Page 14 - Fairbrass

more than one obligation to him, and would

have liked to thank him ; but he had every
reason to believe that he would see Dr,

Fairbrass again to-morrow, and so quietly

gave himself up to reflection.
On the whole, the boy was by no means

displeased with the world into which he had

just been born. Glancing round the room,
he saw a bright fire flickering on an old-

fashioned hearth, with comforting-looking
cups, kettles, and such like things, suggest­

ively placed on its out-of-date hobs ; pretty
pictures on brightly papered w^alls ; and the

cleanest, cosiest-looking nurse moving noise­

lessly about and silently attending to a
hundred duties. He knew as he snuggled

to the warm side of his mother that, in spite

of the used up list of favourite names, she
was young, and soft, and sweet and loving,

and that she and he lay on a downy and
daintily-draped bed, and, since he had no

need to be hungry, what could he wish for
more? Nothing, bethought, and was just

contentedly dozing off when he felt his