I am expecting her back any day now. I can hardly wait to see
what answer she has brought from him. It is already almost the
last week of August. I do hope nothing has happened to her on
the way."

"But why do the animals and birds come to you when they are
sick?" I said--"Why don't they go to him, if he is so very
wonderful?"

"It seems that my methods are more up to date," said the Doctor.
"But from what the Purple Bird-of-Paradise tells me, Long Arrow's
knowledge of natural history must be positively tremendous. His
specialty is botany--plants and all that sort of thing. But he
knows a lot about birds and animals too. He's very good on bees
and beetles--But now tell me, Stubbins, are you quite sure that
you really want to be a naturalist?"

"Yes," said I, "my mind is made up."

"Well you know, it isn't a very good profession for making money.
Not at all, it isn't. Most of the good naturalists don't make any
money whatever. All they do is SPEND money, buying
butterfly-nets and cases for birds' eggs and things. It is only
now, after I have been a naturalist for many years, that I am
beginning to make a little money from the books I write."

"I don't care about money," I said. "I want to be a naturalist.
Won't you please come and have dinner with my mother and father
next Thursday--I told them I was going to ask you--and then you
can talk to them about it. You see, there's another thing: if