: "I want you to talk with the
doctor. I just seen him going to see Mrs. Larkum, and that's what made me
hurry you off so soon from my place."

"What do you want me to talk about?" I asked, with some surprise.

"Well, he was looking at Mr. Bowen's eyes the other day, and he says they
can cure him up in New York, so he'll see just as well as ever."

I stood perfectly still in the road, my surprise and gladness making me
forgetful of everything. "Can this be really true?" I gasped.

"It's a fact; he told me so himself the last time he was there, all about
it. I can't just mind all the long words, 'twould take a dictionary to
follow him; but the long and the short of it is that he can go into a big
hospital, mostly for such things; and there's a great doctor there 'll do
it for nothing, provided Mr. Bowen lets a lot of students come and watch.
I guess that's the way the doctors gets their pay from poor folks; and
then, if they die, they have their bodies to cut and hack into. But Mr.
Bowen says they may bring all the people in the city if they want to. He
don't mind how many looks at him while they're fixing his eyes."

"When will he go?"

"I'm afraid that depends on you. We told the doctor so, and he asked what
made a young lady like you set such store by them?"

"What reply did you give?"

"Oh, Mr. Bowen answered for us. He said 'twas because you were one of the
Lord's children or was soon going to be; and one of them rare ones we
read of in books."

"Mr. Bowen is too partial to be a correct judge, I am afraid."

"Well, the doctor kind of thought you'd find it pretty hard to be much of
a Christian at Oaklands; but Mr. Bowen said, not any harder than them
folks what had their heads cut off and were burnt for their religion."

"Not any harder," I said, more to myself than to Mrs. Blake, but ah! how
hard it might be, only God could know.

"But we must plan about Mr. Bowen. Will it cost very, very much?"

"My, no; he's got a good suit of clothes, and that's the most that's
wanted. His fare from here to New York and back 'll be the heft of the
expense."

"If that is all, he shall go to-morrow. I have more than enough money on
hand for that, and a good deal of incidental expense beside."

"I reckon he'll pay you all back; for he was a prime book-keeper before
he lost his eyesight. He's a good scholar, too, and got a first-rate
salary."

"Then he will leave me deeper in debt than ever."

"What for?" she aske