THE RETURN OF THE EXILES 



&quot; Trying to calculate the amount of anxiety and 

 stress you ve missed ? &quot; he asked. 



&quot; No, I was figuring the gain. It s a pretty 

 nice lump.&quot; 



&quot; I congratulate you,&quot; he said. &quot; When a man 

 can plant his mining stock as the farmer plants 

 his turnips, and doesn t worry, the stock-market 

 will be as healthful as a truck-garden.&quot; 



I did not exult very much. Somebody had 

 somewhere said that good luck always comes to a 

 man when he has lost the zest for it. I did not 

 seem to care so much just at that moment. The 

 good news seemed belated and somehow slightly 

 trivial. 



But the Doctor was exuberant. &quot; I withdraw 

 my prescription,&quot; he said. &quot; You shall go back 

 with me. I think I can trust you now even in 

 the jaws of Wall Street.&quot; 



&quot; I m in no hurry,&quot; I replied. &quot; Gabe brought 

 me over a bunch of winter carnations this morn 

 ing. They were white. It was like a message 

 of high esteem, and I think I ll stay over and 

 stand up with that young wheelwright. But I ll 

 tell you what I ll do, Doctor. I will eat dinner 

 with you at your own house on Easter, if you will 

 promise not to lecture.&quot; 



We sat there and talked it all over, and the 

 Doctor slowly drew out of me an acknowledg 

 ment of moral convalescence. He said I had 

 put on sandals and walked with the mysteries. 

 I dare say he was right. I can only tell how 

 Nature had affected a stranger who took her in 



3 11 



