le degree,
to its mother's overstrain of mind and body, the baby pined and drooped,
and, spite of medicine, prayers, and tears, soon closed its weary eyes
on a world which had used it but roughly, to wing its way into a land
unclouded by sin or sorrow.

How keenly he felt the loss of his child the doctor dared not say,
especially to his wife, entertaining as he did a painful misgiving that
she had hardly done her duty by it; while on the mother's heart there
rested an abiding burden, made doubly heavy by a dreadful consciousness
of neglect on her part--a burden which no lapse of time could ever
wholly remove. Thus a stationary shadow brooded over that home where
all might have been unclouded sunshine.

Dr Prosser was disappointed; for he had hoped to find in his wife, not
merely or chiefly an intellectual and highly educated companion, but one
in whose society he could entirely unbend--one who would make his home
bright by causing him to forget for a while science and the busy whirl
of the world in the beautiful womanly tendernesses which rejoice a
husband's heart, and smooth out the wrinkles from his brow.

It was, then, as a disappointed man that Dr Prosser sat with his feet
on the drawing-room polished fender with his chair tilted back. Moodily
gazing at the cheerless fire, he had become sunk deep in absorbing
meditation, when a rushing step on the stairs roused him from his
reverie, and scattered for the time all painful thoughts.

"My dear, dear John, how delighted I am to see you back; I hardly
expected you so soon!" exclaimed Agnes Prosser, after exchanging a most
loving salutation with her husband.

"Why, I thought," was the answer, with somewhat of reproach in its tone,
"that you knew I should be here this afternoon."

"Oh yes; but hardly so soon. Well, I am so sorry; it was too bad not to
be at home to welcome you. And, I declare, they've nearly let the fire
out. What can that stupid boy have been about? And the room in such
confusion too! Well, dearest, you shan't find it so again. Just ring
the bell, please, and we'll make ourselves comfortable.--William," to
the boy who answered the summons, "bring up a cup of tea, and a glass of
sherry, and the biscuit box.--You'll like a cup of tea, John.--And, by-
the-by, William, tell Mrs Lloyd I should like dinner half an hour
earlier.--You won't mind dinner at half-past five to-day, dearest?"

"No, my dear Agnes, not if it is more convenient to yourself