The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-10-30
THE END OF THE WORLD.

THE END OF THE WORLD.
stood on high cliff Twenty feet
before me perpendicular wall of rock
went down, down. a veritable "jump-
ing off place, till it seemed one would
have to look twice to see the bottom,
where the waters of the harbor splashed
against the bowlders.
To- day the bay was smooth as polished
glass, save where the vessels coming in
from the sea, through the strait op-
posite the point where I stood, left
ripple ard line Of foam behind, like o
flaw III the crystal.
The great city lay to the left of the
6 s'rait. The burning midsummer sun,
shining from a cl"udless sky, was re-
fected by hundr d thousand chimneys
and roof tops; and the images of high
, buildings. and the myriad vessels
anchored in the larbor made ths scene
more like mirage than realiey.
So far above the city was my point of
observation that not a sound, not even a
murmer of the hustle and noise attend
ant upon its activity reached my ears.
though through the clear atmosphere
could distinguish moving objects, as in
a camera obscura.
From the bay. too, although many
vessels - huge ocean steamers, ferry
boats, and yachts-were moving about,
heard only one sound: the intermina.
ble "puf-puf-puf" of a little tug boat
which rapidly threaded its aimless way
! among the other craft. So monotonous,
indeed. did this sound become that I
turned my. eyes from the water and
looked around at nearer objects.
To my right was grove of naples In
clear space in the midst of the trees
stood white building, its gable toward
me, which reminded me at first glance
of nothing else SO much as of the Parthe-
non as it used to be represented in the
: classical dictionary. I had not no.
ticed this building before. and as I
stood and wondered troop of gaily
dressed young people came rushing out
of the door and arranged themselves in
groups on the messy circles surrounding
the trees.
At this moment my companion, who
! had Jagged behind me, came up, and
together we went toward the gay throng.
Our approach seemed unnoticed.
Scarcely had we joined the group,
when, raising my eyes. saw to right
and left dark thunder clouds rolling
rapidly toward the zenith. Broad flashes
of lightning played about the horizon,
while in sharper. zigzag streaks, the
electric spark cut its path through the
/ azure directly above our heads From
the right. low n,utterings of distant
! thunder were heard, and chilling wind
! rising suddenly moaned among the pines
, in the distance, and rustled the leaves Of
the lindens under which we sat I
glanced toward the building, and on the
: steps of the door which looked oat upon
! the city there stood an old man, wrinkled
and Lent A faded dressing gown was
| corded about his waist, his feet were
encased in embroidered slippers, and his
| right hand, which bore a long oaken
: staff, gnarled and twisted, trembled as
] the fierce blast struck him and tossed his
! thin gray locks. In a shrill voice he
cried: Come int Come in! We are
going to have terrible storm.
Even as he spoke, and as if in corrobo-
ration of his words. the force of the wind
increased almost to q gale, and large
drops Of rain began to fall, slowly and
| gently at first, but with increasing vigor
| till the patter on the leaves was lost in
! one long drawn sound, almost roar, as
! the wind drove the water through the
! trees.
Meanwhile the rest OF the party had
j sought shelter in the building, but as I
started to follow them my eyes rested on
! n sight which compelled me, involuntar-
| lily. to pause. Ahead Of me, beyond the
bay. beyond the city. beyond even tho
: waters Of the ocean itself, q veil, or
shutter, OF more than inky blackness
rose perpendicularly from the horizon.
! Up to the very heavens it seemed to
stretch, and to both sides as far as the eye
could reach A sudden undefinable fear
came over ME, and held me rooted to the
earth. My horror increased as l saw
that this horrible veil was moving
toward me, how rapidly I could not
guess; but it seemed to cover the thou
sand miles between the horizon and the
/ straits in barely an iota Of time. AS it
! drew nearer to me I saw that it had also
| another motion like that Of a band saw
or endless chain, as il huge jack towel
of flexible blackness had been swung
over two rollers on the nethermost
bounds of the universe, and, rapidly re.
! volving, was eating its way into the
very bowels of the earth; for as this
horrible engine of destruction ap-
/ preached l perceived that it was cutting
/ away the sea and the solid land, leaving
a smooth clean cut edge where these
before had been. 1T will stop, thought
; I, before it reaches the city"
d, But no; the dreadful Thing. like an in
satiate monster, never paused or swerved
for an instant, and . chill shock coursed
through my veins as watched first the
points of land on either side of the strait,
then the farthermost houses Of the city,
! and then nearer objects fade into abso-
! lAte nothingness
The huge machine kept steadily press
ing forward
i As street after street Of the city melted
sway, the Thing approached nearer md
nearer the waters Of the harbor. Tall
For rheumatic and neuralgic pains, ruh
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