ll thy land any more
be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land
Beulah: for the Lord delighted in thee, and thy land shall be married.

"'For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee:
and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice
over thee.'"

Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore sat together not many paces distant, each with a
book; but hers was half closed while she gazed out over the sea.

"I am charmed with the quiet of this place," she remarked presently;
"never a scream of a locomotive to break it, no pavements to echo to the
footsteps of the passer-by, no sound of factory or mill, or rumble of
wheels, scarcely anything to be heard, even on week-days, but the
thunder of the surf and occasionally a human voice."

"Except the blast of Captain Baxter's tin horn announcing his arrival
with the mail, or warning you that he will be off for Nantucket in
precisely five minutes, so that if you have letters or errands for him
you must make all haste to hand them over," Mr. Dinsmore said, with a
smile.

"Ah, yes," she assented; "but with all that, is it not the quietest
place you ever were in?"

"I think it is; there is a delightful Sabbath stillness to-day. I cannot
say that I should desire to pass my life here, but a sojourn of some
weeks is a very pleasant and restful variety."

"I find it so," said his wife, "and feel a strong inclination to be down
here, close by the waves, almost all the time. If agreeable to the rest
of our party, let us pass the evening here in singing hymns."

"A very good suggestion," he responded, and Elsie and the others being
of the same opinion, it was duly carried out.

CHAPTER V.

"Sudden they see from midst of all the main
The surging waters like a mountain rise,
And the great sea, puff'd up with proud disdain
To swell above the measure of his guise,
As threatening to devour all that his power despise."

--_Spenser_.

What with bathing, driving, and wandering about on foot over the lovely
moors, time flew fast to our 'Sconseters.

It was their purpose to visit every point of interest on the island,
and to try all its typical amusements. They made frequent visits to
Nantucket Town, particularly that the children might take their swimming
lessons in the quiet water of its harbor; also repeated such drives and
rambles as they found exceptionably enjoyable.

Max wanted to try camping out for a few weeks in com