y settlers who never heard of a diploma, but
nevertheless heal with herbs and bandages, which would excite the
scornful mirth of a clinical student.

Thus began a long season of illness and weakness for the young man, so
recently in the rudest health and strength. It was very new to his
impetuous spirit, and very irksome, to lie all day in the house, not
daring to move the injured limb, and under the shadow of Zack Bunting's
cheerful prediction, that he guessed the young fellar might be a matter
o' six or eight months a-lyin' thar, afore such a big cut healed, ef he
warn't lamed for life.

Reginald chafed and grumbled and sulked for many a day; but the fact
could not be gainsaid; those divided veins and tendons and nerves must
take long to unite again; Mr. Holt found him one morning in such an
unquiet mood.

'Armytage,' said he, after the usual attentions to the wound, 'I suppose
you consider this axe-cut a great misfortune?'

'"Misfortune!"' and he rose on his elbow in one of the fifty positions
he was wont, for very restlessness, to assume. 'Misfortune! I should
think I do: nothing much worse could have happened. Look at the farm,
without a hand on it, going to rack and ruin'--

Rather a highly coloured picture; and Reginald seemed to forget that,
while his limbs were whole, he had devoted them almost entirely to
amusement. Mr. Holt heard him out patiently.

'I should not be surprised if it proved one of the best events of your
life,' he observed; 'that is, if you will allow it to fulfil the object
for which it was sent.'

'Oh, that's your doctrine of a particular providence,' said the other
peevishly, lying back again.

'Yes; my doctrine of a particular providence, taught in every leaf of
the Bible. Now, Armytage, look back calmly over your past life, and
forward, whither you were drifting, and see if the very kindest thing
that could be done for you by an all-wise and all-loving God was not to
bring you up suddenly, and lay you aside, and _force_ you to think.
Beware of trying to frustrate His purpose.'

Mr. Holt went away immediately on saying that, for he had no desire to
amuse Reginald with an unprofitable controversy which might ensue, but
rather to lodge the one truth in his mind, if possible. Young Armytage
thought him queer and methodistical; but he could not push out of his
memory that short conversation. Twenty times he resolved to think of
something else, and twenty times the dismissed idea came