Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-07-19
STORY OF A STONE.


,oous hues, stood beside a gray, lchen-
covered boulder, which lay lightly i'm
Nodded in the loamy soil of a gentle hill
side in an old New England pasture. |
was pondering deeply upon the mysteries
rbich nature withholds from mortals, yet
shares so unreseryedly with all inanimate
things about US, when my gaze, wander
ing from the crimsontinted landscape,
rested upon the rough, weather. worn
sides OF the huge boulder before me, and
wished that could know the various
events that Lad transpired in its long and
eyenttul existence, since the morning OF
the world
With these thoughts coursinE through
nv brain, fell into q trance-like state,
In which this fragment Of granite as
sumed the mortal, and related to me
the history OF its life. ! will give it to
you as neasly possible a l received 1t:
Il am only common rock; no different
from others OF my kind, and my story is
not worth telling, but as you wish it /
will give II to you. When the Creator
formed me I know not. Ny existence be-
gan far below the surface of the earth;
my earliest recollections are OF imprison-
mont in a narrow confine, under enormous
pressure from all sides, and with the rocks
around me packed 40 tightly that scarce
could the tiny streams OF water lind their
way between our jagged sides. Thus for
hundreds OF years ! dwclt IN a region
where intense silence prevailed, and dark
ness reisHad supreme.
But a. time rolled on / became aware
tina. ,reat change was going on in the
earth beneath me, for at regular intervals
cauu .olent trom biinGs, accompanied by
deep diced mutteI.ug, which increased
ia Intensity at each repetition until it
seemed like the mighty struggles OF some
impI soned monster. o, how 1 dreaded
the oncoming OF those spasms! At the
hrst rumble a thrill OF fear would run
through my frame, setting me into state
of anspeakablo terrier.
4 shudder even now when Think of
tlat last terrific CONFUSION. The vibra-
tons OF preceding one had hardly died
away, when suddenly, without warning,
came a horrible, Kissing sound, mingled
things around mo were thrown upward
with ire 'stiblc force, and | felt myself
passing from darkness into dazzling
light. For oua brief moment mounted
upward, but tie next instant found me
descending with erfncseasing velocity.
Downward | sped through flying stones
and clouds Of smoke until ! struck the
earth but few feet from the edge OF the
black hole in the mountain top through
which had teen elected and which was
now vomiting forth a vast column Of
smoke and llsme.
''On the mountain top, for an instant
rested, but the violent heaying threw me
from my preearious position, started me
down the PERCEPTIONS mountainside.
With noise like thunder | rushed down
ward, bounding from cliff to cliff, crash
ing, tearing through everything in my
path, until | reached little valley at the
base OF the mountain.
"W hen had recovered from my fright
sufficiently, l gazed about me with
amazement upon the wonderful place into
which had thus SO unexpectedly been
thrown. lay near the bank OF noisy
little brook, which meandered through
the narrow mountain gorge, receiving the
washings OF The surrounding hills, whose
snow capped peaks seemed to pierce the
dark blue OF heaven. The sun, shining
through thick canopy OF smoke, cast a
weird and spectral light upon the scene,
adding size and beauty to their majestic
outlines. with GREATNESS interest
watched the great orb OF day, now blood
red bali, until it disappeared behind a
curtain of dense black smoke. Thicker
and thicker grew the smoke; there settled
upon the scene a darkness that was only
broken by an occasional glare from the
burning mountain.
For some time this state OF things
lasted, until at length the eruption sub
sided and left me free TO enjoy the beau
tiful days and calm starlight nights tina,
prevailed in this bit OF paradise. As hi
years rolled on could distinguish great
change in the climate. The summers
grew shorter and cooler; the winters
longer and more severe.
lone bright morning in springtime, a.
lay bssking in the sunlight, and re-
loicing at my release from the icy letters
which for SO many months had bound me
noted with great surprise that thu
upper end Of the valley was completely
blocked by huge mass of ice and snow
As the summer passed it diminished bu
little in size, and to my fancy when tn
lowering clouds hung about the noun
tain peaks il seemed a crystalized river
sullen and discounted at its needless re
straint; but when the morning SUI
lighted up the rugged crags, and cast it
CLEANS into he valley below, its funera
aspect changed to such profusion o
exquisite coloring, flashing and sparkling
like thing OF life, that with 1t, naugh
else on earth was worthy OF comparison
..Year after year, with ever-lncreaslnl