A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



persistent. A douche was necessary every 

 morning to relieve the severe facial pain. A 

 cough that had worried me by day and by 

 night, and thrived on all kinds of cough medi- 

 cine. Also, my lungs were sore and the palms 

 of my hands were hot and dry. I thought 

 that I was fading away with consumption, but 

 the doctors said my lungs were sound. I was 

 advised to go into the woods and try life in 

 a pine grove. As there was no money for the 

 doctors in this advice, I looked upon it as kind 

 and disinterested, but my mind ran in another 

 direction. 



When I was young and full of notions, the 

 idea entered my head that I should like a 

 change from fresh to salt water. It resulted 

 in a two months' trip on a fishing schooner. 

 During the trip I had been free from seasick- 

 ness, and had gained flesh rapidly. The 

 memory of that sea voyage haunted me, now 

 that I had become sick and discouraged. It 

 seemed to me that a few weeks on salt water 

 would save my life. 



With high hopes, I boarded the little 



