The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-06-13
The DAILY
THE WIND.

tEuiy I3yobShlou5 dSeDt II LIE
wind, yiewless itself, yet having an
eye withal, toward which, il one finds
himself moving, he will be sure to feel
! its force, ifhe does not see bis form.
1t is strong armed also, beating down
| opposition with restless strength
Its voice is terrible sometimes and
sometimes softer than q antc. Nov
it has the plainto of an Eoliaa Harp;
then lifelike whistles loud and clear.
1t sobs among tue pine cones, rustles
iii the chesngts summer leaves, and
~rattles in the bare branches and falling
D liage oftheautumn. Alnostnoise-
lessly does this invisibiy tenant ofthe
space above us seem to creep, though
in fact unseen, along the waving grass
and corn. which bend in reverence as
it passes.
The wind has been said already 10
have an eye, 1t has breath too, now
emitting in the Sirocco or Simeon,
now cutting men down with the Nor
ther, and prostrating in the hurricane.
Generally it may be inferred that it
possesses good character. The com
mon saying, that it is an i'll Wind that
blows NOBODY any good, implies that
usually it is a good creature enough.
1t blows our vessels to pieces some
times indeed, but then how many
more does it blow, with their rich
freight Of men and merchandise across
the oceangl Winds derive their char
actcr as men 90 from the country If
their origin. Those from the land ct
Boreas are apt to be savage in their
attacks as the white bear5 oi the pole,
while those from the tropics softly
kiss our cheeks and WOO rs to repose.
1t makes itself usetnli in a thousand
ways one OF which is turning mills,
and powerfully helping all sorts OF
manufacture. As an entertainer, it
is u~nrivalled. How sublimely it
brings up the thunder shower; how
beautifully it foats along the sky the
billowy cloud. 1t causes the hail or
rain drop to patter against the window
and ifyou are u good-for- nothing SLOW
Gu or slatern in your housekeeping,
it will drive thesnow orwaterthrough
the broken pane, or dilapidated root.
While fishing in the lake, or lying
under a shady tree upon its banks,
the wind is ever ready TO aulnse one.
Now it stirs up myriads OF rippIc5
running after one another ovef its sur
face, and now it fans the longer will
the big branches Of the chestnut above
his head.
1t is not always, however, thar il
appears as master OF the revefs. In
the character of ayenger il now and
then rushes upon the stage and makes
It's audience tremblc. Wide forests
are Instantly laid low By its irresisti-
bic. yet vicwless arm; dwellings are
torn asunder and crushed beneath lis
weight; men and ANIMALS arc lifted
up, and whirled about like snow
fakes in a winters storm. so it is on
the land.
At sea its power is terrific; the
ocean is lashed into rolling noun
tains. Earth and the heavens meet
andmingletogstherin nigh and chaos.
The elements put forth their voices;
but above all their horrible thunder
summons 10 the universal uproar Of
battle. ltragss, it screams. it shrieks.
Over all other sounds the blast ofthe
Invisible is heard; and that power
which is the cause Of the boiling OF
the deep, the agony of the cracking
shin. vet is itself forever unseen.