38 History of Gutta-Percha Willie,

was a boy of this kind. I don’t care to write about
boys and girls, or men and women, who are not
growing the right way. They are not interesting
enough to write about.

But he was not the only one to grow: Agnes
grew as well; and the more Willie grew capable of
helping her, the more he found Agnes required of
him. It was a long time, however, before he knew
how much ,he was obliged to Agnes for requiring
so much of him, /

She grew and grew until she was capable of a
doll; when of course a doll was given her—not a
new one just bought, but a most respectable old
doll, a big one that had been her mother’s when she
was a little girl, and which she had: been wise
enough to put in her trunk before she left her
mother’s house to go home with Mr Macmichael.
She made some new clothes for it now, and Tibby
made a cloak and bonnet for her to wear when she
went out of doors. But it struck Willie that her
shoes, which were only of cloth, were very unfit for
walking, and he thought that in a doctor’s family
it was something quite amazing that, while head
and shoulders were properly looked after, the feet
should remain utterly neglected. It was clear that
must be his part in the affair ; it could not be any-
body else’s, for in that case some one else would
have attended to it. He must see about it,

I think I have said before that Willie knew almost