Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-08-04

thriving little town in the valley
beyond.
Harb! What is that they hear?
They stop, they listen; tits the
sound of distant thunder. It's
ominous mutterIng and the dark
cloud that skirts the western
horizon tells the tale OF that awful,
oppressive stiffness. 'Tis the quiet
that pOrtends the approaching
storm. The hunters quicken their
steps. They hasten on. VIII ii ev
reach a place of shelter; will they
6nd a place of safety? The deep,
hOarse mutteriDg in tie west has
given place TO peal rpOn peal of
thunder that echoes and re-ech0es
in the hollow far below. The light
ning flashes from cloud to cloud in
awful grandeur. 1t grows dark;
now it seems as if heavens artillery
has been concentrated with all lis
fury upon these two poor footsore
aud weary men. The rain falls III
sheets, and it seems the fairy
groves OF those lonely mountain
tops lave called down the wrath
of the elements upon them for dis
turblng their unbrOken silence.
Onward though they press now
failing over fallen tree in the
darkness, now cropping their Way
through dense undergIOwtb, now
creeping down a mountain side,
now clamberlng up the steep slope
beyond until at last, at their feet,
they hear all awful roar. Above
the raging OF the storm 1t CONES.
Oh! the awfulneSs OF that expert.
ence. The beating of the tempest
above them, the darkness ot
P.utonic regions around them, aud
at their feet "a rushing, ragln 2
tOrreut-a barrier to their progress,
the Waterloo 10 the hope HAT had
been their comforting aagel. Th' y
halt, they hesitate; absolute dark
ness Telgns. What VIII they do'
To be undecided Is once to b.
decided. 1hev turu their faces mp
that stream. But as they press on
ward the awful roar Of that mad
Gened mountain tempest becomes
less anu less. Thank God, II
wasn't far to the source, and now
they are sealing the mountain side
beyond. Poor, weary men, Nor
pheus has steadily, but surely, ,hten
putting his arms around them
Will they stop there ? VIII they
stay on that lone mountain top
with the wild animals as their only
companions and that awful over
hanging cloud as their company
No see they summon all theil
waning strength and courage iol
one last effort.
On aid Oh in that outer daiknes'
they e.; but at last, through III
raging of a pitlless storm. Ibel'
CONES a viva flash Of lightnlr
that lights up for an instant th'
heavens and the earth. ThIougl
It's glare the poor, weatDer.beaten
men bebeld the dlm outlines OF
building bet q short distance Il
the right.
" Ills a cabin" CRIES one.
Straightway they seek he she,te
of that friendly roof. AS eli tIylUl
| in vain TO al Ouse someone IN th
cottage, they burst open a door
for they were all tightly barred
But they enter only TO find that Tia
darkness within is as penetrating
and intense as that without. Thel
Iuclier mstches have been lost. aG'
30 they seek the sleep OF tie wear
without knowing in what pTeSenc
they are.
Far il to the morning they sleel
But as the rays of the sun begin
peep into that eastern window, an
the sunbeams to dance upon the
up urned faces they awoke. I
b their joy the storn had died ava
aud again the bosom of moth'
Z earth heaved with all the joys
h spring. Arising from their har
= bed on csrpetless floor they loO)
4 ed around. In an upper room the
Il found the form OF woman. H'
L face was turned TO the mOrnlI
u sun. But she knew not that
+ kissed her paIlid face, for she VI
Il dead. The light of her life bs
!, gone out forever. How come tb
\ poor woman away Up there in tb
Il louely mountain nomel In b
J., hand they found crumpled pap'
D. IL read:
Is ITO My Faithful Jack.-Ere 81
IT eime tomorrow shall h ave die
n and With NE my woe. Bury Il
J.. aud NY sorrow beside the cab
1nor Ia fha a.lnhoarl Vou "a