was downright ill. Then a big doctor came to see
him an' made them take it off. He talked to th'
other doctor quite rough -- in a polite way. He
said there'd been too much medicine and too much
lettin' him have his own way."

"I think he's a very spoiled boy," said Mary.

"He's th' worst young nowt as ever was!"
said Martha. "I won't say as he hasn't been ill
a good bit. He's had coughs an' colds that's
nearly killed him two or three times. Once he
had rheumatic fever an' once he had typhoid.
Eh! Mrs. Medlock did get a fright then. He'd
been out of his head an' she was talkin' to th'
nurse, thinkin' he didn't know nothin', an' she said,
'He'll die this time sure enough, an' best thing
for him an' for everybody.' An' she looked at
him an' there he was with his big eyes open, starin'
at her as sensible as she was herself. She didn't
know what'd happen but he just stared at her an'
says, 'You give me some water an' stop talkin'.'"

"Do you think he will die?" asked Mary.

"Mother says there's no reason why any child
should live that gets no fresh air an' doesn't do
nothin' but lie on his back an' read picture-books
an' take medicine. He's weak and hates th' trouble
o' bein' taken out o' doors, an' he gets cold
so easy he says it makes him ill."

Mary sat and looked at the fire.

[[176]]

p175 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p176w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p177

v?