The Red Cloud chief., 1888-12-28

q 0saoA0eessess W1ass.ssA h Ss0aa
A0Rvma. 1871.

WEHoN0 AN eCl1eS6
. Gs.s>ss<ss<ss wssss.ssA h Sss.s -
Asg~ss. 1851.
A. q time for the eclipse dreO
near. ttnumo~r Of vlsisors 70 the cas-
I tie grey increased. and the prepare
lions. :tended through long weeks.
receive their final touches AZ Lass
the ID Of August dasn~a-.,hs
great - important day"-ushercd -
With Il clcarc,s Of skies snd the most
rsdiaasunbeAms. T~cniy or thirty %
the guds. in snowy dr-.ses. watched
the Gale and all il entrances. And
none srcpt the specially invited guests
wer, united. The instruments vers
carefuS adjusted for instant u.s.. and.
In spi Of the torrtd heat. we uer- al
astir nth eager anticipation. Tho
Ruestsqui-i!y gathered In the opca
spaeebelow the instruments. and .
subda hum Of pleasant conversation
flied be hot noontidc. Tn. eclipse
was Z begin n thir,y-scvcn minutes
after 20 clock. About an hour trsor0l
this. delicate little white cloud sost1&
up s1ard the zenith and spread Dry
quietl over the bright, blue 80 M.
Ill eS the visitors began 10 ~ up
ward. with some fear lest sfssr.
noon Sgh, b. only partly q lrafter all
And tas little white ca not only
grew into grca, size ua1. bot IL vAs
joinetby other and \.rker ones from
all elections. ~hik. - they seemed
To gun conadesA from numbers and
blacsaes-. so96T-sut out the sun com
pletey and sesad corstsrnasiou over
over, face koond u.s. The beginning
Of III. es9see Vas not seen ut all. but
We tulkS . few giimpses Of the sun
ai,e bnsa-a gra6sslly narrowing .
fAth became apparent that my part
BE- he work which VA 70 draw the
flmy. outermost strcamen Of the
rorona-could not 70 done. ! let my
station and hastsned 10 tho
upper castle wall. Hers. standing
near the instrumental. l watched tho
landscape under its gray
Even inanimats things seem
endowed ut times With . terrible lifs
u their own. and this deliberate. SLOW.
pail Of cloud seemed . malig.
aant power. not to BE- evaAed. Al the
Of t0sality . darkness and
like that Of death fell upon tho
,astle and the town and al the world
Not . word vas spoken; the very air
about ~ vs. m0tioalcss, ~ II all
nature were In sympsthy With Dur sus-
pense. The useless instruments out
lined their fantastic shapes dimly
the massing clouds. and .
weird chill fell upon the earth. Darker
Ind still darker Il grew. Every trace
u color ned from the world. Cold.
gray covered the face OF
and . Low rumble Of thunder
nuttsrcd ominOusly on the horizon.
EyeaN q that supreme moment my
hosg3ee acw backward over the eight
hou6aa miles Of land and stosyey
ceaa alr1 ny travelled. the ton Of tslc-
copes bro hght with such care, the
'eeks Of lent waiting q De old
.lstls--all { long joSfesy and
90 great PREF lrs.ioos e Just these
~s..S Of pcAcfous time.
aich vere SOW pplay.~ay SO fast
And already icy ere gone One
lrp. b%rflli.,. tAyy6 sunshine flashed
wn M. ,16tality was over
I Lost! 1(hh kny rift in the clouds
'wsa tA~>e4paer edge Of the sun for
cool ~ was gone. And a pro.
ID - Of great y tension
~ 4seame up from the crowd be-
6&S he calamity was too great Ia be
at nee and it was some
psUhtes before We cared 70 speak. We
I'd trusted Nature. and she had failed
~. and II sense OF hclplcssness was
overwhelming.
Every astronomical student now
;nOws how the track OF this ill-iated
was followed by clouds all along
Is course. and how t~otali.y and the
rished-fOr corona were hidden BY
LIQUIDS from nearly oil the eager eyes
nd waiting instruments through i.s
ntire length. But an astronomer must
e philosophic; and our astronomer
obly displayed this quality.
And 80. gradually. our visitors len
3. and the sound Of demolishing and
was heard on the hill. The
ents were folded. and the party dis
ersed.-Nabc! LOOMS Todd. in Sc