Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-06-01
For the Eastern Times
The Eclipse in New York.
New York. May &c, 1875

The Eclipse in New York.
New York, May &c, 1854.
| can hardly tell whether or no your read
ers are sufficiently fond of g the horrors" to
give attention to the recounting Of the Incl
dents Of the darkest day of my life, but to me
it is pleasing, even in It's gloom, since no one
can satirically utter notifying remarks about
the green days of youth, or insinuate because
chance to be pensive, that am blue. In
deed every individual is cast into the shade
unnoticed, while the sun becomes the centre of
attraction. Country people have come in
crowds 10 see the eclipse, and indeed they all
may expect or hope TO see eclipses in one way
or another. All sexes are congregating on
the corners, from which the sun may be seen,
anxiously waiting the shadow. Here is an
opportunity to moralize, and lament that the
world will thus pursue rain shadows. If the
sun is not Uain, it will be tomorrow, to have
had SO many persons gazing att, the observed
of all observers but-thump-thereg goes my
hat, knocked off by huge quadrant which an
eager sea-captain has just hastily raised for
his " observations" A murmur ofimpatience
runs through the crowd, followed by sage
wonders as to whether the eclipse may not
have been postponed, in which all participate
save " real China-man," not man made of
china, or a junk, but genuine Hygong
Schouyau Wingyong man, from Canton, with
wooden shoes, silk stockings, skull cap, high
cheek bones and long cue; verltable disci-
pie Of Confucus, who trusting in the genius
of his contrymen, discovered the fact that they
sag that 100 years before Christ, the Celestial
tea-pickers were acquainted with the theory of
eclpses-dares to affirm that the eclipse has
neither been postponed nor delayed, but that
he " seen peck now" To most persons his
broken English is unintelligible, forming rath-
er frdgmentory discourse, but in measure
his word "peck," becomes Anglocized, and
is understood to be the bushel of shadows in
which the light is TO be hidden, and instantly,
thousand pieces of triangularly shaped glass
covered with SCOT, are leveled atthe great orb
The quadrant flies up and my hat down again,
but its no use to get angry now, no one would
notice it.
They don't even hear the news boy, who is
crying" Evening Express, end Edition !"
1" Evening Express, Second Edi-t-i-o-n-n.-
Got the great fire i'll Broadway-full account
of the 'clipse,'' (rather early thought y but
still he vehemently cries, &c full account Of the
eclipse. Won't you buy paper, sir Elk
press, 'Ere's Elk" and on he goes, unno-
tlced by the crowd, who insist that it grows
darker and darker, bigger and bigger, every
moment-how dark and big they will finally
make it, mathematcians may calculate, for |
am tired Of holding this piece of smoked glass
to my eye, and shall yield to the longing for
the cool breeze which sweeps the deck of the
Ferry boat, as pass home from business.
It is pleasing to reflect, that, although the
noble (you and l., reader,) may be for a mo-
ment eclipsed by lesser lights, (the world gen
erally,) or, in our turn may eclipse, we shall
all finally, bursting from temporary thraldom,
shine with our proper brilliancy, and move in
our respective orbits. | fancied that my face
was becoming quite lighted up by this lumin-
Gus simle, and constituting the smile of a young
lady opposite, into complimentary appreca-
ton of the same, might have done something
foolish, had not an Irishman politely ap-
preached, with I" please. sir, and We have
been after shutting Four forehead with hold
ing that glass too near''
A smile may be misconstrued. w.