oon
clear.

"What have you been doing to yourself?" he said to Faith with the
kindly, familiar manner which had grown up between them.

"Taking good care,"--she said, in smiling answer to his question.

"Who took the care? yourself?"

"Yes."

"I thought so."

"Why, Dr. Harrison?"

"Excuse me," said he. "Anybody else would have done it better."

"No," said she shaking her head,--"you are wrong."

"You have been--" said he, looking at her,--"you have been 'doing your
duty' too hard."

"Can one do that, Dr. Harrison?"

"Certainly!"

"I haven't been doing it this time."

"Do you remember," he said sitting down by her and lowering his
voice,--"what you said once about the flowers of the wilderness?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to see some of them?"

"In the wilderness?"

"No," said he smiling. "I can shew you one family of them, by their
portraits, here--to-night."

"I would like to see them in the wilderness or anywhere!" said Faith.

"Then if you'll come with me"--

And the next thing was Dr. Harrison's walking off the black silk and
winterberries before all the eyes of the people and through one room
after another, till a little one-side room was reached which was not a
thoroughfare to anything. In this little room was a table and a lamp
upon it, and also several very large thin books. There was also, which
was singular, a very comfortable easy chair. In this Dr. Harrison
installed his charge close by the table, and drew up one of the volumes.

"I am going to introduce to you," he said, "the whole family of the
Rhododendrons."

"Rhododendron?"--said Faith. "I never saw them."

"It is their loss," said the doctor; "but here they are."

It was as he said;--the whole family of the plant, in the most superb
style of portraiture and presentation. Full size and full colour; one
of the most magnificent of such works. Faith had never seen a
Rhododendron, and even in her dreams had never visited a wilderness
where such flowers grew. Her exquisite delight fully satisfied Dr.
Harrison, and quite kept her attention from herself and the fact of her
being shut off from the rest of the company. Now and then one and
another would drop in and look at what they were about, with curiosity
if not with sympathy; but Rhododendrons were not alluring to most of
the people, nor to say truth was Dr. Harrison. With most urbane
politeness he dispersed any desire to remain and look over his
proceedings which might have