locks,--the Doctor had been afraid of brain fever, and
ordered them to cut her hair.

Many things are uncertain in this world, and among them the effect of a
large proportion of the remedies prescribed by physicians. Whether it
was by the use of the means ordered by the old Doctor, or by the efforts
of nature, or by both together, at any rate the first danger was averted,
and the immediate risk from brain fever soon passed over. But the
impression upon her mind and body h