The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-03-02

TACT which occurred N tue e1Pes'e..SS "
distinguished legal gentleman Of Vir-
ginia.l
A fine summer dsy was drawing to q
close as Mr.. r r., after dining wiAh a brother
LAWYER. mounted his horse n ride home.
lie had been entertained with the gentle
and genial hospitality Of the Old Do'n'n.
ion, and felt that agreeable stimulus OF
the animal spirits which follows In the
train Of n moderate dinner among congo
nial friends. He had delayed the moment
of departure as long as possible, though
the Iide home was long one, because he
would have Q full moon to light him on
his way, and the air would be cooler after
night-iall; so that it was with none but
the most agreeable emotions he bade adieu
TO his friends, lOosened the bride Of his
horse, and turned into the road Whlcn
led through the forest. =,
To a native sense Of the beauty and
excellence Of nature, Mr.. Il. added that
refinement Of taste, which is the result OF
careful mental culture, and buoyancy OF
feeling which excess had never dulled.
lie enjoyed the serene silence Of evening
in the forest-the varied lights and shades
on the rock and tree and stream, ana the
peculiar air of majestic repose which ma
tnre wears In the recesses Of her wood
land sOlitudes The silence was inter-
rupted only by tho sound Of his horses
feet over the even road, and the occasional
note Of bird, or the croak Of frog-a
prelude Of the evenings concert. The
scent Of the evening air was delicious and
refreshing, after the heat of the day. In
short, so pIeasurablc were his emotions
that Sir. T. rode along at very easy pace,
and it was only when the rapid increase
of the darkness warned him Of the ap'
pronch Of night, that he began to urge
his horse to greater swiftness. Absorbed
in pleasant thought, and shut out by the
loiiiness Of tho trees from any buf xery
partial view Of the aky, he had not obser-
we'd q heavy battalion Of clouds. which,
after lying lazily along the hcEiscn for
some hours, now began TO liz themselves
towards the zenith, and emit an occasional
angry flash-snre token Of o coming
storm. 1t was indeed approaching with
rapidity which Knocked every effort no
could make to reach n place Of shelter be.
fore its outburst. IIc rode rapidly, but
each fash Of lightning was followed by .
nearer and nearer peal Of thunder, and
soon the darkness became intense, the
wind began to rise and tho rain to de-
scend 80 heavily that our traveller was
glad to remember he must now have
nearly reached Q large church, which
stood on his homeward way, In the large,
OId'iashioned entrance to which he hoped
to find q temporary shelter. With this
view, he urged his horse to the utmost
speed, and 70 violent did the tempest be-
come, 30 close and incessant we're the
flashes Of lightning, SO heavy the rain,
and so numerous the branches torn from
the trees by tho wind, that he began to
feel no small anxiety 70 reach piaee oi
safety.
Atlcngth the lighting showed the old
church near at hand. He rode up to 1t,
dismounted, and placing his horse so a. to
protect him 40 much as possible from the
storm, entered the deep and SPACIOUS door
way. As he leaned for support egainst
the heavy folding door, to bis surpriee 4
yielded to the pressure; be opened lt land
entered the church, glad TO ilnd himself
in 30 secure . situation. He walked up
the central aisle and sat down IN one ol
the pews near the middle Of the church.
II was not possible Tor man Of the
sensibility and unaffected piety Of Mr.. T.
to flRd himself alone, in such . situation,
and amidst such Q manifestation Of AL.
mighty power as this furious tempest af
forded, not to feel some degree Of solem
nifty and awe. He sat down, and gave
way to the many solemn reflections called
up by the scene and the hour. lie thought
Of the many who had once worshiped
there who were now lying in their last
long sleep In the church-yard without
Once, upon their beds Of down, how
slight an obstacle, how small q vexatioT
had been sufficient to Danish slumber
Now-all the artillery Of heaven, ell th,
pelting Of the pitilcss storm, moved then
not a jOt. Imagination called up many .
form once % familiar az the pews nnC
pillars Of the old church known from in
fancy. In thought ho strove to follow
some Of these into that strange realm
At this momen. slight noire, IN mo
mentary lull Of the tempest. made itsel
heard apparently behind and above him
1t was not strange, that at such mo
ment It sent thrill Of inexplicable emo
ton through his frame. In moment tn
feeling passed away, and he turned, re
solved to see, if possible. by the illumina
ton Of the next flash of. lightning, wha
had caused the sound which had startle,
him. II cAme-brond, fierce, red, an,
revealed TO him in tho choir form.
something that had life and motion, but
shape so underlined, SO hideous that, wit
involuntary terror, he covered his eye
with his hands.
The place, the hour, the darkness, In
tcrruptcd only by the glare OF the light
ning-the sounds Of the tempest ragin
without-the solitude and the vague cor
sciOusness Of unsCspectcd companiOnshiE
had, It must be confessed, powerful ei
: feet on the mind Of q inan, naturally {
tho firinest courage, and nurtured In
society where cowardice is disgrace.
thousand wild conjectures rushed throug
his mind In that first momcntary but irrS
sistibIe onset Of terror. Then his vel
tutorcd reason and his resoIute will cor
trivetl to make themselves heard over th
tumult Of underlined fears and crownin
fancies. And, at length. that most DOW
crful Of all ideas to sOothe the mind, en-
tered with its elevating and cOnsolin
train. The thought Of the great Bein
to whom that place was dedicated -of Iii
sercno supremacy above all the w0 an
tumuIt Of earth, above ell the forces {
nature, and the spirit Of man himsel
gave him = degree Of composnre In hi
present situation, which, DO aIlerwar
owned, he should, without this cid hay
wanted. abMtsGsf i,.c
With restored calmness, be rsmoye
his hands from his eyes and looked u
once more, hoping he had been the snt
ject Of sOme strange dsluss0ns of u
senses. Mothers; anothes Eaash shoWo,
Il nearer, palmer thar hlaee-d -dusinI
those brief moments Il ~ ssnae.H ~
gallery stair with unhesfd klasI ~
swiftness, and was soon 81 - liksas ID
with himself By this sisas ~ -