Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-03-30
THE TEMPEST.
BY GEORGE D. PRENTICE

There are few scenes either of human
or elemental strife upon which l hav,
not looked with a brow of daring.
have stood in the front of the battl,
when swords were cleaning and circlins
aroung me like fiery serpents of the ali
IL have set on the mountain pinnacle
when the whirlwind was rending it,
oaks from their rocky cliffs, and scatter
ing them piece meal to the clouds
have seen these things with swelling
soul, that knew not, that recked MOI
danger, but there is something in the
thunder's voice that makes me tremble
like a child. 1 have tried to overcome
this unmanly weakness-I have called
pride to my add have sought for moral
courage in the lesson of philosophy
but it avails me nothing-at the first
low moaning of the distant cloud, my
heart shrinks, quivers, grasps, and dies
within me.
My involuntary dread of thunder had
its origin in an incident, that occurred
when was boy of ten years. 1 had
little cousin-a girl of the same age
with myself, who had been the constant
companion of my childhood. Strange,
that after the lapse of so many years,
that countenance should be so familiar
to me. l can see the bright young
creature-her large eyes flashing like a
beautiful gem, her free locks streaming
as in JOY upon the rising gale, and her
cheek glowing, like ruby through a
wreath of transparent snow. Her voice
had the melody and joyousness of a
birds, and when she bounded over the
wooded hill of the fresh green valley,
shouting a glad answer to every voice of
nature, and clasping her little hands in
the very ecstacy of young existence,
she looked as if breaking away like a
freed nightengale from the earth, and
going off where all things are beautiful
and happy like her.
1t was morning in the middle of
August. The little girl had been pass
ing some days at my fathers house, and
she was now to return home. Her path
lay across the fields, and l gladly be-
came the companion of her walk. l
never knew a summer morning more
beautiful and still. Only one little cloud
was visible, and that seemed as pure,
and white, and peaceful, as if it had
been the incense smoke of some burning
censer of the skies. The leaves hung
silent in the woods, the waters in
the bay had forgotten their undula-
tons, the flowers were bending their
heads as if dreaming of the rainbow
and dew, and the whole atmosphere
was of such a soft and luxurious
sweetness that it seemed a cloud of
roses, scattered down by the hands of
Peri, from the far off gardens of Para
disc. The green earth and the blue sea
lay abroad in their boundlessness, and
the peaceful sky bent over and blessed
them. The little creature at nv side
was in delirium of happiness, and her
clear, sweet voice came ringing upon
the air as often as she heard the tones of
favorite bird, or found some strange or
lovely flower in her frolic wanderings.
The unbroken and almost supernatural
tranquility of the day continued until
nearly noon. Then for the first time
the indication of an approaching tenn
pest was manifest. Over the summit of
mountain at a distance of about a
mile, the folds of dark cloud became
suddenly visible, and at the same in
slant, 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 banner fold upon the
air, but still the atmosphere was as calm
and the leaves as motionless as before,
and there was not even a quiver upon
the sleeping waters to tell of the coming
hurricane.
To escape the tempest was impossible.
AS the only resort, we fled TO an oak
that stood at the foot of tall and rug
ged precipice. Here we remained, and
gazed almost breathlessly upon the
clouds marshalling themselves like
bloody giants in the sky. The thunder
was not frequent, but every burst was
so fearful that the young creature who
stood by me shut her eyes cOnvulsively,
clung with desperate strength to my
arm, and shrieked as if her very heart
would break. A few minutes and the
storm was upon us. During the height
of its fury, the little girl lifted her finger
towards the precipice that lowered above
us. looked up, and an amethystine
fame was quivering upon its gray
peaksl and the next moment the clouds
opened, the rocks tottered to their
foundations, roar like the groan of a
Universe filed the air, and l felt myself
blinded, and thrown Iknew not whittier.
How long l remained insensible l can
not tell, but when consciousness re-
turned, the violence of the tempest was
abating, the roar of the winds dying in
the tree tops, and the deep tones of the
clouds coming IN fainter murmurs from
the Eastern hills.
1 arose, and looked tremblingly and
almost deliriously around. She was
there-the dear idol of my infant love
stretched out on the wet green earth.-
After moment of irresolution, went
up and looked upon her. The handker-
chief upon her neck was slightly rent,
and a single dark spot upon her bosom
told where the pathway of her death
had been. At first l clasped her to my