art.

It not unfrequently happens that people, whether it arises from physical
or moral causes, become wonderfully unlike themselves. Irritability,
violence, indiscretion, and unkindness, suddenly reveal themselves in a
hitherto gentle and amiable character, and, as if by a magic stroke, a
beautiful form has been transformed into a witch. It requires a great
deal, under such circumstances, to keep friends warm and unchanged. A
great demand of goodness, a great demand of clearness of vision, is made
from any one when, under these circumstances, he is required to remain
true in the same love, to persevere in the same faith, to wait patiently
for the time when the magic shall lose its power, when the changed one
shall come back again; and yet he, all the time, be able only to present
himself by quiet prayers, mild looks, and affectionate care! Probably
otherwise he never might have come back again. I say _great purity of
vision_, because the true friend never loses sight of the heavenly image
of his friend; but sees it through every veil of casualty, even when it
is concealed from all, nay, even from the faulty one's self! He has
faith in it; he loves it; he lives for it, and says, "Wait! have
patience! it will go over, and then he (or she) comes back again!" And
whoever has such a friend, comes back indeed!

So stood the quiet, affectionate Leonore on the side of her altered
sister.

All this time Henrik was beneficial to his whole family, and appeared to
have regained all his former amiable animation, in order therewith to
eradicate every disturbing sensation from the bosom of home. He
accompanied his family, more than he had ever done before, into society,
and had always a watchful eye on his sister and the Major.

Before long the Major declared himself, and asked for Eva's hand. Her
parents had prepared themselves for this event, and had decided on their
line of conduct. They intended not to make their child unhappy by a
decided negative to the wishes of her heart; but they had determined to
demand a year of trial both from her and her lover, during which time
they should have no intercourse with each other, should exchange no
letters, and should consider themselves as free from every mutual
obligation; and that then again after this interval of time, if they
two, the Major and Eva, still wished it, the question of their union
might again he brought forward. This middle path had been proposed by
Elise, who, through