to be a mere spurt, but my regular mode of
life for many a month to come. My tea and sugar and milk (Swiss)
come collectively to one penny a day. The loaf is at twopence
three-farthings, and I consume one a day. My dinner consists in
rotation of one third of a pound of bacon, cooked over the gas (twopence
halfpenny), or two saveloys (twopence), or two pieces of fried
fish (twopence), or a quarter of an eightpenny tin of Chicago beef
(twopence). Any one of these, with a due allowance of bread and water,
makes a most substantial meal. Butter I have discarded for the present.
My actual board therefore comes well under sixpence a day, but I am a
patron of literature to the extent of a halfpenny a day, which I
expend upon an evening paper; for with events hurrying on like this in
Alexandria, I cannot bear to be without the news. Still I often reproach
myself with that halfpenny, for if I went out in the evening and looked
at the placards I might save it, and yet have a general idea of what is
going on. Of course, a halfpenny a night sounds nothing, but think of a
shilling a month! Perhaps you picture me as bloodless and pulled down on
this diet! I am thin, it is true, but I never felt more fit in my life.
So full of energy am I that I start off sometimes at ten at night and
walk hard until two or three in the morning. I dare not go out during
the day, you see, for fear that I should miss a patient. I have asked my
mother not to send little Paul down yet until I see my way more clearly.

Old Whitehall came in to see me the other day. The object of his visit
was to invite me to dinner, and the object of the dinner to inaugurate
my starting in practice. If I were the kind old fellow's son he could
not take a deeper interest in me and my prospects.

"By ----, Dr. Munro, sir," said he, "I've asked every ---- man in
Birchespool that's got anything the matter with him. You'll have the
lot as patients within a week. There's Fraser, who's got a touch of
Martell's three star. He's coming. And there's Saunders, who talks about
nothing but his spleen. I'm sick of his ---- spleen! But I asked him.
And there's Turpey's wound! This wet weather sets it tingling, and his
own surgeon can do nothing but dab it with vaseline. He'll be there. And
there's Carr, who is drinking himself to death. He has not much for the
doctors, but what there is you may as well have."

All next day he kept popping in to ask me questions about the dinner.
Should