Insufficientfoodandunwholesomelivingarethemaincausesofdiseaseamongthesesmallpatients。Sonourishment，cleanliness，andventilationarethemainremedies。Dischargedpatientsarelookedafter，andinvitedtocomeanddinenowandthen；soarecertainfamishingcreatureswhowereneverpatients。Boththeladyandthegentlemanarewellacquainted，notonlywiththehistoriesofthepatientsandtheirfamilies，butwiththecharactersandcircumstancesofgreatnumbersoftheirneighbours-ofthesetheykeeparegister。Itistheircommonexperience，thatpeople，sinkingdownbyinchesintodeeperanddeeperpoverty，willconcealit，evenfromthem，ifpossible，untotheverylastextremity。
Thenursesofthishospitalareallyoung，-ranging，say，fromnineteentofourandtwenty。Theyhaveevenwithinthesenarrowlimits，whatmanywell-endowedhospitalswouldnotgivethem，acomfortableroomoftheirowninwhichtotaketheirmeals。Itisabeautifultruth，thatinterestinthechildrenandsympathywiththeirsorrowsbindtheseyoungwomentotheirplacesfarmorestronglythananyotherconsiderationcould。Thebestskilledofthenursescameoriginallyfromakindredneighbourhood，almostaspoor；andsheknewhowmuchtheworkwasneeded。Sheisafairdressmaker。Thehospitalcannotpayherasmanypoundsintheyearastherearemonthsinit；andonedaytheladyregardeditasadutytospeaktoheraboutherimprovingherprospectsandfollowinghertrade。’No，’shesaid:shecouldneverbesousefulorsohappyelsewhereanymore；shemuststayamongthechildren。
Andshestays。Oneofthenurses，asIpassedher，waswashingababy-boy。Likingherpleasantface，Istoppedtospeaktohercharge，-acommon，bullet-headed，frowningchargeenough，layingholdofhisownnosewithaslipperygrasp，andstaringverysolemnlyoutofablanket。Themeltingofthepleasantfaceintodelightedsmiles，asthisyounggentlemangaveanunexpectedkick，andlaughedatme，wasalmostworthmypreviouspain。
AnaffectingplaywasactedinParisyearsago，called’TheChildren’sDoctor。’AsIpartedfrommychildren’sdoctor，nowinquestion，Isawinhiseasyblacknecktie，inhisloosebuttonedblackfrock-coat，inhispensiveface，intheflowofhisdarkhair，inhiseyelashes，intheveryturnofhismoustache，theexactrealisationoftheParisartist’sidealasitwaspresentedonthestage。ButnoromancerthatIknowofhashadtheboldnesstoprefigurethelifeandhomeofthisyounghusbandandyoungwifeintheChildren’sHospitalintheeastofLondon。
IcameawayfromRatcliffbytheStepneyrailwaystationtotheterminusatFenchurchStreet。Anyonewhowillreversethatroutemayretracemysteps。
Itfelloutonadayinthislastautumn，thatIhadtogodownfromLondontoaplaceofseasideresort，onanhour’sbusiness，accompaniedbymyesteemedfriendBullfinch。Lettheplaceofseasideresortbe，forthenonce，calledNamelesston。
IhadbeenloiteringaboutParisinveryhotweather，pleasantlybreakfastingintheopenairinthegardenofthePalaisRoyalortheTuileries，pleasantlydiningintheopenairintheElysianFields，pleasantlytakingmycigarandlemonadeintheopenairontheItalianBoulevardtowardsthesmallhoursaftermidnight。
Bullfinch-anexcellentmanofbusiness-hassummonedmebackacrosstheChannel，totransactthissaidhour’sbusinessatNamelesston；andthusitfelloutthatBullfinchandIwereinarailwaycarriagetogetheronourwaytoNamelesston，eachwithhisreturn-ticketinhiswaistcoat-pocket。
SaysBullfinch，’Ihaveaproposaltomake。LetusdineattheTemeraire。’
IaskedBullfinch，didherecommendtheTemeraire？inasmuchasI
hadnotbeenratedonthebooksoftheTemeraireformanyyears。
BullfinchdeclinedtoaccepttheresponsibilityofrecommendingtheTemeraire，butonthewholewasrathersanguineaboutit。He’seemedtoremember，’Bullfinchsaid，thathehaddinedwellthere。
Aplaindinner，butgood。CertainlynotlikeaParisiandinnerhereBullfinchobviouslybecamethepreyofwantofconfidence，butofitskindveryfair。
IappealtoBullfinch’sintimateknowledgeofmywantsandwaystodecidewhetherIwasusuallyreadytobepleasedwithanydinner，or-forthematterofthat-withanythingthatwasfairofitskindandreallywhatitclaimedtobe。Bullfinchdoingmethehonourtorespondintheaffirmative，IagreedtoshipmyselfasanabletrenchermanonboardtheTemeraire。
’Now，ourplanshallbethis，’saysBullfinch，withhisforefingerathisnose。’AssoonaswegettoNamelesston，we’lldrivestraighttotheTemeraire，andorderalittledinnerinanhour。
Andasweshallnothavemorethanenoughtimeinwhichtodisposeofitcomfortably，whatdoyousaytogivingthehousethebestopportunitiesofservingithotandquicklybydininginthecoffee-room？’
WhatIhadtosaywas，Certainly。Bullfinchwhoisbynatureofahopefulconstitutionthenbegantobabbleofgreengeese。ButI
checkedhiminthatFalstaffianvein，urgingconsiderationsoftimeandcookery。
InduesequenceofeventswedroveuptotheTemeraire，andalighted。Ayouthinliveryreceivedusonthedoor-step。’Lookswell，’saidBullfinchconfidentially。Andthenaloud，’Coffee-
room！’
Theyouthinliverynowperceivedtobemouldyconductedustothedesiredhaven，andwasenjoinedbyBullfinchtosendthewaiteratonce，aswewishedtoorderalittledinnerinanhour。ThenBullfinchandIwaitedforthewaiter，until，thewaitercontinuingtowaitinsomeunknownandinvisiblesphereofaction，werangforthewaiter；whichringproducedthewaiter，whoannouncedhimselfasnotthewaiterwhooughttowaituponus，andwhodidn’twaitamomentlonger。
SoBullfinchapproachedthecoffee-roomdoor，andmelodiouslypitchinghisvoiceintoabarwheretwoyoungladieswerekeepingthebooksoftheTemeraire，apologeticallyexplainedthatwewishedtoorderalittledinnerinanhour，andthatweweredebarredfromtheexecutionofourinoffensivepurposebyconsignmenttosolitude。
Hereupononeoftheyoungladiesranabell，whichreproduced-atthebarthistime-thewaiterwhowasnotthewaiterwhooughttowaituponus；thatextraordinaryman，whoselifeseemedconsumedinwaitinguponpeopletosaythathewouldn’twaituponthem，repeatedhisformerprotestwithgreatindignation，andretired。
Bullfinch，withafallencountenance，wasabouttosaytome，’Thiswon’tdo，’whenthewaiterwhooughttowaituponusleftoffkeepinguswaitingatlast。’Waiter，’saidBullfinchpiteously，’wehavebeenalongtimewaiting。’Thewaiterwhooughttowaituponuslaidtheblameuponthewaiterwhooughtnottowaituponus，andsaiditwasallthatwaiter’sfault。
’Wewish，’saidBullfinch，muchdepressed，’toorderalittledinnerinanhour。Whatcanwehave？’
’Whatwouldyouliketohave，gentlemen？’
Bullfinch，withextrememournfulnessofspeechandaction，andwithaforlornoldfly-blownbilloffareinhishandwhichthewaiterhadgivenhim，andwhichwasasortofgeneralmanuscriptindextoanycookery-bookyouplease，movedthepreviousquestion。
Wecouldhavemock-turtlesoup，asole，curry，androastduck。
Agreed。Atthistablebythiswindow。Punctuallyinanhour。
Ihadbeenfeigningtolookoutofthiswindow；butIhadbeentakingnoteofthecrumbsonallthetables，thedirtytable-
cloths，thestuffy，soupy，airlessatmosphere，thestaleleavingseverywhereabout，thedeepgloomofthewaiterwhooughttowaituponus，andthestomach-achewithwhichalonelytravelleratadistanttableinacornerwastooevidentlyafflicted。InowpointedouttoBullfinchthealarmingcircumstancethatthistravellerhadDINED。Wehurriedlydebatedwhether，withoutinfringementofgoodbreeding，wecouldaskhimtodiscloseifhehadpartakenofmock-turtle，sole，curry，orroastduck？Wedecidedthatthethingcouldnotbepolitelydone，andwehadsetourownstomachsonacast，andtheymuststandthehazardofthedie。
Iholdphrenology，withincertainlimits，tobetrue；Iammuchofthesamemindastothesubtlerexpressionsofthehand；Iholdphysiognomytobeinfallible；thoughallthesesciencesdemandrarequalitiesinthestudent。ButIalsoholdthatthereisnomorecertainindextopersonalcharacterthantheconditionofasetofcastersistothecharacterofanyhotel。Knowing，andhavingoftentestedthistheoryofmine，Bullfinchresignedhimselftotheworst，when，layingasideanyremainingveilofdisguise，Iheldupbeforehiminsuccessionthecloudyoilandfurryvinegar，thecloggedcayenne，thedirtysalt，theobscenedregsofsoy，andtheanchovysauceinaflannelwaistcoatofdecomposition。
Wewentouttotransactourbusiness。SoinspiritingwasthereliefofpassingintothecleanandwindystreetsofNamelesstonfromtheheavyandvapidclosenessofthecoffee-roomoftheTemeraire，thathopebegantorevivewithinus。Webegantoconsiderthatperhapsthelonelytravellerhadtakenphysic，ordonesomethinginjudicioustobringhiscomplainton。Bullfinchremarkedthathethoughtthewaiterwhooughttowaituponushadbrightenedalittlewhensuggestingcurry；andalthoughIknewhimtohavebeenatthatmomenttheexpressimageofdespair，Iallowedmyselftobecomeelevatedinspirits。Aswewalkedbythesoftly-
lappingsea，allthenotabilitiesofNamelesston，whoareforevergoingupanddownwiththechangelessnessofthetides，passedtoandfroinprocession。Prettygirlsonhorseback，andwithdetestedriding-masters；prettygirlsonfoot；matureladiesinhats，-spectacled，strong-minded，andglaringattheoppositeorweakersex。TheStockExchangewasstronglyrepresented，Jerusalemwasstronglyrepresented，theboresoftheprosierLondonclubswerestronglyrepresented。Fortune-huntersofalldenominationswerethere，fromhirsuteinsolvency，inacurricle，toclosely-
buttonedswindleryindoubtfulboots，onthesharplook-outforanylikelyyounggentlemandisposedtoplayagameatbilliardsroundthecorner。Mastersoflanguages，theirlessonsfinishedfortheday，weregoingtotheirhomesoutofsightofthesea；mistressesofaccomplishments，carryingsmallportfolios，likewisetrippedhomeward；pairsofscholasticpupils，twoandtwo，wentlanguidlyalongthebeach，surveyingthefaceofthewatersasifwaitingforsomeArktocomeandtakethemoff。SpectresoftheGeorgetheFourthdaysflittedunsteadilyamongthecrowd，bearingtheoutwardsemblanceofancientdandies，ofeveryoneofwhomitmightbesaid，notthathehadoneleginthegrave，orbothlegs，butthathewassteepedingravetothesummitofhishighshirt-collar，andhadnothingrealabouthimbuthisbones。Alonestationaryinthemidstofallthemovements，theNamelesstonboatmenleanedagainsttherailingsandyawned，andlookedouttosea，orlookedatthemooredfishing-boatsandatnothing。Suchistheunchangingmanneroflifewiththisnurseryofourhardyseamen；andverydrynursestheyare，andalwayswantingsomethingtodrink。Theonlytwonauticalpersonagesdetachedfromtherailingwerethetwofortunatepossessorsofthecelebratedmonstrousunknownbarking-