Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1848-09-21
MARrlsBRG BERKELEY SEPTEMBER a. 1918
ran WONDER OF rim rrAvnws

ne recent ecllpSe OF the tlueen oil Night fRUS
beautifully noticed in the Philadelphia Bulletin
10 the unlathomable calm Of the eternal heavens
last midnight enacted one OF those scenes which,
being OF Con himself, alone deserve The epithets OF
grandeur and sublImiiy that ambitious man prone
TO heap upon the insignificant and hlagree nothing
ness he calls the evidences Of his creative genius
The breathing statute the glowing canvass, the gor
geous tempe--even the Titanic pyramids themselves
which almost the pedesals of the sky-what
are they all compared with the inexhaiisiible oil
glory which lately streamed upon from yon star
tretied and mited dome that roofs the earth with
living light
Early in the evening, the fair chaste moon Just
rounding into the full outline Of her most dazzling
beauty, became of the occuation for which she
was destined and drawing with silver fingers the
lmy tracery oflhe clouds about her robe of beauty
daried the radience Of her smiles upon them until
they beamed with all the separate yet harmoniously
coorngs Of chrysialzed light. II like the dreams
OF youth painted by the prism Of hope All over the
Eastern heavens aed graceful clouds OF grange and
silver like troops Of spirits bearing gigantic wreaihs
wherewith 10 crown their bride mistress; while the
bright goddess herself flushed when she stopped
kiss Endymion, swan amid celestial halo Of many
coored splendor.
But soon this celestial panornia passed. and the
white clouds, beached of their flaming hues faded
behind the invisible curaining Of the air. and were
seen no more. Then the lone moon deserted Of her
gorgeous train, began feel in her heart The dreay
shadow that crept remorseessy up the Eas: to enlod
her IN It's dark embrace ana ner SWEEP lace grew pale
and pensve as betrayed heauty's And now true as
the pusaon OF the Creative Brain Of the Universe,
came the inevitable shapeless Shadow and laid its
swarh upon the shrinking shoulder Of the goddess
faint blush Of darker light filtered her face
and she yielded The destiny which slowly yet
" enveioped her and held her powerless and expiring
in IFS arms. Yet even then she most beautiful.
Shorn Of lis silver beams her form shrank half its
natural dimensions-he stars out in many clus
ters 10 wink and sparkle at her discontinue; and even
the little dim-eyed creature that waits submissive
at her side, dared grow large and shine with an
audacious us,ure
A solemn gloom came slowly forth from the -four
corners of the sky and hung dark curtains the
heavens. as il TO shut out from mortal eyes The holy
mysteries OF the hour, vet struggling through all the
proud Dianna's golden bosom still CLEANED and
throbbed. Atast the trial was past. Slowly as it
came the grim and formless Shadow Of Night and
fell off into the blue abyss otathomless space. The
stars once more shrank abashed away, and the glori
Gus orb undmmed By single ray, again filed heav-
en- and earth with the glory of her unuerabe beauty,
while the aurora borealis like procession Of triumph
al banners sreamed across the northern sky. The
ten thousands of wondering and rapt faces which had
been mutely upturned TO heaven 10 witness the mag
ni6cent scene, sought once more their pillows and
their dreams-and the noiseiess Universe went its
way.