The Press., 1889-11-07
REMINIsCEsCR or WELLINGTON.

e-~~~~ ~~~~ am inclined to think that people forget, and the average is about the same at least tradition says there occurred on the 18th of September, 1927, just sixty-two years ago, storm on the Atlantic coast and in the New England states which at the present time would be looked upon as altogether outside of the common course of events. On the evening of the 18th the clouds which had been thickening through the day accompanied, by the east wind, foreboded terrible night, and the careful farmers of Willington and vicinity gather ed in their focks and herds and placed them under shelter preparatory for the storm. As the dim daylight faded the
 wind increased until near midnight, when the clements seemed to have combined to dc their utmost Rain began to batter up. on the roof, and hail came like shot against the window pane. Thestrong-built houses of that day trembled and shook from foun- dation to garret the gnarled oaks swayed
 back and forth, and were bereft of their branches bricks were blown from the tops of chimnies and came down upon the roofs with the sound of artillery :; the air was filled with flying leaves which the wind stripped from the trees; fence rails and all manner of debris were in motion,
 while the inky darkness of the night made 1t the more dreadful.
 Dr. Welch, who was then the principal practicing physlcian of the town, had come in late and carefully provided for bis horse,
 barred the stable door, and ate his supper
 which was in waiting for him, put on his slippers, lighted an extra tallow candle, and unfolded the Connecticut Oourant,
 which he had taken from the office that day, with the remark that it had arrived in only two days from the day of publiea- tion. The doctor soon became SO absorb ed in reading the contents of the paper that he forgot the storm, and was having 8 feast on the latest news. The paper con- tained one of the speeches of an eminent whig leader in congress, which was deliv- cred on the 3d of March, just before the close of the session, also news from Great Britain by the latest packet, which sailed on the 18th of June, and clippings from New Orleans papers of May 10th. The
 paper also contained New York dates only eight days from the city, and lengthy
 report of the progress of the great Erie
 canal. The unsnuffed candle began to
 grow dim and give Hickering light, and
 the wick which had burned to the candle
 stick turned over upon it's side. The great
 clock ill the corner of the room struck ten l in measured time when the doctor arose |
 andirons from the ample fire place, and
 with the long, handled shovel drew the
 ashes and live coals back upon the hearth, l then took the big tongs and placed the
 hickory brands back of the whole mass, l and then with the shovel poked the coals ! over them and the ashes over the whole,
 so as to have plenty of live coals to start l the morning fire, as matches were not used
 in those days, and the loss of fire meant 8
 resort to the finder box, or journey to
 the neighbors with pair of tongs to bor-
 row a coal of fire, which l afterwards
 learned was no pleasant task at all seasons
 of the year. Another candle was lighted
 from the fickering wick, and the doctor
 prepared for bed, and, as he placed the
 extinguisher over the candle and the pitchy
 darkness of tho night was revealed, he
 said to his wife. 'I hope won't be called
 ont in this terrible storm" Five minutes after he was sound asleep, and, as the
 wind thundered down the great chimney,
 he dreamed he WAS boy again, and was
 eating gingerbread at g regimehtal traiu- tug near the booming of the cannon. aud. sss fae hHrt ruutfou HRnfrrn re WIudows, he thought he was in the midst of a eham fight He thus for two long hours e, joy ed the scenes of his boyhotd, when, sud
 denly, the great iron knocker on the front
 door came down with three tremendous
 thuds In his dream he thought the whole regiment had been drawn up in three di- visions, and each division had fired vollies in quick succession. The knocking was repeated louder than before, when his wife awoke him and told him there was some one at the door. He said he thought no one would be out on such night as that, and 1t must be the rattling of the windows or loose clapboard played upon by the wind, when the knock was repeated in way that there was no mistaking the sound thereof.
 The doctor hastened to the door and took down the great cross bar which held it fast, and, as he lifted the wooden latch the wind forced the door wide open, and there came a voice out of the darkness } saying, s'You are wanted immediately al sI-," (a house now standing in the eas t part of sWillington).
 The messenger stepped in, and the dool l was closed, and the doctor felt his way tc
 the fireplace, and taking the tongs thrus a them deep into the ashes, drew out a live e coal, and placing the wick of the candle
 against 1t and holding both near his lip
 commenced blowing vigorously, and soor k had the candle lighted. He then hurried y ly dressed himself and went into the kitch ~ t0u auu put Ou uIS SuItUuts WuASu uo ChIo
 fully buttoned up around his thYoat, ad
 Ijusting the belt, which he buckled tightly ,- around him then took down the old til "a lGntern from the wooden peg where he al ]. ways kept it when not in use, and placing n the candle inside he started for the door o The only lanterns used in those days wer, ] made of tin, which was finely perforate' by cutting slots through it with a chisel I and when lighted candle was placed in y side the faint glimmer of light through tn IT slots was just enough to make darkness
 visible. With lantern in hand and saddle > bags on his arm he reached the doorstep ? when gust of wind blew out the candl IS and he was left in total darkness. Return :. ing he lighted the candle as before, an s q placing the lantern under the broad lar
 pell of his surtout, he got as far as tn
 barn when he carefully exposed a little (
 the light that he might see the stabl door, and again it was entinguished, anG = concluding that light was out of the ques
 Ition, he felt his way into the stable am ,a Iadjusted his saddle and bridle to his horse 3. placed the saddlebags across the bac le of the saddle, and putting his foot in th d lstirrup he seated himself in the saddle an d told the messenger to go ahead, as hi
 horse, being on it's way home, would b
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