orce themselves
through the empty air.

"I quieted her, left her rarely by herself, read to her, we took walks
together, and sometimes paid visits to our acquaintance in the
neighbourhood. As she became calmer she recovered by degrees her
naturally beautiful complexion. Feeling once unwell and lying
comfortably stretched out on the sofa, while she was reading an
interesting story to me, I said, how beautiful and melodious is your
voice; will you not sing again for once? For a long time you have not
opened your music books, your instrument is locked, and your beautiful
fingers will at length become quite stiff.

"'You know," she replied, 'that a few months ago my sister flatly
forbade me to practise music; we were obliged to concede to her ill
health and thus I have become quite out of practice.'

"'Sing now,' I cried, 'the delight will be the greater to me for its
novelty.'

"We looked out a cheerful, pleasing piece of music, to avoid any thing
melancholy, and Elizabeth poured forth, with a truly heavenly voice,
the clear light tones, which thrilled bliss into my heart. Suddenly
she stopped, and was again seized with that violent hysteric fit of
weeping which had so often terrified me. 'I cannot,' she cried, deeply
moved, 'all these sounds rise up before me like fiends; I always feel
my sister quite near me, her dress rustling against mine, and her anger
terrifies me.' I felt clearly that my peace of mind as well as hers
was destroyed.

"Our physician, a very judicious man, and a friend of ours, when she
confessed all these feelings, her trembling, and the anxiety which
almost incessantly preyed on her and undermined her health, applied
every remedy to calm her, physically and mentally. This honest and
judicious persuasion had a good effect, and his medicines proved
salutary. When summer came we were much in the open air. We were once
taking a drive to the estate of an acquaintance who told us that he
intended to give a musical festival, composed of friends and some
virtuosi. My wife's great talent for music being known, we were
invited, and she promised to play and sing; being then surrounded by
strangers, flattered by both sexes and in a cheerful mood. I was the
more rejoiced at this as our physician made it a part of his advice
that she should forcibly combat these gloomy feelings and this
hypochondriacal anxiety. She determined to follow his advice. Very
pleased and rejoiced, we returned to our h