The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-05-21
No.4 49,.
J. F.. MCCLELLAN, Printer.

lay abroad in their boundlessness, and the
peaceful sky ben. over and blessed them.
The little creature at my side was in t.
del'rlum Of happiness, aud her clear, sweet
voice came ringing upon the air as often
as she heard the notes of a ~lavorite bird,
or found some strange and lovely flower
in her frollc wanderings. The unbToken
and almost supernatural tranquility Of the
day continued until nearly noon. Then
for the first time, the indication of an ap~
preaching tempest were manifest. Over
the summit of a mountain, al The distance
OF about a mile, the folds Of a dark cloud
became suddenly visible, and at the same
instant a hollow roar came down upon the
winds, as if it had been the sound of waves
in a rocky cavern. The cloud rolled out
like a banner fold upon the air, but still
the atmosphere was as calm and the leaves
as mo!ionIess as before, and there was not
ever a culver upon the sleeping waters 10
tell of the coming hurricane.
To escape the tempest was impossible
AS the only resort, We fled to an oak that
stood al the foot of a tall and ragged PREF
cipice. Here we remained looking
breathlessly upon the clouds, marsha ling
themselves like bloody giants in the SKY
The thunder was not frequent, but every
burst was so fearful that the young creas
ture who stood by me shut her eyes So
convulsively, chung with desperate strength
10 my arm, and shrieked as it her heart
would break. A few minutes and the
storm was upon US. During the height
Of its fury, the little girl raised her finger
towards The precipice that lowered above
US. | looked up, and the next moment
The clouds opened, The rocks to!tered to
their foundations, a roar like the groan of
a universe filled the air, and | felt myself
blinded and thrown know not whittier.
How long | remained insensible | cannot
tell, but when consciousness returned, the
violence of the tempest was abating, the
roar of the winds dying in the tree.lops;
and the deep tones OF the storm coming id
fainter murm from the eastern hills.
arose, and looked trembllngly and all
most deliriously around. She was there
the dear idol of my infant love-stre,ch-
ed out upon the wet green earth: Alter
a moment of irresolulion, | went up and
looked upon her. The handkerchief up.
on her was slightly rent, and a single
dark spot upon her bosom. told where the
pathway of death had been. At first /
clasped her 10 my breast, with a cry OF
agony, and then laid her down and gazed
into her face, almost with a feeling of
calmness. Her bright, dishevelled ring.
lets clustered sweelly around her brow,
the look of terror had fallen from her lips,
and an infant smile was pictured beauti<
fully there the red rose :inge upon her
cheek, was lovely as in life, and as [
pressed it 20 my own, the fountain OF tears
was opened, and | wept as if my head
we're water. | have but a slim recollec>
ton of what followed-I only know that
l remained weeping and motlonless till
the coming on OF twilight, and that | was
then taken tenderly by the hand, and led
away where | saw the countenances Of
parents and sisters.
Many yeats have gone by upon the
wings of light and shadow, but the scenes
[ have portrayed still comes over me at
times, with a terrible dis,inc,ness. The
old oak yet stands at The base of the preci,
plce, but its limbs are black and dead, end
its hollow trunk, looking upward 10 the
sky, as if calling 10 the clouds for drink
is an emblem of rapid and noiscless decay.
a year ago | visited The spot, and the thot'S
of by-gone days came mournfulIy back to
me-thoughls of the liule innocent being
who fell by my side like some beautiful
tree Of spring rent by the whirlwind in
tho midst Of its poisoning. But res
membered-and oh there was JOY 10
the memory-that she had gone where no
Iightniogs sIumber in the folds Of the rain
bow cloud, and where the sunlit waters
are never broken by the Storm breath Of
Omnipotence.
My reader will understand why I shrink
in terror from the lhunder: Even The
consciousness of security is no relief 10
me-my fear has assumed the nature Of
an instinct, and seems indeed a part . fmy
existence.