The Sierra citizen. [volume] (Downieville, Calif.) 1854-185?, 1854-12-23
Written for the Citizen.
EOlUS,

Last night sat at my window listening
to the wind driving against the easement;
loose window pane kept humming its
mournful bass. Twas the voice of the
Winter King come down from the Sier-
ras, and thus he spake:
"My name is Eolus; l breathed first
at the crater of Stromboli, and then swept
away over the hot sands of Africa.
loved to seek the green spots of the deserts
and to fan the burning brow of the trav-
eler as he pressed his weary way over the
waste. How the smile stole over his fea-
lures when he barred his bosom and uncov-
cred his head; but then was gone These
were but the hayward sports ofmy youth,
before knew my power. After while
grew in strength until the stubborn oaks
bowed their heads sullenly when passed.
afterwards, I went down to the sea,
where stately vessel was lying on the
smooth surface of the water, and vowed
that she too should bow before me; and re-
CARELESS of the happy hearts within her,
beating high with hope, I urged on the
waves and dashed the foam over her decks
until she went down, and as the last dis
pairing shrek of the sailors went up to
Heaven / carried it on, on over the waters.
"Then hied me away to Gallilee, and
dashed the spray over the fishermans ship.
They too were to be my Victims
Storm on the midnight waters!
The vast sky was STOPPING with the thunder,
While cloud on cloud reeled heavily in the
| darkness,
Like shroud, shook by some warning spirit
From the high and terrible walls of Heaven
"And then the fishermen called upon
their God, and there came one from the
hinder part of the ship who stretched his
hand over the boiling deep and said peace
be still ? The waves rolled back and l
knew that He who rideth on the storm
had spoken.
Afterwards I hurried away to dim
old forest, whose lofty trees seemed to
pierce the clouds, and singled out venera-
BILE ancestral tree that had for many cen
turtles defed the elements. / tore off limb
after limb, and then uprooted the trunk
and dashed it head-long down the rocks.
away to the old Abbey on the hill,
uncovered in grove of giant oaks, and
mantled with the plying ivy that chung
so lovingly to its crumbling walls, creep
ing after the destructive fingers of decay,
filling up each little crevice until all with
out was verdure and beauty, and within
the dim religious light, struggling through
windows of stained glass, fell chastened
and subdued on paintings executed by the
old masters. Creeping in through the
crannies I glided down the gloomy &C.
serted aisle, and my wierd voice scared
the villagers away, who avered that evil
spirits dwelt there, and that it was tempt.
ing God to enter its crumbling walls.
Sometimes I went on missions of love
and healing, stealing into the chambers
of the invalid and tanning his fevered tenn.
Piles till the dry parched lips tried to utter
I a prayer of gratitude. But that was only
a within of mine, i'll in accordance with
my boisterous nature. Ireturned to the
northern SHOWS, and Numbered against
the poor mans door and shrieked round
the corners and through the crevices Of
his hut, until his shivering, half naked
children hid away in the corner under 8
pile Of rags. What tremor crept over
their little shivering limbs when they fell
my icy breath
"Once more ] set out on my wanderings
across the prairies of the west, overturned
the Indians lodge and drove the buffalo
from his pasture. I whirled the snow
among the bleak crags of the Rock,
Mountains, and wrenched the stuntec
cedar from the rocks; but there was nc
human being there to acknowledge my
power, and / swept across the great desert
to the Sierras that surround thee. Lei
, them beware lest tear from their brows
! the imperial wreath of pines. Aye, le1
the gold hunters beware while ! pile VI
the snow above them! My warm breath
, will start down the avalanche, and breal
down the withered branch. But ] mus
away after the brooks that keep brawline
In the mountains. Flow on merrily
while you can, little streamiet! You vii
soon be mime; you shall hang in icicle