For years, in talking with a mind too young wholly to understand, he had enjoyed the play of his own mind. He knew only too well that there are few or none with whom a physician may dare have his sportive fling at his fellow-creatures, at life in general. From a listener who never sat in harsh judgment and who would never miscarry his random words, he had upon occasion derived incalculable relief. "Anyhow, I have learned that cows have the new American way of chewing; so they never get indigestion, do they?" "If they do, they cannot voice their symptoms in my mummied ears," said the doctor, who often seemed to himself to have been listening to hue and cry for medicine since the days of Thotmes. "However, we won't say anything further about _that_! What else are you going to do over there? This can't possibly be all!" "To-night we children are going to sit up until midnight, to see whether the animals bellow and roar and make all kinds of noise on Christmas Eve. We know they don't, but we're going to _prove_ they don't!" "Where did you pick up that notion?" "Where did you pick it up when you were a boy?" "I fail to remember," admitted the doctor with mock dignity, damaged in his logic but recalling the child legend that on the Night of the Nativity universal nature was in sympathy with the miracle. All sentient creatures were wakeful and stirring, and sent forth the chorus of their cries in stables and barns--paying their tribute to the Divine in the Manger and proclaiming their brotherhood with Him who was to bring into the world a new gospel for them also. "I don't know where I got that," he repeated. "Well, after the animals bellow and roar and make all kinds of noise, then what?" "There isn't but one thing more; but that is best of all!" "You don't say! Out with it!" "That is our secret." The new decision of tone demonstrated that another stage had been reached in their intercourse. The boy had withdrawn his confidence; he had entered the ranks of his own generation and had taken his confidence with him. Personally, also, he had shut the gate of his mind and the gate was guarded by a will; henceforth it was to be opened by permission of the guard. Something in their lives was abruptly ended; the father felt like ending the talk. "Very well, then; we won't say anything more about the secret. And now you had better run along." "But I don't want to run along just yet. It will be a long time before I see you again; have you thought of that?" He reversed his position so as to face the fire; and he crossed his feet out beyond the promontory of the doctor's knees and folded his arms on the rampart of those enfolding arms. For a few moments there was intimate silence. Then he inquired:-- "How old must a boy be to ask a girl?" A flame more tender and humorous burned in the doctor's eyes. "Ask her _what_?" "Ask her nothing! Ask _her_!" "You mean _tell_ her, don't you? Not ask her, my friend and relative; _tell_ her!"