16 THE SNOW DROP. 



his happiness. But, whenever withdrawn from 

 his sight, the tempest would break forth with such 

 maddening violence, that it was astonishing how 

 she could survive the paroxysms. Thoughts of 

 blasphemy, the most appalling, were continually 

 infused into her mind : every creature that enjoyed 

 health and cheerfulness was to her an object of 

 such bitter envy, that she desired their death. 

 And while contrasting the rude hilarity of some 

 men upon the deck, who lived in open scorn of 

 every divine law, only using the name of the 

 Most High in jests or curses, with the wasting 

 anguish that was dissolving the frame of her angelic 

 sufferer in the cabin below—then, impious 

 thoughts, wild charges against the mercy, and 

 even the justice of the Most High, would shoot 

 through her brain, 'until, loathing them as she did, 

 while totally unable to repress them, she was 

 many a time on the point of flinging herself into 

 the roaring surge beneath. ' And then, to dress 

 my face in smiles, to go back to him, and take his 

 hand, and tell him that the air had refreshed me — 

 to read the word of that God whom I felt that I 

 was defying — to kneel in prayer, seemingly a 

 sharer in his beautiful aspirations of hope and 

 peace, and joy, arid* thankfulness — You know it 

 not— oh, may you never know it !' 



The closing scene was at hand ; and while she 

 hung in quiet despair over his pillow, he told her, 



