Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-11-18

BY GEORGE D. rRExrrcn.

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age. There are few scenes OF either
human or elementary strife upon
which ! have not looked with brow
Of daring. / have stood In front 81
battle when swords were cleaning
and circling around me like ficty SER
penis Of the air--I have sat on the
mountain pinnacle when the whirl-
wind was rending its oaks from rock
clefts and scattering them piecemeal
to the clouds. have seen those
things with a swelling soul that reck-
ed not OF danger--but there Il some
thing In the thunder's voice that
makes me tremble like . child. 1
have tried To overcome this unmanly
weakness-I have called pride to my
adj have sought for mural courage
In the lessons of philosopiiy--but 1t
avails me nothing--at tho first low
moaning Of the distant cloud my
heart sinks and dies within me.
My involuntary dread of thunder
has its origin in an incident that oc-
CURED when was q child of ten
years ! had little cousin--a girl of
the same age of myself, who had been
the constant companion Of my child
hood. Strange that after the lapse of
a score Of years, that cOuntenance Is
so familiar to me. / can see the bright
young creature--her large eyes flash
ing like q beautiful gem, her free
locks streaming as In joy upon the
rising gale, and her cheek glowing
like ruby through wreath Of trans
parent snow. Her voice had the
melody and joyousness of o birds,
and when she bounded over wooded
hill or the fresh green valley, shout
ing u glad answer to every voice Of
nature, and clasping her little hands
In the very ecstacy Of young exist
ence, she looked "a II breaking away
like q freed nightingale from the
earth, and going of where all things
were beautiful and happy like her.
1t was a morning In the middle OF
August. The little girl had been
passing some days at my fathers
house, and she was now to return
home. Her path lay across the fields !
and gladly became the companion
Of her walk. / never knew sum-
still. Only one little cloud was visi- |
white, and peaceful rs II 1t had been
the incense from burning censor Of
the skies. The leaves hung silent In !
the woods, the waters Of the bay had
forgotten their fluctuations, the flow
ers were bending their heads as II
dreaming Of the rainbow, and the
whole atmosphere was Of such a soft
and luxurious sweetness, that It
seemed a cloud of roses scattered
down by the hands Of Peri, from
rhe faF-vTT gardens Of Paradise. The (
green earth and the blue sea were !,
abroad in their boundlessness, and
the peaceful sky bent over and blessed
them. The little creature at my side
was In delirium Of happiness, and
her clear, sweet voice came ringing
upon the dir as often as she heard the
tones of o favorite bird, or found some :,
strange or lovely flower IN her frolic !,
wanderings. The uubroken and al
most supernatural tranquility Of the :,
day continued until nearly noon. -
Then, for the first time. the indica-
lions Of an approaching tempest were
manifest. Over the summit Of Q
ut distance of about o
mile, the folds of dark cloud be-
came suddenly visible and at the
same moment q hollow roar came
down upon the winds, as II 1t were
the sound Of waves In a rocky cavern.
The cloud unrolled like banner fold
upon the air, but still the atmosphere /,
was calm and the leaves as motion
less as before; there was not even a
culver upon the sleeping waters to
tell Of the coming hurricane. To es-
cape the tempest was impossible.
AS the only resort, we fled to an
oak, that stood at the foot Of a tall,
and ragged precipice. Here we re-
NAMED and gazed almost breathless-
ly upon the clouds, marshalling them
selves like bloody giants in the sky.
The thunder was not frequent, but
every burst was SO fearful that the
young creature, who stood by me,
shut her eyes c0nvulslvely, chung
and shrieked as II her heart would
break. A few minutes and the storm
was upon us. During the height of
It's fury, the little girl lifted her I'm
ger toward the precipice that lowered !
above us. looked up; an amethys-
tine flame was quivering upon its (;
gray peaks, and the next moment
The clouds opened, the rocks tottered ;
10 their foundation, q roar like the
yroan of universe filled the air, and
I felt myself blinded and thrown I
knew not whittier. How long re-
NAMED insensible cannot tell but
when consciousness returned, the VIZ
,lence of the tempest was abating
The roar of the winds dying In the
Tree tops, and the deep tones Of the
thunder coming in fainter murmers
rom the eastern hills.
1 arose, and looked trembling and
almost deliriously around. She was
idol of my infant love -
stretched out upon the wet, green
,arth. After a moment Of irresolu-
lon, went up aud looked upon her.
rhe handkerchief upon her neck was
lightly rent, and single dark spot
lpon her bosom told where the path !
u death had been. At first I clasped
Ter to my breast with cry OF ago
~, and then laid her down and
,azed into her face almost with a =
ceiling of calmness. Her bright dish :
yelled ringlets clustered sweetly y
round her brow, thu look Of terror
lad faded from her lips, and an In
ant smile was pictured beautifully
red rose tinge upon her a
heeks was lovely ms In life, and AZ I Il
'ressed 1t to my own the fountain Of !,
ears was opened, and wept as II
nv head were waters. / have but q d
i'm recollection of what followed
only know that l remained weep
ny and m0tionless till the coming OF /
and that was then taken Ii
enderly by the hand, and led away
where saw the countenance Of par
nts and sisters. Il
Many years have gone by on their b
wings OF light and shadow, Tut the
Genes have portrayed still come
yer me-. at times, with terrible dis o
inctness. The oak yet stands at the &
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