A Homœopathic Dose.

"Oh , Doctor , only fancy ! I his is worse than anything What do you think Sybil has taken into her head ? She wants to be a hospital nurse ! Did you ever hear anything like it ? What are we to do ? Do stop her ! Tell her all about the nasty , horrid patients—and the bad language they use . They do use bad language , don't they , Doctor ? She'll

believe vow . I have said all I could . When I tell her what a terribly middle-class aspiration it is she replies that Lad y Helen Whitestone is a nurse , and she is the daughter of a duke . But , of course , the Whitestones are a clever famil y , and clever people are always odd ; but if they have rank or

money people forgive them for being clever . But poor Sybil can't afford to be clever—not that sort of cleverness , I mean . Of course , amusingness , now , that would be so different ! If only she were smart and witty I'm sure Sir George would have proposed long ago . That is what you men like—amusingness . "

" Well , you see , we are dull dogs , some of us , and we like to be brightened up from outside , " said the Doctor . " No doubt that is why the music-hall stage has furnished us with so many peeresses . Many of us believe slang to be a synonym for wit , and when we are with pert and lively people we

often think that we ourselves are lively too . But Sybil has rarer qualities , clear Lady Fareham . Please don't regret that she isn't ' smart . ' " "Well , it's sweet of you to say so . But do dissuade her from this mad idea . "

Doctor Lonsdale found Sy bil after a while , and easily got her consent to a quiet talk . " I won't keep you very long from that gay crowd , " he said . " I would rather you did keep me , " said Sy bil . " I wish they would all go away . I ' m quite tired of what is called

'Society . ' I never did like it much , and now I am sure that I hate it . " " This is only your third season , is it not ?" " Yes , and I want it to be my last . I saw you talking to mother . I suppose she was telling you ?" " She was . She says you want to give up the world and

become a hospital nurse . Is it because you feel an overwhelming vocation for nursing ?" " I have always liked my friends better when they were ill than when they were well , " said Sybil , smiling ; " always . But it isn ' t only that ; I am fond of nursing and I think I

could do it really well ; but—¦— but 1 want to get away from all this" —she looked vaguely round the room . "You could help me , Doctor , if you would . " He followed her glance . He saw Sir George in the distance and fancied her eye rested upon him for a moment .

A quite new idea occurred to him . Hitherto he had always supposed that Sir George's indifference had been the only bar to Lady Fareham's matrimonial plans . Now for the first time it struck him that it might be the other way . Perhaps

after all it was Sybil , not George , who was reluctant . That would help to explain both Sir George ' s disgust with life , and S y bil ' s with her home . He felt as if the sun had begun shining in the middle of the night . He had so long believed as the world believed , and had crushed away his own worship for the

sweetnatured girl he had known and appreciated from her childhood . " I think I understand , " he said gently . " They are worrying you to do something ' you don ' t want to do , is that it ? " She looked at him blankly .

" You want to get away from everyone here . From these stupid crowds , from your mother—above all from poor Sir George . " The girl flushed a deep crimson . " He doesn't care for me , " she murmured .

Dr . Lonsdale noted the ( lush , the downcast eyes , the twisting hands . He saw that the popular belief was the right one . The sunshine died out of his heart . The world seemed

full of disappointed , dissatisfied people , all at cross purposes one with another . If only Sir George could have cared for this girl who loved him both these unhappy people might have been happy ; and as for himself—but Doctor Lonsdale was not a man to waste much pity on himself . "Well , I will do what I can to help you . Would you like

to try the life first in a nursing home ? You would see a little of what nursing is , and what sort of work would be required of you , and you could find out whether you really have a vocation or not . " " Oh , Doctor , how good of you ! How shall I ever thank you ? And will you persuade mother ? " " I feel rather like Balaam as it is . " said the Doctor . " I

was sent to curse and I have stayed to bless . But I don't believe in coercion . It is better for people to learn by experience when possible , and to follow their own bent where it is wholesome . I will do my best to persuade your mother . " " Lonsdale , " said Sir George , a few minutes later , " I want

you to come home with me . I want you to witness something . " The doctor made no reply . Silently he followed Sir George into his carriage . In silence they drove through the dark , quiet streets .

" I suppose , " said Sir George , as they entered his handsome library , " that you thought I was merely bluf / ing this evening at the club for the entertainment of those fools . You are wrong . I announced my intention of quitting a world that bores me , so that there might be no nonsense about

unsound mind and temporary insanity to poison the future of my family . They would all think they were in daily danger of going mad unless I make it very clear and public that I die because I choose to and not because I am mad . It seems

Ad02501

CITYOFLONDONTRUSSSOCIETY, 35 , FINSBURY SQUARE :, E . C . INSTITUTED 1807 . Patron—HIS MAJESTY THE KING . Vice-Patron—H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES , K . G . TKI :. \ SI ; ; KK—JOHN NOKBURY , Eso . HANKERS—LLOYDS' HANK , LIMITED , 72 , Lombard Street , The Onjjicr OK THIS CJIAKITV is to relieve such poor persons throughout tho Kingdom as are afflicted with rupture hy providing ( hem gratuitously with Surgical advice , with Trusses for every kind of Rupture , with handages and other instruments for all cases of prolapsus , and by performing every necessary operation in connection with Hernia . About 10 . 000 Sufferers are annually supplied with the Instruments required for their relief . SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SOCIETY OVER HALF A MILLION PATIENTS ( 574 , 600 ) HAVE BEEN BENEFITEDAdditional Funds arc greatly needed ID meet the increasing demands on the Charity . Premises , recently enlarged , now provide a long-needed separate entrance and waiting-room for female patients , and there is a female attendant for them . AN ANNUAL SUHSCKIPTIOS OK ONJ ; GUINEA entitles to Four Letters of Recommendation . A LIKE Si'HscKii'Tiox oi ' - FIVE GriNKAS entitles to Two Letters annually ; and TEN GUINEAS , Four Letters . Donations , Subscriptions and Bequests are earnestly solicited , and will be gratefully received by the Hankers , LLOYDS' HANK , Limited , 72 , Lombard Street ; or by the Secretary , at the Offices of the Society . " JOHN WHITTING-TON , Secretary . FORM OF BEQUEST . — ' I give to I ' m ; CITY OF LONDON I ' KUSS SOCIETY , Finsbury Scpiare , London , the sum of free ° t Legacy Duty , to be paid out of such part of my Estate as I may bequeath to charitable uses , as soon as may be possible after my decease . '