WYLDER'S HAJVD.
409
But, determined to brave all, she went down to see Dolly
and the Vicar at home.
Poor Dolly was tired; she had been sitting up all night
with sick little Fairy. He was better to-day; but last
night he had frightened them so, poor little man! he be-
gan to rave about eleven o'clock; and more or less his
little mind continued wandering until near six, when he
fell into a sound sleep, and seemed better for it.
So Rachel first made her visit to little man, sitting up
in his bed, very pale and thin, and looking at her, not
with his pretty smile, but a languid, earnest wonder, and
not speaking. How quickly and strikingly sickness tells
upon children. Little man's frugal store of toys, chiefly
the gifts of pleasant Rachel, wild beasts, Noah and his sons,
and part of a regiment of foot soldiers, with the usual re-
turn of broken legs and missing arms, stood peacefully
mingled upon the board across his bed which served as a
platform.
But little man was leaning back; his fingers, once so
busy, lay motionless on the coverlet, and his tired eyes
rested on the toys with a joyless, earnest apathy.
"He looks better — a little better, don't you think;
just a little better?" whispered his mamma, looking as all
the rest were, on that wan, sad little face.
But he really looked worse.
"Well, he can't look better, you know, dear, till there's
a decided change. What does Doctor Buddle say?"
"He saw him yesterday morning. He thinks it is all
from his stomach, and he's feverish; no meat.- Indeed he
won't eat anything, and you see the light hurts his eyes."
There was only a chink of the shutter open.
"Dolly, darling, you and nurse must be so tired sitting
up. I have a little wine at Redman's Farm. I got it,
you remember, more than a year ago, when Stanley said
18