Litchfield enquirer., 1834-12-18
THE THUNDER STORM.
BY GEoReE D. PRENTICE.

IOUkGO WUIB UTO" VA udNS stood tn the front of battle, when swords were gleaming and circling around me like fiery Serpents of the aif--I have sat on the mountain pinnacle, when the whirlwind was rending its oaks from their rocky clefis and scattering them piecemcal to the clouds -I have seen these things with a swelling soul, that knew not, that rocked not of dam ger; but there is something in the ,hun- der's voice that makes. me tremble like a child. have tried to overcome this un- manly weakness-I have called pride to my aid-I have sought for moral courage in the lessons of philosophy-but it avaiIs me nothing-at the first low moaning of ] the distant cloud my heart sinks, Quivers, gasps, and dies within me.
 My involuntary dread of thunder had it's origin in an incident that occurred when was child of ten years. I had little cousin-a girl of the same age with myself, who had been the constant companion of my childhood. Strange, that after lapse of almost score of years that coun.enance should be SO familiar to me. can see the bright young creature-her large eyes flashing like beautiful gem, her free locks streaming as in joy upon the rising gale, and her cheek glowing like a ruby through a wreath of transparent snow. Her voice had the melody aud joyousnessof birds, and when she bounded over the wooded hill or the fresh green valley, shouting glad answer to every voice of nature, and claspng her little hands in the very ecstasy of young existence, she looked as if break ing away like freed nightingale from the earth, and going off where all things were beautiful like her.
 It was morning in the middle of Au- gust. Tho li.,le girl had been passing some days at uy fathers house, and she was now to return home. Her path lay across the fields, and gladly became the companion of her walk. ] never knew summer morning more beautiful and still. Only one Iittlo cloud was visible, and that seemed as pure and white, and peaceful, as if it had been the smoke of some burn ing censor of the skies. The leaves hung silent tn the woods, the waters of the bay had forgotten their undulations, the flowers were bending their heads as if dreaming of the rainbow and the dew, and the whole at- mosphere was ofsuch soft and luxurious sweetness, that it seemed a cloud of roses, scattered down by the hands of Peri from the far off gardens of paradise. The green earth and the blue sea lay abroad in their boundlessneSs, and the peaceful sky bent over and blessed them. The little crea- ture at my side was in delrium Ofhappi- ness, and her clear, sweet voice came ring ing upon the air as often as she heard the notes of favorite bird, or found some strange and lovely flower in her frolic wanderings. The unbroken and almost supernatural tranquility of the day contin- ued until nearly noon. Then for the first time, the indications of an approaching tempest were manifest. Over the summit of a mountain, at the distance of about q mile, the folds of dark cloud became sud- denly visible, and at the same instant hol- low roar came down upon the winds, as il it had been the sound of waves in rocky cavern. The cloud rolled out like ban ner fold upon the air, but still the atmos- phere was as calm and the leaves as mos tionless US before, and there was not even quiver upon the sleeping waters to tell oi the coming hurricane.
 To escape the tempest was impossible. As the only resort, we fled to an oak that stood at the foot of tall and ragged preci- pice. Here we remained looking breath lessly upon the clouds, n,arshalIing them selves like bloody giants in the sky. The thunder was not frequent, but every burst was SO fearful that the young creature who stood by me shut her eyes convulsively clung with desperate strength to my arm and shrieked as if her heart would break A few minutes and the storm was upon us. During the height of it's fury, the little girl raised her finger towards the precipice that lowered above US. looked up, and the mex. moment the clouds opened, the rocks tottered to their foundations, a roar like the groan of a universe filled the air, and felt myself blinded and thrown knew not whi.her. How long remained insensible I cannot tell, but when consciousness re- turned, the violence of the tempest was abating, the roar of the winds dying in the tree tops, and the deep tones of the storm coming in fainter murmurs from tle eastern hills.
 arose, and looked trembling and al- most deliriously around. She was there the dear idol of my infant love-stretch- ed out upon tho wet green earth. After a moment of irresolution, I went up and looked upon her. The handkerchief upon her was slightly rent, and single dark spot upon her bosom told where the pathway Oi | \ nln