if they
only think that you can cure them. Once get that idea into their
heads, and you may live in a vacant stall in a stable and write your
prescriptions on the manger. Still, as this was, for many a day to
come, to be the only furnished room in my house, it was worth a little
planning to get it set out to the best advantage.

My red drugget I laid out in the centre, and fastened it down with
brass-headed nails. It looked much smaller than I had hoped,--a little
red island on an ocean of deal board, or a postage stamp in the middle
of an envelope. In the centre of it I placed my table, with three
medical works on one side of it, and my stethoscope and dresser's case
upon the other. One chair went with the table, of course; and then I
spent the next ten minutes in trying to determine whether the other
two looked better together--a dense block of chairs, as it were--or
scattered so that the casual glance would get the idea of numerous
chairs. I placed them finally one on the right, and one in front of
the table. Then I put down my fender, and nailed "Spring," "The Banjo
Players," and "Windsor Castle" on to three of the walls, with the mental
promise that my first spare half-crown should buy a picture for the
fourth. In the window I placed my little square table, and balanced upon
it a photograph with an ivory mounting and a nice plush frame which I
had brought in my trunk. Finally, I found a pair of dark brown curtains
among the job lot which I had bought at the sale, and these I put up and
drew pretty close together, so that a subdued light came into the room,
which toned everything down, and made the dark corners look furnished.
When I had finished I really do not believe that any one could have
guessed that the total contents of that room came to about thirty
shillings.

Then I pulled my iron bed upstairs and fixed it in the room which I had
from the first determined upon as my bedchamber. I found an old packing
case in the yard--a relic of my predecessor's removal--and this made a
very good wash-hand stand for my basin and jug. When it was all fixed up
I walked, swelling with pride, through my own chambers, giving a touch
here and a touch there until I had it perfect. I wish my mother could
see it--or, on second thoughts, I don't; for I know that her first act
would be to prepare gallons of hot water, and to holystone the whole
place down, from garret to cellar--and I know by my own small experience
what that mea