THE GOOD PHYSICIAN. 135

“Do you not sce now, my dear child, that one of
your feet is quite uscless to you in its present
state; that you are, for the present, in the condi-
tion of one who has only one foot. Now, do you
know how persons who have but one foot walk ?”

“On crutches! oh, papa!’ and Lucy sank back
in her chair, and, covering her face with her
hands, sobbed aloud. Nor did she weep alone.
Mary and Clara wept with her, and, in spite of
all her father’s efforts to scem cheerful, tears
glistened in his eyes, and for some minutes he
strove in vain to speak to Lucy; he could only
soothe her by his tender caresses. As soon as Mr.
Lovett could subdue his emotion, he said, “Lucy,
do you remember our conversation on the great
evils of vanity?’ Luey could not answer, and,
after pausing a moment, Mr. Lovett continued:
“You thought then, that, to destroy so great an
evil, the source cf so much sin and so much suffer-
ing to you, you would be willing to bear any-
thing which God might sce necessary.”

“Oh! but, papa, I never thought of this.”

“Then, Lucy, would you rather keep your
vanity than endure this?” .