53 



apparently only two days illness, (in which the only 

 prominent sign was convulsions), and being desirous 

 of preserving the skin, sent the body to a bird stufifer, 

 subsequently receiving from this person the informa- 

 tion that every organ in the body was healthy except 

 the liver, which was gangrenous. He then passed 

 these data on to myself, in hopes that they might 

 prove a sufficient guide to an opinion on my part as to 

 the primary cause of the trouble, and hinted at the 

 probability of poison. He knew quite well that from 

 any one of a dozen or two gentlemen who are always 

 ready for such emergencies, he could have readily 

 obtained a cathedral decision on the point, including 

 a confirmation of his somewhat improbable suggestion 

 of poison, and so it was natural enough for him to 

 expect at least something from a medical man in the 

 same direction. 



My answer however was brief, and to the effect 

 that the taxidermist's statement was too stupid and 

 silly for me to found any corollary upon it. And now 

 comes a point worth our consideration. My corres- 

 pondent seems to have thought — I don't say he 

 actually did — that I was rather uncharitable, for he 

 tells me that he felt obliged to the birdstuffer for 

 helping him as far his knowledge went, and that for 

 his part he did not view with contempt his having 

 given the best information he could. Of course no 

 one can have a word to say against this attitude. It 

 does infinite credit to my correspondent's heart : the 

 pity is, that when he asked for bread, he got but a 

 stone : the greater pity is that he did not realise 

 beforehand that from such a source he would get only 

 a stone when he wanted bread. 



