a never
could be quiet and smooth and blue again, with soft white clouds sailing
over it in the sky. It was a treacherous sea; it was wicked; it had all
the trembling land in its power, if it only dared to send its great
waves far ashore. All night long the breakers roared, and the wind
howled in the chimneys, and in the morning we always looked fearfully
across the surf and the tossing gray water to see if the lighthouse were
standing firm on its rock. It was so slender a thing to hold its own in
such a wide and monstrous sea. But the sun came out at last, and not
many days afterward we went out with Danny and Skipper Scudder to say
good by to Mrs. Kew. I have been some voyages at sea, but I never was so
danced about in a little boat as I was that day. There was nothing to
fear with so careful a crew, and we only enjoyed the roughness as we
went out and in, though it took much manoeuvring to land us at the
island.

It was very sad work to us--saying good by to our friends, and we tried
to make believe that we should spend the next summer in Deephaven, and
we meant at any rate to go down for a visit. We were glad when the
people said they should miss us, and that they hoped we should not
forget them and the old place. It touched us to find that they cared so
much for us, and we said over and over again how happy we had been, and
that it was such a satisfactory summer. Kate laughingly proposed one
evening, as we sat talking by the fire and were particularly contented,
that we should copy the Ladies of Llangollen, and remove ourselves from
society and its distractions.

"I have thought often, lately," said my friend, "what a good time they
must have had, and I feel a sympathy and friendliness for them which I
never felt before. We could have guests when we chose, as we have had
this summer, and we could study and grow very wise, and what could be
pleasanter? But I wonder if we should grow very lazy if we stayed here
all the year round; village life is not stimulating, and there would not
be much to do in winter,--though I do not believe that need be true; one
may be busy and useful in any place."

"I suppose if we really belonged in Deephaven we should think it a hard
fate, and not enjoy it half so much as we have this summer," said I.
"Our idea of happiness would be making long visits in Boston; and we
should be heart-broken when we had to come away and leave our
lunch-parties, and symphony concerts, and calls, and fa