St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-08-02
IS u ssI'T = .TJT t.
%. from the London Tines Fir, June 22.]
A Prophecy of, Famine. n

There has been a sort ofI Merlin or MUIR
ply prophecy current for many months
past, to. the effect that the foul weather
with which We have. been afflicted since
September of last year, was to oomeeto a
termination on the 21st Of June---the long
est day Here, then, with the help Of wa
ter-proof coats and umbrellas, we have ar
rived at this critical period in. the biogra-
ply Of the nation; but are we rid Of the
rain, tho fog, the snow, the: gales, and all
the discomfort which the elements can en-
tail upon US when they become. confused
in one long, continuous hubbub {, It has
been charged against us En- glishmen, that
We are somewhat too apt to make the wealth
er the subject Of our conversation but we
point TO- our. experience of the: last. ten
months, and ask-Haye: We not a right to:
do SO? Surely, at the time of the famine
in the sister island, two Irishmen who met
each other by chance on the banks of the
Shannon might very reasonably be indulg-
ed in slight criticism upon potatoes. For
the last few years the peasants who live or
die in the neighborhood Of the italian lakes
accordingly as the, sikworms attend to or
neglect their business might be excused if
they asked each othet, how The mulberry
trees we're thriving. The wine growers in
the Medoc country Or on! the Cote dor
feel some little interest; in the progress sof
the vine disease. just in the same way
I've poor wet-footed--we had need to be
Web-footed- storm bound islanders have
right: to. interest ourselves il the condi-
ton Of the weather. For q wonder, the
proVerbia1 felicity 81 our Queen in such
matters has deserted her. The British
Sovereign, with all sorts Of august, and il
lustriol1s personages at her back, drove up
ASCOT Raceeourrse = The ether day in close
lcarfiaqe amid Ideluge ,of rain, Just as tho
| shes "a been some ordinary mortal. Put
bod your trust in princes any more. This
Hast refuge and consolation has been denied
Fffor Che last ton months to the English race.
The Queen If these realms, equally with
the humblest costernonger among her sub
jects, has lived in, the midst Of showers,
and storms, and hurricanes. !. The rain has
fallen with Seriptwal equity upon the just
and the UNI just, the mighty and the humb-
tle, the Iirich and the poor. N Or must we
bring any peculiar reproach' upon these
islands ind this respect In those countries
Of Europe which lie closer to the sun, and
where, according to received canons Of be-
lief, the. more fortunate inhabitants were
living among violet.beds and watching the
lfight ofsthe FREELY while we were ssagger-
ping about among our fogs with tlinkboys to
Eguide us on oar obscure path, the weather
has proved just as bad as it has been in
the British Isles: d" Not even the suspicious
event Of a liberated Italy could entice a
Ismile from the angry clouds the other day,
when Y ictcr Emanuel went forth to receei7e
the homage Of his new !Hmilian subjects.
The Spaniards; who, under, The guidance
fof' 'Donnell, had. chosen : as they mag
lined the most favorable season Of The year
for leyjji war upon The uhyieiding Moor,
found themselves involved ii SHOW, and
fog, and elemental miseries, the. like Of
which had never been remembered New
or have such an autumn; winter, and spring
been known in Germany asduringg che last
ton mouths: The calamity f for 1T has,
indeed, been avery 1ievo calamity has
beer univ ersal throsigl1out Europe, and the
British Islands have not been worse treat treat.
ed than hboring lands s." sses ~
The social 'miseries conscqu lent upon this
continuous iill-weathef have, indeed, been.
hard enough To- bear, but sthcy have been
asanotAing III compariscns With the, injury injury
inflicted upon the substan hal resources 81
the. nation: The herbage has been droWn-s