Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-10-23
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fellows the wrongs they had dsne aud
endeayored to make restitution.

The meeting.houses were crowded,
and neighborhood prayer-meetings were
formed, and the ministers and cid
church members prayed long prayers,
mentioning the nations aud individuals
of Bible times who had been destroyed
on occouDt of their sins, and begging
that as God spared the great city OF
Nlneyeh when II repented, SO He weuld
forgive them, cheer them again by the
light Of the sun and give victory to their
armies.
1t is said that the Connecticut legis.
lature being in session, the members
became terrified when they could net
see each others faces, and motion
was made to adjourn, when Mr.. Daven
port arose and said:
Mr.. Speaker, il is either the day oil
judgment or it isnot. If it is not, there
is no need Of adjourning. 1t it Is,
desire 10 be found doing my duty.
move that candles be brought and that
we proceed to business.
All the shlverng, frightened people
began now to look forward to evening,
hoping that as the mosn rose full at
nine o'clock, her light would penetrate
the gloom; but all the children who were
coaxed 10 sit up and see her, grew very
sleepy. their strained eyes were not re.
warded by her beautiful beams, for at
eight in the evening the darkness was
total; one could not distinguish between
the earth and the heavens, and 1t was
impossible to see hand before sne's
face.
Then all the weary children were sent
to bed after the most honest prayers
that they had ever prayed, and the
older people sat up to watch for the
light that never before had appearedss
glorious.
And never dawnea a fairer morning
than the twentieth ofMay, for the sun
that opened the flowers and mirrored
itself in the dew-drops, brought the
color again to the children's faces, and
filed every heart with confidence.
The birds sang joyously, the cattle
returned to their pastures, the places Of
business were opened and every one
went about his work more gentle toward
man and mere grateful toward Cod
After the darkness was passed, sevra
persons travelled about to gather all
possible information concerning this
memorable day, and DR.. Tenny wrste
an account OF what be learned while On
a Journey from the east to Pennsyl-
vania. He says the deepest darkns"
was in Essex County. Massachusetts,,
the lower part of New Hampshire, and
the eastern portion OF Maine (where my
great-grandmsther lived). In Rhsds
Island and Connecticut it was not SO
great; in New Jersey peculiar clouds
were observed but the darkness was
not uncommon, and in the lever parts
Pennsylvania nothing unusual was sb-
served.
1t extended as far north as the
American settlements and westward to
Albany, but its exact limits could not
be ascertained.
In Boston the darkness continued
fourteen or fifteen hours, varying In
in duration at other places.
As 1t was impossiblets to attribute TIE
darkness to an eclipse, the wise people
formed many theories respecting 1t;
being convinced that it was due to i'm
mense fires in the woods, winds blow
ing in opposite directions, and to the
condition Of the vapors; but Herschel
saws: The dark dayia nsrthem America
was one of those wonderful phenomena
of nature which will always be read Of
with interest, but which philosophy IS
at a loss to oexplain. ."-S. Nichslas.