Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-10-09
An Eastern Sand Storm.

We ourselves hurried home, for '
saw plainly that the storm would be up'
us in few minutes. The appearan
of this driving cloud from our verandi
was grand in the extreme. We no
were convinced that a >andstorm, al
that one of no ordinary kind, was abo
to burst upon us in all its fury for Il
cloud, now that we came TO look at
evidently held no rain in its lurid depth
The dark shades Of it were Of the deel
est purple, and the edges, as il came u
from the westward, were tinted gle
rious gold. Every instant, as the ligl
played over the surface, we beheld color
varying from brilliant orange to tn
deep, dark, sombre tones of red and pur
pie. Birds Of all descriptions, scream,
ing wildly, were endeavoring, by som
rapid fight, some BY soaring high int
the yet clear vault of heaven, TO avoid tb,
sand laden atmosphere that was surgins
towards us in a way wondrous to behold
In less than fifteen minutes from The
time we first observed it the fiery breatl
of the storm was upon US. First cam,
the moan Of rushing mighty wind a
it swept angrily by. There were few
date-trees in the garden below. TbeiI
large sturdy leaves were for an instant
strangely agila'cd; the next they were
torn away with crash, and then hur-
ried to lceward as are the light leaves OF
a beech before an autumn breeze. The
stout trees themselves swayed to and fro
then bent down, aud bowed humbly be
fore the wrath oil the gale.
A few seconds more and the town
was plunged into an utter darkness as of
midnight. Though two of US were with.
in yard of each other, out in the open
verandab, it was impossible to trace even
the outline of the figure, so impenetrable
was the gloom. There was feeling that
some kind Of fine sand was pervading
every sense Of the body. There was q
peculiar taste in the atmosphere, and the
eyes suddenly became painful and sore.
After the one furious gust of wind had
passed on, there was great stiffness in
the air, and Immediately the darkness
set in, the buzz and the hum of the buz-
aars was completely bushed. Our serv-
ants thought the last day was come, and
as we heard, this was the general opinion
through the town; for even the oldest
inhabitant had never s,el any dust
storm resembling this. In these mo-
ments Of darkness, more than enc pious
follower of the Prophet, as he felt him
self choking with dust, thought that the
hour in which he should find himself
gliding to heaven in unbounded bliss had
at length approached. Had he not fast
ed til he had become the mere COST of
his former self? Had be not rubbed hi,
forehead on the black stone of the dis
tant Mecca? Had be not fairly won the
Joys of the faithful in that bis hand had
once been red with the blood of the
Christian dog or, as the case might be,
di he not daily regret that no opportu
nty had presented itself of cutting some
infdel throat?
In al out five minutes the darkness
begsn to clear. Immediately we could
see. We found ourselves and every
thing belonging to US covered with
fine impalpable dust of reddish color,
There is no sand of this color in any of
these deserts SO the opinion was that the
dustladen cloud was traveller straight
from the Egyptian Deserts. As the
darkness fed, duIl-red, luminous glare.
the most awe-inspiring part of the storm,
thought, succeeded, and STEPPED all
objects. A hum from the
bazaars suddenly arose, and swelled into
a loud pr belonged shout, in which it seem
I'd that every breathing soul in the town
hat had voice took rejoicing pant.
We saw no sunset that evening the SOM ;
)re red glare that came streaming into {
he windows, and bathing everything (
'round, was gradually lost n the dark t
less of night. BY ten o'clock that night t
IS we smoked our evening pipe in the /
ben verandah, we looked up,at the stars
Inning forth bright and brilliant, but in "
ain did we look for any trace of the ev. o
nins's storm in the dark blue vault OF P
Ieaven.' b
Self-respect is the ballast of our lite 81
hip. Without i. to let the craft be
eb h., a