Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-12-29

The heal Of the day grew more aud more
oppressive. The slight breeze Of the moth.
ing had died away, aud there came up from
the street pavement reflected heat. parch.
ing and dry, like that Of a furnace. 1t was
impossible to continue abroad SO fiercely
did the sun pour down hisrays. $3.50 seads
'fI'tt IS now four o'clock, my daughter,''
said Mrs1 Scheaffcr, with a Smile, to Ger
trude, "and there dos not seem tolbe any
signs of the fll6Iment of Nimrod's prophecy.
~ Gertrude, who was sitting near a bed up
on which was spread her nupiial robe, look
ed up ihquiringly. Mrs Scheafer repeated
her remark. ai -aI rdIf r ai.t s.i pI
"On the sixth month" said Gertrude sol
emrly, repeating the language of the proph-
ct, on the sixth month, on the fourth day
OF that month, and on the evening of that
day"
at is evening after midday" said Mrs
ScheafIer
But, mother, is il not evening also until
midnight p
Mrs .Scheaffer turned to make some ar
Engagements, and directed the attendants to
prepare Gertrude, with the exception Of the
gown This was completed at once, and
Mrs Scheatfer went to fulfil other, duties in
her household affairs, growing out of the APP
proacbIngl wedding. ED, -.
Il was about Ave o'clock in the afternoon
and the heat was unabated. Men, however,
had gone forth, not 10 business but to con
verse. There was in the street, in The. north
ern part Of the city, (and we speak of North
Fourth street in particularly quiet so re-
markable that football might have been
heard at distance of a square. Men look
ed around with some increasing confidence,
but evidently with secret forebodings. Sud-
denly cry was heard, and all eyes were
turned toward the southwest, where was
seen, sweeping up the horizon, thick dark
cloud. Ii was not entirely black, but was
marked with yellow streaks.. Its edges were
jagged and wild. and its accent was as rap
id as il il we're the chariot of The winds. II
came booming onwards, aud every face wa.
turned upward TO IFS approach, Ii soon hid
the sun. and SO dark and dense was il, that
its shadow upon the earth, was like the com
ing in Of starless night.
Meantime, the thunder began to mutter,
increasing in sound as the cloud approach
ed. IN ten minutes the whole horizon was
covered ny this dark pail !; a sudden burst Of
lightning, attended without minutes pause,
by an awful crash OF thunder, gave voice to
the growing fears of the people, and screams
of horror and despair, and the tones Of the
thunder, that seemed to know no cessation.
we're mingled with the, blasts of wind that
stripped the trees Of their branches There
was, in all this uproar new source Of won
der and fear So dense was the cloud that
hung over the city, that there was upon It's
surface a reflection as if in troubled water,
Of all the prominent objects below, and men
thought they saw hill, and tree, and house,
and people, in the thick ceiling Of the heay-
ems above them, .t .....-..i.
In the midst of this wild uproar OF the el-
ements, the rain commenced as if "the win
dows of Heaven had indeed been opened y
there was no prelusiye drop, no thickeninq
of The shower, but downpouring of the ele-
mems. as if the incontinent clouds had been
rent by the lightning, and their treasures
Of water poured forth without stint In two
minutes the streets were inundated, and ap-
peared like mountain torrents, aud the al
ready unmanageable fears Of the great deem
had been broken up, "and the elements OF
the air and of the neither world, and the
things OF the heaven above and the earth be-
meath, and the waters under the EARTH"
were untiring 10 break down the middle wall
of partition, and TO confound all of order
that had resulted from their distinct separa-
ton.
In all this, man felt his iEsigni6cance-
there was nothing to which he could turn
his hand with even the appearance of useful
ness the Thoughtful and the pious stood
waiting the voice ofprayer was heard amid
the thunder tones without; and here and
there the wild shrek ofdespair rose sharp a.
mid the turmoil, aud told the progress ofthe
DAYS disaster.
One loud thunder-clap and flash OF
lightning that bIazed over the whole frma-
ment, were accompanied with additional
out-pouTing Of water. trees came PROSTATE
10 the earth, or crushed the windows of the
houses against which they fell, and the wild
uproar was doubled .,,
I. After this there was sudden pause OF
the rainr-uot a drop fell; here aud there a
stream. of lightning played Enthusiastically in
the edge OF the horizon, and the distant
thunder kept low but constant muttering,
and those who did not look forth began to
hope that The worst was past.
\ In few moments people were seen at the
windows aud doors, some in the street look
ing upwards, but the glossy rejecting black
of the clouds above them and the wild move
meni of the masses on the horizon, told
them that the elemental strife had only
paused as if for fresh eforis-and the wind
appeared to be gathering new force beneath
the western horizon, where n stripe of grey
clouds was moving Enthusiastically as if to
spring upwards TO bear the munitions of adj
ditioiial horrors. Ha 4'fa man'7ll-
Not a breath agitatedIhe remaining leaves