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the world behind him to live on this small patch by
the side of a beloved sympathizing wife, forgetting all
the gay life and busy activity which were so distasteful
to him ? In such assurances her heart found solace
and relief. They called up hopes for the future so
bright that she readily forgot such portions of the let-
ter as might otherwise have made her anxious.
"He must come to-day," said she to her mother ;
"something tells me so."
At the same time she continued spinning as busily as
before, for, like all her island sisters, she was ignorant
of a passion which makes one untrue to the call of
the humblest duty.
"I would rather believe," said the mother, "that
Godber is not at sea to-day, for there is a storm ap-
proaching. Don't you hear the sea-mew's scream ?"
"Mother," exclaimed Maria, "God will never do
that ! I have prayed so earnestly, and He has given
me such a cheerful confidence, that I know He will not
do it."
"What will He not do ?" asked the mother.
"He will not suffer a storm to come and shipwreck
Godber. He will only permit the winds to rise and fill
his sails fuller, and bring him quickly to me — to us."
"Let Him do His own good pleasure," devoutly re-
plied the other. "What God does, that is well done.
The dog has jumped down from the window, and is
looking at us wistfully ; let us drive up the sheep be-
fore the storm breaks upon us."
They went out, and the dog, which, whether from his
own observation of the usual signs of an approaching
change in the weather, or from the sensibility of his
