Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-05-12

for the bad sign which such an act pre-.
sents. They therefore proceed, timidly, but
constantly, in the preparations which are
never entirely completed, until the event
takes place. The hour of noon had passed.
The white satin dress of the bride, (rather
an extravagant article in the family, } was
laid out. The little wreath, entwned with
orange flowers, was above it. Around were
the appliances of the bridal hour, and near
were the attendants of the bridal pair. And
William had come up TO take possession of
his new home, and prepare himself for the
trying ceremony.
Men were now seen at the corners Of the
streets, talking gravely of the prophet and
his prophecy; and while some rdiculed the
whole, it was remarked that they cas-, fur,vc
glances to different parts of the horizon, to
see whether any signal of danger presented
itself, even if no bigger than man. hand.
But none was seen. The heat of the day,
meantime, grew more and more oppressive.
The slight breeze Of the morning had died
away; and there came up from the street
pavemen,s IA reflected heat, parching and
dry, like that Of furnace. II was almost
impossible to continue abroad, so ferccly
uiu tne sun pour uOWH us rays.
1t is now four o'clock, my daughter,
said Mrs. Schcafler with smile, to Ger
irude, land there does not seem 10 he any
signs of the fulflment of Nimrod's prophecy.
, Gertrude, who was sitting near bed upon
which was spread on, her nup,ial robe, look
ed up inqnringly. Mrs. Schcafler repeated
her remark.
Son the six month"; said Gertrude So
cmnly, repeated the language Of the pro-
, phct on the sixth month, on the fourth day
, of that month, and on the evening Of that
day
'Mo,her, is it evening YETI
1t is evening after midday said Mrs,
Schrallcr.
$ But. mother, is it not evening, also. unit
| midnight 2
Mrs. Scheaffer turned to make some ar.
rangcmcnt, and directed the attendants &c
, prepare Gertrude, with the exception of the
gown. This was completed at once, anc
| Mrs. Schea0rr went to fulfil other duties il
her household affairs, growing out of the APP.
preaching wedding.
1t was about five o'clock in the afternoon
and the heat was Undated. Men, however
, had gone forth, not to business, but to con.
] verse. There was in the street, in the north'
+. ern part of the city, (and we speak Of Norll
Y Fourth street in particularly quiet so re-
+ mnrkablc, tina, football might have been
heard at the distance Of a square Ncr
e looked around with some increasing conf.
4 dence, but evidently with secret forebodings
;, Suddenly n cry WAS heard, and all eyes were
e turned towards the southwest, where wa.
tIn h,r IL, .I. /
0 cloud. 1t was not entirely black but wa
d marked with yellow sireaks. Its edges were
: jagged and wild, and its ascent was as rap,t
d as if it were the chariot of the winds. |
came booming EDWARDS, and every face va.
G turned upwards to its approach. II soon hit
/ the sun, and so dark and dense was it, tina
1 its shadow upon the earth was like the com.
. ing in of "A starlcss night.
. Meantime Inc thunder began to muller
i increasing in sound as the cloud approached
: In ten minutes the whole horizon wa
!, covered by this dark pail; sudden burst o
s lightning, attended, without minutes pause
f by an awful crash Of thunder, gave voice tt
l., the growing fears Of the people, and scream.
$ OF horror and despair, and the tones of the
= thunder, that seemed to know no cessation
# were mingled with the blasts of wind tia
S stripped the trees of their branches There
5 was IN all tins uProar new source of won.
= der and fear So dense was the cloud tina
II hung over the city, that there was upon it.
r surface reflection as if IN "A troubled water
n of all the prominent objects below, and mer
. thought they saw hill and tree and house and
d people IN the thick ceiling of the heaven.
' above them.
e In the midst Of this Wild uprcar of the Ell.
ements, the rain commenced as if : the win.
h dows ofheaven had indeed been opened.'-
@ there was no prelusive drop, no lhickcnins
e Of the shower, but down-pouring of the cl.
C emcnts, as if the monument clouds had beer
S rent by the lightning, and their treasures o
: water poured forth without stut. In two
@ minutes the streets were inundated, and an.
i peared like mountain torrents, and the al.
n ready unmanageabe fears of the people were
t increased by the up.pourlng of water from
q the cellars, as if the fountains of the grea
: deep had been broken up, and the elements
d Of the air and of the neither world, the thing,
II of the heavens above and the earth beneath
v and the waters under the earth were uniting
}, to break down the middle wall of partition
j.. and to confound al of order that had result
ed from their distinct separation.
c In all this, man felt his insignifcance-
d there was nothing to which he could turn hi
n hand with even an appearance of usefulness
J. the thoughtful and the pinus stood waiting
Y the voice Of prayer was heard amid the deeI
!. thunder tones without; and here and Their
h the wild shrek of despair rose sharp ami,
g the turmoil and told the progress of the day
disaster.
IL One loud thunder-clap and flash of light
J. ming that blazed over the whole frmamen,
l. were accompanied with additional out-pour
N ing of water; trees came PROSTATE to tn
if earth, or crushed the windows Of the house
,e against which they fell, and the wild uproa
l. was doubled.
,p After this there was sudden pause of tn
J. rain-not a drop fell here and there
he stream of lightning played fantasticaly in Il,
he edge of the horizon, and tho distant thunde
D kept low but eonstan, muttering, and thcs
- who did not look forth, began to hope thu
"a. Tia worSa was mast