Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-10-20
The Dark Day, May 10th, 1850.

These verses were written shortly alter
the event they describe, written in the old
ballad style of the day. The description
OF this extraordinary phenomenon was
given by DR.. Adams on the 9th of May,
1880, eight days after it occurred. He
says: eve had very extraordinary phe-
nomenon the 10Th of this month. In the
morning it was dark and rainy till about
nine o'clock. The clouds then broke away
and the sun appeared, but was very red.
After nine o'clock the clouds grew thick,
with the wind from the southeast, in
breezes At ten o'clock it was uncom-
monty dark, the clouds appearing of vel
low hue At eleven o'clock the public
school was dismissed, it being too dark to
SEQ either to read or write. 1t continued
to grow dark till twelve o'clock, when it
was so dark we could not tell one person
from another in a room with three large
windows. In short, it was midnight dark
ness at MONDAY. The fowls went to roost,
and there was a strong smell of smoke
It had been very dry for some days; the
wind had been east four or five days,
which drove the smoke to the westward,
and when the wind shifted it brought it
all down in body, which, together with
the dense mass of clouds, caused the dark
ness, which lasted till three o'clock P. m,
when it began to grow light. Thousands
of people who could not account for 1t
| E tlx tarrI n aa
and, indeed, it cast an universal gloom on
the earth The frogs and nighthawks be-
gan their notes. At four o'clock the wind
shifted to northeast, which brought the
clouds back, and at sunset it was again
very dark At nine o'clock it was dark,
ness to be felt by more senses than one, al
there was a strong smell of SCOT, and al
most every one who was out in the even
ing got lost in going home. The darkness
was as uncommon in the night as the day,
as the moon had fulled the night before
Let all adore and bow before
The Sovereign God of might,
Who turned away the shining day
Into the shades of night
All nature sta nds when he commando
Or changes in its course;
His mighty hand rules and land;
He is the ord of Eosts.
Nineteenth of May, gloomy day,
When darkness yelled the sky;
The suns decline may be sign
Some great event is NIGH.
Let us remark how black and dark
} Was the ensuing night;
: And for time the moon declined,
Aud lid not give her light.
Can mortal man this wonder scani
Or tell a second cause!
Il Did not our God then shake his rod
Aud alter natur e's laws!
What great event next will be sent
Upon this guilty land,
He only knows who can dispose
All things at His command.
| VII.
Our wekednes we must confess
Is terrible and great;
Sin is the thing that we should shun,
The thing Gods soul doth hate.
Our mighty sins Gods judgments lu1lgs,
But still we hardened grow;
Then judgments great may not abGte
! Until our overthrow.
Lol sin abounds in all our towns:
Now, in these gospel days,
How vice prevails and virtue ia lis,
And Goodness decays.
If we reflect can We expect, ..
| According to our doing,
But that we are, as we may fear,
| Just on the brink of ruin!
Awake! awake /! your sins forsakey
And turn Immediately;
! If we don't turn his wrath will burn
/ To all eternity.
| This is the day when sinners may
| Repent and turn to God;
If We delay and won't obey,
Then we must feel his rod.
| XIII
/ How good and kind would sinners find
i Their great Redeemer now,
II they awake, their sins forsake,
i And to His seeptre bow.
i XIV 4