miles distant
along the coast.

When Amos Huntingdon had reached his mother's retreat and told his
errand, he confided to the good physician under whose charge Mrs
Huntingdon was placed his great purpose, and the hope that it might now
be accomplished, since his sister had returned to her home. The kind-
hearted friend at once entered into his plans, and gave him every
encouragement to hope that he would meet with good success. But care
and judgment and tact must be used, lest, in endeavouring to bring back
the mind to its old balance, anything should be done which might rather
throw it further out. Nothing sudden or exciting must be attempted; for
the delicate structure, which care and sorrow had disarranged, must be
brought into a right adjustment by gentle and cautious treatment. The
jarring chords could not be made to vibrate in tune by sweeping them
with a rough and unsympathising stroke; all could be reduced to harmony
only by some loving and judicious action which would draw up or slacken
the discordant strings with a force which would be felt only in its
results. It was therefore arranged that on the morrow the physician
should bring his patient to the sea-side at noon, and that, while he and
she were seated in view of the waves, and were listening to their
soothing plashing, Amos and his brother and sister should pass near, and
be guided in what they should do as circumstances might suggest. "Your
mother," said the physician, "simply wants her mind clearing; all is
more or less confused at present. She grasps nothing distinctly; and
yet she is often very near a clear perception. But it is with her mind
as with a telescope: it is near the right focus for seeing things
clearly, but simply it wants the adjustment which would bring it to the
point of unclouded vision, and then, when that adjustment has been
reached, it wants to be kept fixed at the right focus. I cannot but
hope that we may be able to come near to that adjustment to-morrow."

Amos returned to his cottage much comforted. His brother and sister had
not yet come back from their visit to the neighbouring watering-place;
but at last they appeared, but not in the best of spirits. Something
had gone wrong with them, but Amos was too anxious to talk over the
morrow's effort to ask them many questions about their excursion.

And now the critical day arrived. The sun rose gloriously, lighting up
the heavens as he emerged from his eastern bed wi