to receive sentence. She was using the brief
interval of the doctor's approach in attempts to
nerve herself for whatever she might be called
upon to hear.

The doctor entered, with a gait and aspect
that completely justified Miss Serocold's criticism,
and Polly turned her white face to him in
silence, leaving to her friend the duty of explaining
the reason of the summons.

After announcing that he could discover
nothing beyond the traces of a slight nervous
attack, and giving such directions as seemed
needful, he took his hat, and prepared to withdraw.
Then Polly took courage.

"I— I beg your pardon, Mr. Hartshorne, your
patient, Mr.— Mr. Haggerdorn, is——"

"Hm," said the doctor. "Permit me once
more." (He felt her pulse.) "Yes. Good
morning."

"And— the— young gentleman?"

"I beg your pardon? Young——"

"Miss Humpage alludes to our neighbour,
Mr. Arthur Haggerdorn," explained my aunt.

Mr. Hartshorne shook his head.

"Ah! Sad— sad."

And again he offered to retire.

"You have just left the house, I think, sir.
Pray let us know."

"And a melancholy house it is, ma'am," said
the little doctor, with a countenance black as
night. "She will miss him terribly. A kind
soul is Mistress Ascroft. She cried herself
almost into a fit."

"Good gracious, sir! Do you mean us to
understand that the poor young man——"

"I wish you to understand, my clear madam,
that the day to which this poor boy has looked
forward so long and earnestly, with such singular
earnestness, like a prisoner for freedom," said
the little doctor, almost solemnly, " has at length
arrived. Yes, Miss Humpage, since you
condescend to take some kind of interest in this
young orphaned stranger, let me announce to
you thaty he is gone—Eh! my dear little girl—
what is this? " concluded the doctor, in a very
different tone, as Polly-my-Lamb sunk suddenly
forward on his shoulder in a dead swoon.

Eagerly did he direct Miss Serocold in the
application of restoratives, and with an almost
paternal solicitude watch their effect, till a faint
colour revisited her cheek, and the eyelids
quivered with awakening life. Then he placed
her gently on a sofa, enjoined silence for ten
minutes, and, half drawing the curtains, turned
to hold a whispered colloquy with Miss Serocold.

"Does she suffer frequently from these little
attacks?" he inquired.

"Little attacks! Oh, doctor, doctor," sobbed
the lady, " how could you be so sudden?"

"Sudden!"

"Death is sufficiently dreadful— but, to be informed
thus abruptly——"

"Death, madam!" exclaimed the doctor, forgetting
his own injunctions of silence.

"Why— did you not tell us that the poor boy
was 'gone?'"

"Gone!" shouted the doctor. "Yes. To
Greenwich."

"Green——" faltered my aunt.

"—wich. It's his birthday. He is greatly
improved in health, and we had promised him,
if all went well, a walk this day in Greenwich
Park. So, about one o'clock (he would
not go before), we put him into a chair; and
now, I take it, he is gliding down the Thames,
not the Styx, with old Joyce, my waterman, for
Charon, and one of my steadiest nurses for
companion, gay as any lark."

"But you said Mrs. Ascroft was almost in a
fit from sorrow."

"Pardon, my good lady; I might have said
from joy. She was overcome with delight in
witnessing the pleasure of her favourite at
being able once again to breathe fresh country
air, and wander under the waving trees. She
misses him for the moment, as I said, but
looks forward to his return home this evening
with renovated strength, and is busying herself
in preparing a little treat to celebrate the
day. Good night, my dear young lady," he
continued, in the gentlest tone, as he approached
Polly, " I see that you have no further need of
doctor or nurse. Am I right?"

Polly looked at him once, blushed, hesitated,
smiled, and frankly gave him her little hand.

He withdrew.

Miss Serocold whispered, as she followed him
out, "There is nothing to fear?"

"Nothing in the world," said Mr. Hartshorne,
quietly.

METEORIC STONES.

THE statements made by Livy, Herodotus, and
others, regarding the fall of meteoric stones from
space to the surface of the earth, were a century
ago discredited by those who were then considered
to be the authorities in all matters relating to
science; but the publication of Chladni's pamphlet,
of Izarn's work, Des Pierres Tombées du
Ciel, and Howard's paper, published in the
Philosophical Transactions, led to a more intelligent
consideration of the subject, and the evidence
was found to be so strong in favour of the assertion
that such stones had reached our planet as
hardly to admit of question. There are so many
recorded instances that it would not be possible
to do more here than mention the chief of
them.

On the 13th of November, 1799, meteoric
stones fell in such profusion that the heavens
seemed to be raining fire. This phenomenon
was witnessed from points of the earth widely
separated. The Moravian missionaries in Greenland
passed several hours in looking at the splendid
spectacle; and Humboldt describes the
appearance it presented to him in South America.
For four hours, he says, there was not a space in