man that we've bin wrecked, anyhow," remarked Morris,
stepping back with an artistic air to survey his handiwork.

"You mean the young doctor," said Joe.

"That's who I mean," returned Morris. "Doctor John Marsh. He's the
only man in the ship that's worth his salt, but I fear he's a doomed
man."

"I hope not, Hugh, though there _are_ one or two men on board worth more
than their salt," said Joe, with a peculiar smile, as he returned to the
care of a large kettle of beans, from which the sailor had called him.

On Otto inquiring what was the matter with the doctor, Joe Binney
explained--

"He's been ill a'most since we left England, owin' to a fall he had in
tryin' to save one o' the child'n as was tumblin' down the after-hatch.
He saved the child, but broke one or two of his own ribs, an' the broken
ends must have damaged his lungs, for, ever since, he's bin spittin'
blood an' wearin' away, till we can hardly believe he's the same stout,
hearty, active young feller that came aboord at Gravesend. Spite of his
hurt he's bin goin' among us quite cheerful-like, doin' the best he
could for the sick; but as Morris says, he looks like a doomed man.
P'r'aps gittin' ashore may do him good. You see, bein' the only doctor
in the ship, he couldn't attend to hisself as well as might be, mayhap."

While Joe and Otto were conversing, the first boat load of emigrants
landed, consisting chiefly of women and children. Dr Marsh was also
among them, in order that, as he said with quiet pleasantry, he might
attend to the sanitary arrangements of the camp in the new land, though
all who saw him quit the wreck were under the sorrowful impression that
the new land would prove to be in his case a last resting-place.

There was something peculiarly attractive in the manly, handsome face of
this young disciple of Aesculapius, worn as it was by long sickness and
suffering, and Otto fell in love with him at first sight.

There can be no doubt that some human beings are so constituted as to
powerfully attract others by their mere physical conformation and
expression, without reference to character or conduct,--indeed, before
character or conduct can possibly be known. And when this peculiar
conformation and expression is coupled with delicacy of health, and
obvious suffering, the attractive influence becomes irresistible. Let
us thank God that such is the case. Blind, unreasoning affection is a
grand foundation on which to build a m