THE DOCTOR'S VISIT.

“MaBeL dear, come downstairs, I want you.” Mabel
went. downstairs very slowly. Usually she hopped and
skipped and jumped downstairs, but this morning she
walked quite solemnly. She knew who was in the
drawing-room, for she had peeped-over the banisters, and
had heard Mary say, “The Doctor, ma’am,” as she showed
a gentleman into the room, And Mabel did not want to
see the Doctor—she did not like Doctors. ‘This is my
little girl,” said her Mother, leading her up to a gentle-
man. The gentleman placed one hand on Mabel’s head,
and looked at her very kindly, but Mabel felt un-
comfortable and unhappy. “He will ask me to put out
my tongue directly,” she thought, and so she put it out
without waiting to. be asked. To her ‘surprise, the
gentleman and her Mother laughed. “It’s a fine tongue,
but I don’t want to see it,” said the gentleman. ‘But
you are the Doctor,” said Mabel. “And a Doctor must
not look at a little girl unless she is ill,” said the gentle-
man. “Very well, here is some medicine.” And_he pulled

out of his pocket a little doll. Then Mabel began to laugh,