The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1839-04-25

John Crawford. hsarken unto nv yoire
70 The voice af yaur wile. and IIlaI Of your
barns. Hhnss bringing up Is = credit d
thef mother. and be not guilty of ibis
gross sin" But. while ihe fisherman
fegaEdrd not tie suPplicsIions Of his wife.
ne became sulien a lhe words Of Ihe
preacher. and sPribgin- into lhe boat,
seized an mar. and High his comrades be.
can 10 pull from the shore.
The ih0aslnd boats put 10 sea. and
Mr. Simpson returned s0rroHluI from,
the beach Ia the Kirk. while Agnes Craw.
lord and his wife followed him. Thai
day lac took iur his text. 1" Remember
she Sabbath day 10 keep Il holy !" snd,
as he iraTlessly and lrrvidly denounced
the crime Of sabbath breaking. and sIlu.
ded 10 the impiOus proceedings Of Tie
DAY. bis hearers ,rembIed; bur poor Az.
mes ~ePi aloud, and her children clung
around her and wepl slso because she
wrPi. Hut ere The service had been con.
Guided the heavens began 90 lower.
Darkness fell OEer he Congregation, sud
hrst came the murmur Of The storm.
Which suddenly buTs, into the wild howl
81 the TEMPEST. They gazed al each o.
iher ~ silent terror. like guilty spirits.
stricken IN their FIRST Tebe.l.on BY the
/. searching glance of 1l,e 0nlniscienl. The
loud voice of The psalm Was abruptly
hnshed. and ils echo mingled with the
dreadful music VI the elements, ike the
blesiing Of Il tender lamb in the wind
tia, swGepeih bowling on the mountains.
For a moment, their features, cOnvulsed
aud imm0Sesble. were still distended
with the song of praise. but every tongue
was silent. and every eye fixed. There
VAS no voice save heavens. The church
seemed ID rock 10 lis foundations, but
none aed. none moved. Pale. powerless,
a. marble statues. horror lranslixed them
in the house of prayer. The sleeple
rocked in the blast. and Is IL bent, a
knell uninllsd by human hands. pesled
on the ears Of the bresihless multitude.
4 crash followed. The spirc that gilt.
tered ia the morning sun lay scattered in
fragments, aud the full yoiee Of the hirI.
Wind waved through the aisles. The
trees erourhed sud ware stripped leaf.
!ess; and the sturdy oak. whose roots
had embraced the earth for centuries.
torn from The deep darkness Of i,s foun.
lslions. was uplilIed on the wings Of the
irmpcsi. Darkness was spread over
the earth. Lightnings gathered together
their Ierrors. and clothed in the fury Of
their fearful majesiy. flashed through the
air. The fierce hail was poured dow
as clouds Of ice. 81 the voice Of the deep
thunder the lightning quailed. g. The rage
of the tempest seemed spent. Nothing
was now heard save the rage Of the iron-
bled sea, which dashed into foam by
the angry storm, still beloved forth lis
white pillows 10 The clouds. and shouted
lis defiance. loud a. tie war cry Of em.
bstiled worlds.
The congregation still sat mute. horri.
lied aud deaIh-lise. as il waiting Tor the
preacher To break the spell Of tho Gle.
menls. lie rise TO return thanks for their
preservation, and he had given out the
lines
"whcn Ia Thy WRATH rcb1ke inc not,
NOT 10 thy hot rage c!,as,en me !"
when the screams and bowling Of wo.
men and children rushing wildly along
the streets. rendered his VOICE inaudiblc. |
The congregation rose. and hnrryins one
upon smother. they rushed from the
church. The exhor,aliuns Of the preach.
er 10 depart calmly were unheard and
UNDECIDED. Every seat was deserted
all rushed to the shore, and Agnes Craw
ford and her children ran also in terror
with the multitude. Tho wrecks of near.
Iy two hundred bua,s were drifting q.
mons tho rocks. The dead we're s,rew-
ell along the beach. aud amongst them
wailing widows sought their husbands.
Children their fathers, moihers their sons.
and all their kindred deser and anon
nm additional scream NJ griel arose as the
Iieless bodies Of one or other such rela.
lions were found. A few Of the lifclcss
bodies OF the hardy crews were seen
tossing 10 and fro but the cry for help
was hushed. aud The yell Of death was
heard no more. Il was, in truth. fear.
Tul day--a day Of lamen,ation, Of warn.
ing. and Of judgment.
In one hour, and within sight Of the
beach. hundred and ninety boats, with
their crews, were whelmcd in tho nigh
y deep; and dwelling on tho shore be-
tween Spital and North Berwick. two
hundred aud eighty widows wep, their
husbands lost. The spectators were bu-
~ in carrying the dead, as they were
iriven on shore, beyond the reach of
Idle marks.
They had continued their melancholy
ASK lnr near an hour, when a. voice en-
"See, see, one still lives, aud
struggles 10 make the Shore" All rush.
,d.o the spo, from whence the voice
and a young man was per-
,eiyed. with more Than mortal strength,