Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1837-08-03
THE DEu.rGE.
All ! what signii is ofeyil life.

/" All what slrnli Is ofey life,
When DEATHS approach il terrible.
tSHAKsrIknE.
Tbe judy inens WAS Al hand. Beforg the sun
Gathered te,fsstous clouds. which blaehcing spread.
Until their blended masses overwhelmed
The hemisphere of day mud adding eoon
10 NIGHTS dark empire, swim from 10
Swept the yastshadov, swallowing up all light
And covering the eneichng armament
A. with mighty pail! Low IN the dust
Bowed the sfnghted nations morshiI,ping.
Anon the osrclarecd gamers fthe
Burst with their growing burden fierce and fa,t
Shot down the ponierous min, sheeted food,
That sianted no, before the bailcd wimls,
But with auewy and unwa,erine rush
Dashed kissing earthward. Soon the river rosa,
And roaring fled their channels and calm lakes
Awoke exultins from then otharey
And poured destruction their peaceful shores.
The lightning hickeiod in the Delayed air
And feebly through, the shout of gathering waves
Mui,ered the siited thunder. Da, night
Ceased the descending streams md If the gloom
little briehencd, when the urid morn
Rose the starlcss midnight tAns 10 show
The lifting mp Of waters. Bird aud bonst
Fonook the flooded plans, aud WEAKLY
The shiyofing multitude OF humans doomed
Toiled up before the insatiotc element
Oceans were blent, and the oyiahan
Was borne aloit on the ascending seas
To where the eagle nestled Mountains
We're the sole landmarks and tben side were clothed
With clustering m,riads from the wcllerins waslr
Whose surgcs clnspcd them, To their topwo-I peaLr.
Swailed in the Shopping cloud The htnd of D,atl,
Sinote millions "a The, climbed vet drs,r grow
The crowded nolon. Is the cucroaclne waves
Narrowed their lne world
And ia tlat hor
Did MD h- fellow. Low al live
Was the soeinstinef; aud The stron, lin'ed ION
it'll imprecaiions snotc tho pa-od .ire
That elnng 10 him ior Nanan tod
With Navcfne stop the preeipiee's brow,
Aud found no arm 10 grasp ON the drcnd ,crsc
Der which she leaned anl rouhled. Sellshass
Sat like incubus every heart,
Smothering the voice ofloso. Tn eianftiuoi
Was the stripping. mock; and oft Despair
Gmpped tn ready atac and kimifal blood
Pollued III last remnant oi tha, earth
Which Tod was delnaiue fo purify.
Huge monsters from tho plains WHOSE ahel. ton
The nildcw Of succeeding centuries
Has failed 10 crunbc with unt adme .ucnfth
Crushed through the soliderovds, and fierce lnd4
Beat downward ,s the osefrusine riia,
With blinded eyes doncled plumry aud iuilne V,ng,,
Staggered unconscious o'or HE trampledlnc
The mountains were submerged; the barrier chaIn'
That mapped out nations sank until length
One Titan peak alone ocflopped the watrf,
Ioaconlis a sunkon world. And Of the uhea
That blackcned ever, Alp, one man survived
And he stood sivering, hopeless, sh'lHtles4,
Upon tlu, fragment Of the universe
The surges of the universal sea
Broke on his naked feet onhis grey head,
Which fear not time, had si,cred, the bacl, cloud
Pourodhs unpit, torrents; while around,
In tho green twilight diml, visible
Rolled the grim legons Of the ehas,lN drowned,
And seemed 10 beckon with their tossing
Their brother to h- doom.
He smote hi brow,
And mod,cncl, would have leopt 10 their embrace,
When before him. riding on the deep,
loomcd inbc, md familiar sounds
Proclaimed that il was peopled. Hop once moro
Cheerd the outcnsL md mplonnalN
lie stretched his forth towards the floating walls,
And crird aloud lor mercy. Iul his PRAYER
Man might answer, whom his God condemned
Jhe ark swept ard, and tho lllowr
Aud buried thcr last victim
fhcn the gloom
Broke from the face ofheaVn, and sunlight efeamcd
Upon the shorecss aud on the roof
Thai for shelter DER the living germ
Whose increase should fepopuotc world.
J. BhRBER
NJ.