During her residence there she was subject to distressing attacks of faintness in the night and early morning.  Again and again, it was necessary to immediately throw open her chamber window for the admission of the fresh air; and always upon such occasions the figure of a solitary coast-guardsman was to be seen pacing the beach, on the look-out for smugglers.  Such a post, and such a service, presenting as it did a life of hardship and danger, inevitably attracted her sympathetic attention; and she began to take an almost unconscious interest in the affairs of this man.  Shortly after, when driving out, she stopped the carriage and spoke to one of the men at the station.  He replied civilly, that the members of the Preventive Service were not allowed to hold any conversation with strangers, and requested to be excused from saying any more.  Mrs. Fry, feeling somewhat fearful that her kindness might bring him into difficulty with his superiors, gave the man her card, and desired him to tell the man in command of the station that she had spoken to him with the sole object of inquiring after the welfare of the men and their families.  A few days afterwards, the lieutenant who commanded at that post waited upon Mrs. Fry, and, contrary to her fears, welcomed her inquiries as auguries of good.  He confessed to her that the officers, men, women, and children, all suffered much from loneliness, privation, semi-banishment—­for the stations were mostly placed in dreary and inaccessible places—­unpopularity with the surrounding people, and harassment by constant watching, through all weather, for smugglers.  The nature and regulations of the Coast Blockade of Preventive Service precluded anything like visiting or personal kindness.  There was really no way of benefiting them except by providing them with literature calculated to promote their intellectual and religious good, besides furnishing an occupation for the dreary, lonely hours which fell to their portion.  This course Mrs. Fry immediately adopted.

She first applied to the British and Foreign Bible Society; the Committee responded with a grant of fifty Bibles and twenty-five Testaments.  These were distributed to the men on the stations in that district, and most gratefully received.  As a proof of the gratitude of the recipients, the following little note was sent to Mrs. Fry by the commanding officer:—­

MY DEAR MADAM,—­Happy am I in being able to make you acquainted with the unexpected success I have met with in my attempt to forward, among the seamen employed on the coast, your truly laudable and benevolent desire—­the dissemination of the Holy Scriptures.  I have made a point of seeing Lieutenant H., who has promised me that if you will extend your favors to Dutchmere, he will distribute the books, and carefully attend to the performance of Divine service on the Sabbath Day.  Also Lieutenant D., who will shortly have a command in this division.  I trust, Madam, I shall be still further able to forward those views, which must, to all who embrace them, prove a sovereign balm in the hour of death and the day of judgment.  With respectful compliments to the ladies, allow me to remain, dear Madam, your devoted servant.

This communication enclosed another little note from the seamen, which expressed their feelings as follows:—­