The present and the past thou know 'st,
But every rising day
Consecrate thee yet anew —
To what, there's none can say.
Soon after the departure of the strangers, Godber
returned to the hallig and continued to live in his
house, quite alone. When any one saw him, he turned
away with a melancholy look, and avoided all conver-
sation, with a painful shyness. His house, and his
wharf, during his long absence, and especially since the
death of his father, had become quite ruinous ; but he
did nothing toward the necessary repairs, and did not
seem to observe that the. waves, during the stormy
Christmas week, had caused great damage, and made
his stay there even unsafe.
The pastor often went to him and endeavored to re-
vive in him new hopes for the future. He spoke often,
though the subject seemed little agreeable to Godber,
of Maria's devout submission to the will of God, of the
calmness with which she awaited her destiny, of the
kindness of her heart which could retain the memory
of no wrong. Without excusing Godber's conduct, he
