most successful close, when coming down
one morning, rather late, to breakfast
(for I had felt a little indisposed) my
niece received me with an exclamation of
horror.

"My dear uncle, what ever is the
matter? Why good heavens! dear, you are
green!"

"Literally, or figuratively?"

"Don't laugh, dear! Look, Harry." And
she burst into tears.

My nephew looked at me gravely, and
rang the bell.

"Whether you like it or not, my dear
uncle, I shall send for our neighbour, Dr.
Courtney. The doctor — instantly," he
added, to the servant who answered his
summons.

In the mean time, I had ascertained
that my countenance, throat, and, in fact
as far as I could see, had assumed the
colour of a green caterpillar, accidentally
boiled.

Dr. Courtney was with us, almost before
I had completed my self-examination. After
a moment, he drew me apart.

"Do you want the truth?"

"My dear sir, what else?"

"You've been poisoned!"

My heart certainly gave a throb.

"What have you been swallowing?"

"Nothing but what, I am grieved to say,
every one else has partaken of."

The physician shook his head, as in
doubt of that,

"Pray go to your room, and to bed. I
will be with you again, within a quarter of
an hour. Meanwhile, endeavour, I beg of
you, to remember everything you have
recently taken."

Feeling myself becoming seriously ill, I
obeyed his directions, in all but the last.
I could not, however, remember having
partaken of anything my friends had not.

Dr. Courtney quickly returned, and
administered such counter agents as he deemed
best.

"I don't conceal from you," he said,
"that I am groping somewhat in the dark.
The nature of the poisonous matter you
have swallowed is not revealed by the
symptoms with sufficient accuracy. But
we will do our best. You are no worse, I
find."

"I—I don't know," said I, faintly. "I
think I could sleep a little."

"You shall. But, first, take this."

This was something of so nauseous a
character, that I begged for something to
remove the flavour.

"Bit o' crockydile!" sobbed Babs, who
was crying by the door. "I fetch it."

"No, no, my love," cried Mattie, entering
at the moment, " that would make poor
unky worse. It's poison."

"I eat good bit, whole tail!" cried Babs,
exultingly.

Mattie uttered a wild shriek, and caught
him in her arms. But at that instant,
the nurse entered with the crocodile in
question. It was an effigy, in chalk and
sugar, of that interesting saurian. The
doctor caught it from her, and applied his
tongue.

"There's no harm, here, my dear lady,"
he remarked.

"See, he has licked off all the green,
which is a deadly poison," gasped the
mother.

"No, I didn't!" shouted Babs; "I
scrape off pitty green, for unky, and put it in
his beer!"

"Hurrah!" exclaimed Dr. Courtney.
"Then I see my way! All has been done
rightly, so far. I know the composition of
this filth, and will gage my right hand that
we cancel its effects."

We did so, under Providence, and this
was the last time I had to complain of my
godson's "little ways."

Now Ready, price 5s. 6d., bound in green cloth,
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