ounces a week, would keep up a tolerable fire.” “I had no idea we were such extensive charcoal-burners,” said Mr. Bagges. “They say we each eat our peck of dirt before we die—but we must burn bushels of charcoal.” “And so,” continued Harry, “the Professor calculates that we burn quite enough fuel to account for our heat. I should rather think, myself, it had something to do with it—shouldn’t you?” “Eh?” said Mr. Bagges; “it makes one rather nervous to think that one is burning all over—throughout one’s very blood—in this kind of way.” “It is very awful!” said Mrs. Wilkinson. “If true. But in that case, shouldn’t we be liable to inflame occasionally?” objected her husband. “It is said,” answered Harry, “that spontaneous combustion does happen sometimes; particularly in great spirit drinkers. I don’t see why it should not, if the system were to become too inflammable. Drinking alcohol would be likely to load the constitution with carbon, which would be fuel for the fire, at any rate.” “The deuce!” exclaimed Mr. Bagges, pushing his brandy-and-water from him. “We had better take care how we indulge in combustibles.” “At all events,” said Harry, “it must be bad to have too much fuel in us. It must choke the fire I should think, if it did not cause inflammation; which Dr. Truepenny says it does, meaning, by inflammation, gout, and so on, you know, uncle.” “Ahem!” coughed Mr. Bagges. “Taking in too much fuel, I dare say you know, uncle, means eating and drinking to excess,” continued Harry. “The best remedy, the doctor says, for overstuffing is exercise. A person who uses great bodily exertion, can eat and drink more without suffering from it than one who leads an inactive life; a foxhunter, for instance, in comparison with an alderman. Want of exercise and too much nourishment must make a man either fat or ill. If the extra hydrogen and carbon are not burnt out, or otherwise got rid of, they turn to blubber, or cause some disturbance in the system, intended by Nature to throw them off, which is called a disease. Walking, riding, running, increase the breathing—as well as the perspiration—and make us burn away our carbon and hydrogen in proportion. Dr. Truepenny declares that if people would only take in as much fuel as is requisite to keep up a good fire, his profession would be ruined.” “The good old advice—Baillie’s, eh?—or Abernethy’s—live upon sixpence a day, and earn it,” Mr. Bagges observed.