as her nose, when she talked,--"she lost her sight by studying too
hard, and then getting cold in her eyes."

"She was always a master hand to study," put in Mr. Brooks.

Maria looked as if she wanted to run and hide. She did not like to have
her father praise her before people.

"Yes," said Mrs. Brooks, setting a chair straight; "and by and by the
_leds_ began to draw together, and she couldn't keep 'em open; and there
was such a pain in her eyes, too, that I had to be up nights, bathing
'em in all kinds of messes."

"_Don't_ her nose jiggle?" whispered Fly to Horace.

"Of course you took her to a good physician?"

"Well, yes; we thought he was good. We went to three, off and on, but
she kept growing worse and worse. It was about the time her father was
hurt, and we spent an awful sight on her, till we couldn't spend any
more."

"And it was all a cheat and a swindle," exclaimed Mr. Brooks,
indignantly. "We'd better have spent the money for a horsewhip, and
whipped them doctors with it!"

"Don't, pa, don't! You see, Mrs. Allen, he gets so excited about it he
don't know what he says."

"I wonder you did not take her to the City Hospital, Mrs. Brooks. There