wood and run their errands, will never trust me to
look at their tongues and feel their pulses and write prescriptions!"

"That's it, my boy! You've defined the difficulty! And now I'll tell you
what you are to do, Traverse! You must go to the West, my lad!"

"Go to the West, sir--leave my mother--leave you--leave"--he hesitated
and blushed.

"Clara? Yes, my son, you must go to the West, leave your mother, leave
me and leave Clara! It will be best for all parties! We managed to live
without our lad, when he was away at his studies in Washington, and we
will try to dispense with him longer if it be for his own good."

"Ah, sir; but then absence had a limitation, and the hope of return
sweetened every day that passed; but if I go to the West to settle it
will be without the remotest hope of returning!"

"Not so, my boy--not so--for just as soon as Doctor Rocke has
established himself in some thriving western town and obtained a good
practice, gained a high reputation and made himself a home--which, as he
is a fast young man, in the best sense of the phrase--he can do in a
very few years--he may come back here and carry to his western home--his
mother," said the doctor, with a mischievous twinkle of his eyes.

"Doctor Day, I owe you more than a son's honor and obedience! I will go
wherever you think it best that I should," said Traverse, earnestly.

"No more than I expected from all my previous knowledge of you,
Traverse! And I, on my part, will give you only such counsel as I should
give my own son, had heaven blessed me with one. And now, Traverse,
there is no better season for emigration than the spring, and no better
point to stop and make observations at than St. Louis! Of course, the
place of your final destination must be left for future consideration. I
have influential friends at St. Louis to whom I will give you letters."

"Dear sir, to have matured this plan so well you must have been kindly
thinking of my future this long time past!" said Traverse, gratefully.

"Of course--of course! Who has a better right? Now go and break this
plan to your mother."

Traverse pressed the doctor's hand and went to seek his mother. He found
her in his room busy among his clothing. He begged her to stop and sit
down while he talked to her. And when she had done so, he told her the
doctor's plan. He had almost feared that his mother would meet this
proposition with sighs and tears.

To his surprise and pleasure, Mrs. Ro