Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-11-28
SU.V'LIGHT TT .nrD.yEGHT.

All the world Ct s.. Petersburg drives
out upon the islands at night. and gathers
at 1.-THE Point" where the land looks ont
at the north and the Gulf of Finland, TO
honor the sun in its setting. The hour was
haf-past nine, and no cloud obscured the
royal orb. A broad line of orange ran
along the horizon in which the sun floated,
until IL gradually settled down into an
ocean of color. The orange became paler,
changed 10 amber and then TO yellow, and
the whole sky was Hooded with it, when H.
nally 1t became cold and metallic. Before
the sun set rose pink sutlused the waters.
way out to the mouth of the river and he
iar-on gulf Then it darkcned into purple,
and finally shaded into a grey, hard flint.
50 we saw the sun set again, Off BAIL ISL
and in the Gulf Of Finland, but loss color
prevailed, aud only the shades of orange
yellow appeared on sea or earth or sky.
The sun in neither case went down with
decided movement as ii does with us, but
rather Iaded aud sank as an exhausted old
life may flicker in its socket. The ray
grows cool and weak. The shadows fall.
Tho sensation is strange, to have the sun
shine and material objects seem not to in
tercept il, for the light is the same back of
them as on either side. For long while
before the shadows cease, they gradually
diminish in distinctness. The pencil is
dull for thinning. In its absence, one dis
covers the marvellous power of light aud
shade, and learns to admire more than ev-
er the mastery Of Rembrandt.
At half-pasi ten the rays Of The sun al
ready below the horizon were playing on
the pinnacle of st. Peter and st. Paul.
Young people were delighting themselves
with games of grace in Alexander park.
At eleven the windows had not lost the
days reflected light. 1t was cool twi-
light, June and October struggling for the
| evening. No sense of lateness prevailed.
Women and children were alone in the
streets as at midday and while the shops
are closed, diligent search discovers only
two or three artificial lights in long blocks
of occupied buildings. These words are
written just rs the clock strikes eleven,
and the cross of our lady of Kazen il yet
tinged by the sun, which is wandering on
| lv Just beneath the horizon, far away 10
| the north.
The night becomes no darker; at twelve
and at one person may read coarse print
in the streets, and before two o'clock, au-
rora tints The morning sky. The expert
ence is unique, for one may almost refer to
the Scripture text and say here is no night.
| Something mysterious, wonderful because
unknown, appears to he in the air. 1t is
not the absence of night which will make
hta ven, but the WEAKNESS which longs for
night will not be there for even light may
become burden, and the day may extend
| itself to monster. The good people Of st.
Petersburg are happy in thcirsituation and
in this long, bright night. they are ceehrat-
ing fete in honor of Peter the Great. We
met them not long before eleven o'clock,
going in crowds. by carriage, and by boat
and on foot, ont TO Petrovski island, where
Punch and Judy were performing. and
games were in progress, and fruit and eggs
and bread and beer were for sale, and
mirth and iolIity went hand in hand with
good order.-C0r. Utica Herald