San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-11-06

| her fathers hints that it was "about
; time to marry if she had not made up
| her mind to die an old maid" and, in
short, comported herself like the ideal
widow-the one we read of, but so sell
! dom see.
In September of the year following my
partners disappearance Mr.. Bunker per
suaded me to go with him out to Ohio to
look at a wooden mill near the city of
Hamilton which was for sale on tempt
| ing terms. He had an idea that if re-
stricted to a certain line of products and
properly managed it could be made to
pay well, and | may say events proved
his views correct.
We reacl I'd Hamilton on a Friday.
| The man we We're TO meet, not expecting
us before the next week, had gone to
| Cincinnati, but was due to return on Sat
| urday. He did not do so, however, and
| time hung heavily on our hands. On
Sunday we drove out to big camp
meeting which was being held in a SPLEEN
did grove little way from the town.
That morning, for the first time i'll weeks,
rain threatened, and its coming was an
iously hoped for by every one, for the
country was suffering from a severe and
prOtracted drought. Streams were dried
up. wells empty, meadows sere and
brown, roads deep in dust and over all
glowing braZen skies cruelty cloudless.
But that Sunday there was change for
the better. Dark clouds We're banking
up on the northwestern horizon, wind
was rising family II puIfs, and one Could
feel the electricity in the air.
| believe there We're not less than 5000
persons in the grove that day wnen
Mr.. Bunker and | reached it. Every
seat was occupied in the great quadran-
gle of benches before the rough stand
erected for the preachers and exhorters,
yet hundreds We're left standing, like
wide fringe about the seated congrega-
ton. Bunker and l, getting there little
late, were in the fringe. Two enormous
tents fanked the central square, but
nothing was going on in them. An I'M
endurable heat seemed to have collected
itself under the canvas. Several wall
tents, temporary residences of "presid-
ing elders" preachers or managers of
some sort, as we presumed, were clus-
tered in a group little distance back of
the open air pulpit. Overhead giant trees
spread their great boughs, making a
thick canopy of foliage through which
only here and there the suns rays shot
down like diaphanOus bars of gold. Al
together the scene was q brilliant, beau |
tiful and impressive one, even if only re- |
garded as q mere spectacle.
Though the clouds continued to gather |
higher and higher in the northwest, and
the intermittent gusts, swaying the tree
tops and rustling their myriad leaves, |
caused sounds like tremendous expectant |
sighs to sweep through the forest, the !!
rain still seemed to be far off, and some |
fear was entertained that it might elbow |
over" or pass around" About noon |
the air grew cool and humid with the |
breath of the coming storm, but it was |
not until the middle of the afternoon
that the tempest burst upon the camp.
Then it seemed as sudden as the firing
of gun. In an instant darkness like
that of night fell upon us, and for a few
seconds the wind ceased, stiffness reigned,
and all nature seemed hushed and wait
ing. Then a fierce glare of electric fire
flashed forth, lighting up all the vistas
of the forest, a deafening crash of thun-
der shook the armament, and the well
come rain came down not by drops, but
in masses like the fall of cataracts.
Screaming, laughing, shouting, racing
struggling and tumbling over each other
the instantly drenChed multitude ran tC
the two great tents, crowding them tC
repletion. Many, hopeless of getting un.
der cover there, sought other temporary
shelters, some even imprudently taking
refuge close to the trunks of the big
trees. Lamps fixed on square frames
about the center poles of the tents were
lighted, and services recommended i'm
mediately. Never have been partiCi-
pant in anything SO thrilling and awe
inspiring as that combination Of worship
and tempest. Outside the mOnarchs of
the forest were dashed to and fro like
whips by the might of the gale, occa-
sionally breaking and falling with sounds
like detonations that could be heard even
through the tremendous rOarS of thun-
der reverberating constantly, peal upon
peal. The vast volumes of descending
rain seemed to have a choral voice of
their own, vieing with the thunder's in
tensity, and in successive moments alter
mated Cimmerian gloom and the fight
ning's binding glare. Inside thousand
voices, vibrant with excitement, joined
in that thrilling hymn:
he rhari lot ba oh SYt
fire