Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-12-08
WHEN BILL WAS A BOY
He Stood Upon The Piazza And
saw The Stars Fall.


'philosopy." The fall of metsors
ON Wednesday night was quite a
wonder to the generation and made
the young people serious and
solemn. Tornadoes and earth
quakes and comets and meteors are
always alarming for they bring
home to us our utter helplessness
under the mighty hand of God.
From s o'clock until near midnight
we watched these meteors. Part
Of the time we were, standing out
in the freezing air but most of the
time we looked through the
uncurtained windows, and there
was hardly a moment msRt-t1aatt That til they
was not seen somewhere in the
heavens. I hoped for another
visitation like that of 1888, which
1 distinctly remember, for my
father awaked me and dressed me
hurriedly and we all stood in the
piazza and watched and wondered
for an hour or mole. They seemed
sure enough like falling stars and
came down in myriads as gently
as snowfakas. They nearly touched
tie earth before they went out and
remember hunting aroundin the
potato patch next morning for
some sign of them, but found none,
If there was any heat in their
glittering light there was no sign
of it in the tree tops among. the
leaves. I remember that Aunt
Minty, our good old cook, prayed
and exhorted long and loud and
a white woman across the street
screamed out: "Come, Lord Jesus:
take me, Lord Jerus. God, save u.s.
God, forgive US" and she was
kneeling on the door with her
hands stretchedup towards heaven.
I remember that Mrs. Lestes, the
widowed mother Of our late
attorney general, lived very near
us and came over to our house,
stopping as she came for fear the
stars would touch her. [ remmeber
that my fathar was clam and serene
and gave us all assurance that
there was no danger, for he was a
well read man and knew that such
phenomens had hatl1eaeA ssgs5at
|s 90 faTns
several times within the past
century there had been a falfof
meteors on the same date, the 18th
of November, but none brilliant or
that came, 80 near tho earth.
It was in August 1854 that we
were awakened about 2o'clock one
night by the Growing of the cocks )
for daybreak and our negroes got
up and fed the stock and prepared
to go to the field when our atten-
tion was attracted to the clock and
on going out to see what was the
matter we found it as bright as
day and the aurora borealis was
flashing a brilliant light that
illuminated the heavens and the
earth. Such things are always
alarming to the timid and the
;gnorant, I heard Professor Proctor
the great astronomer, deliver three
lectures at Lake Weir few years
ago and lifted me up on thought
among the starry heavens and
made us realize our own insignltl
canoe as he approached the very
confines of eternity and told US o
things we had never dreamed OF
He was great and good man ant
loved him as much for hi
humility as his learning. On'
night he lectured on the birth ant
growth and maturity and decay
of a world, and he proved by tn
most convincing argument tina
this world had long since passe
it's maturity aud was in the declin
and that the scriptures would b
fulfilled and this earth be burne
up and pass out of existence. Il
said that worlds had passed ava
and that the worlds had cam
. into existence since the Christai
era and that comets had appeare
that had no record in the past
that ere alton was not finished b.
was changing and this little worl
of ours was but a speck in ii
universe. He said that If a straigl
line from the eye was drawn al
extended in any direction
would sooner or later be stoppt
by a heavenly body.
We can enjoy this and
amused but when cyclone com
alnnn OR an earthuuake begins