nied by a medical
man accustomed to the charge of the insane. The new doctor declined to
give any definite opinion on the case until he had studied it carefully
with plenty of time at his disposal. It had been accordingly arranged
that he should remove Miserrimus Dexter to the asylum of which he was
the proprietor as soon as the preparations for receiving the patient
could be completed. The one difficulty that still remained to be met
related to the disposal of the faithful creature who had never left her
master, night or day, since the catastrophe had happened. Ariel had no
friends and no money. The proprietor of the asylum could not be expected
to receive her without the customary payment; and Mr. Dexter's brother
"regretted to say that he was not rich enough to find the money." A
forcible separation from the one human being whom she loved, and a
removal in the character of a pauper to a public asylum--such was
the prospect which awaited the unfortunate creature unless some one
interfered in her favor before the end of the week.

Under these sad circumstances, good Mr. Playmore--passing over the
claims of economy in favor of the claims of humanity--suggested that
we should privately start a subscription, and offered to head the list
liberally himself.

I must have written all these pages to very little purpose if it is
necessary for me to add that I instantly sent a letter to Mr. Dexter,
the brother, undertaking to be answerable for whatever money was to
be required while the subscriptions were being collected, and only
stipulating that when Miserrimus Dexter was removed to the asylum, Ariel
should accompany him. This was readily conceded. But serious objections
were raised when I further requested that she might be permitted to
attend on her master in the asylum as she had attended on him in the
house. The rules of the establishment forbade it, and the universal
practice in such cases forbade it, and so on, and so on. However, by
dint of perseverance and persuasion, I so far carried my point as to
gain a reasonable concession. During certain hours in the day, and under
certain wise restrictions, Ariel was to be allowed the privilege of
waiting on the Master in his room, as well as of accompanying him when
he was brought out in his chair to take the air in the garden. For the
honor of humanity, let me add that the liability which I had undertaken
made no very serious demands on my resources. Placed in Benjamin's
cha