The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-12-13
The Dprk Day.
St. kIohola..

|
when she was a little girl, the mos
wonderful was about the dark day il
New England, Friday, May 10, 1880
This was during our Revolution, you will
remember, and the same year in whicI
the traitor Benedict Arnold attempted t,
betray his country to its enemies.
For several days before the 10th th,
air was full of vspers, as we often see i
when fires are raging in the woods nea
us, and the syn and moon appeared red
and their usual clear night did not reacl
us, especially when rising and setting
The winds blew chs from the south
west and nott1. Nf5and the weathef
was cool ard CT - m -grAinss- OF tA'
10Th was cloudy, shd in many places
showers fell, sometimes accompanied by
thunder and lightning, but thesun arose
it did not incnse the light and the
darkness deepened and deePened, unit
the children standing before ihe tai
clocks could not see to tell the time, anc
older people peering over the dmanat
were not able to distinguish the letters
The birds sang their evening song and
few to their nests in the wood. the
poultry hurried to their roosts, while
the cattle in the fields uttered stange
cries and leaped the stone fence to gain
their stalls, and the sheep all hu'dled
together, bleating piteously.
Color, which you know depends lPon
the light of the sun, filed many with as
tonishment by the usual appearance, foI
the clouds were in some places OF light
red; yellow and brown; the leaves OF the
trees and The grass in the meadows we're
of the deepest green, verging on iniigo,
the brightest silver seemed tarnshed
and everything that is white in tn SUM-
light bore deep yellow hue.
The shadows, which before noorfall to
the westward and afternoon to tie east
ward, were observed in the darkiess to
fall in every direction.
The rain, also, wss unlike ag other
rain, and it set all the people wndering
as they dipped it from tubs and barrels
for a scum formed on it, Teembling
burnt leaves, emitting sooty neil, and
this same substance was seen N rivers
the Merrimac, whCe it lay
four or five inches thick for 1any miles
q iong its shore.
Another peculiarity was ne vapor; in
many localities it descendedto the earth
from high in the atmospher; but at one
peinta gentleman saw the vpors at nine
O'Clock rising from the sprigs and low
lands; one column he particuIrly noticed
rapidly ascending far aboyethe highest
hills thenit spread into lsrg white cloud
and sailed of to the westward; asecond
cloud formed in the same way from the
same springs, but did not rise % high as
ssszs f1ssAa-s .sa-zsa Ssa
nanutes afterward. Alta quarter Of ten
he uppermost cloud was of a reddish
lue, the second was green, indigo and
blue, and the third was almost white
So unwholesome was this vapOr that
mall birds were sufocated in it, and
many Of them were 50 frightened and
itupefied that they few into the houses,
,dding to the fears of ignorant people
Who consider it a bad sign for a bird to
inter a dwelling.
The commencement of the darkness
vas between ten and eleven in the fore
loou (when the men were busy in the
ields and oRices and work shops, the
women spinning, weaving and preparing
Inner, and the children at school, or
lelping their fathers and mothers at
lome), and it continued until the mid
lie of the following night; but the degree
# darkness varied; in some places the
lisk of the sun was seen when the dark
less was the most dense.
Lights were seen burning in all the
houses, and the people passing out OF
loors carried torches aud lanterns, which
we're curiously reflected on. the overhang-
ng clouds
Thousands of people were sure that the
nd of the world had come; many dropped
heir work and fell on their knees to
,ray; others confessed to their fellows the
wrongs they h. d done and eudeavored to
make restitution.
The meeting houses were crowded, and
prayer meetings were
ormed, and the ministers and old church
prayed long prayers, mention
ng the Nations and individuals #
Bible times who had been destroyed on
.ccount of their sins, and begging that
Is God spared the great City Of Nineveh
when it repented, so he would forgive
hem, cheer them again by the light OF
he sun and give victory to their armies.
1t is said that the Connecticut Legis-
ature being in session, the members be-
,ame terrified when they could not see
zach Others faces, and a motion was
made to adjourn, when Mr.. Davenport
arose and said:
"AIr. Speaker, it i, either the day 0
Judgment, or it is not Ifitis not, there
$ no need of adjournment. II it is,
lesire to be found doing my duty l
move that candles be brought, and that
We proceed to bushes"
All the shivering, frightened people be-
,an now to look forward to evening.
hoping that, as the moon rose full at nine
,'clock. her light would penetrate the
,leom: but all the children who coaxed
to sit up and see her grew very sleepy;
their strained eyes we're now rewarded
bv her beautiful beams, for at eight in
the evening the darkness was total; one
could not distinguish between the earth
and the heavens, and it was impossible
tn see a hand before ones face.
Then all the weary children were sent
to bed, after the most honest prayers that
they had ever prayed, and the older sal
uu to watch for the light that never be
fore had appeared 50 glorious.
And never dawned fairer morning
than the goth of May, for the sun thai
onened the flowers and mirrored itself il
the dew-dreps, brought the color agair
to the ehildren's faces, and filed every
heart with confidence
The birds sang joyously, the cattle re
turned to their pastures, the places 0
h,,si,,ess ware opeued, and every on,