Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-01-29
tcopyrisht lsel By Emerson Houeh.,

was to come, SO now, in the riot Of
that arrived danger, first one and then
another wide-armed monarch of the
wood crashed down, adding with it's
downfall to the testimony of the as
sailing tempest's strength and fury.
The lightning now came not only in
ragged blazes and long ripping lines
OF light, but in bursts and shocks, and
in bomb-like balls, exploding with ele-
mental detonations. Balls of this tense
surcharged essence rolled out over the
comb of the bluff, fell upon the shad-
ows of the water, and seemed to bound
from crest to white-capped crest, till
| at last they split and burst asunder
like some ominous missiles from en-
gines of wrath and destruction.
And now, suddenly, all grew still
again. The sky took on lighter, livid
tone, one of pure venom. There came
a whisper, a murmur, rush as Of
mighty waters, a signing as of an army
OF the condemned, shrieking as Of
legions of the lost, roaring as of all
the soul-felt tortures of world. From
| the forest rose continuous rending
crash. The whiplash Of the tempest
cracked the tree trunks as child be-
heads row of daisies. Piled up, fall
ing, riven asunder, torn out by the
wind, the giant trees Joined the toys
which the cynic storm gathered in its
hands and bore along until such time
| as it should please to crush and drop
| them.
There passed out over the black sea
of Michiganon vast black wrath; q
thing horrible, tremendous, titanic in
organic power. 1t howled, execrated,
menaced; missed its aim, and passed.
The little swaying house still stood!
Under the sheltered log some tiny
sparks of fire still burned, omen of the
unquenchable hearthstones which the
land was yet to know!
Holy God! what was it? What was
that which passed." cried Jean
Breboeuf, crawling out from beneath
his shelter. Saint Mary defend us all
this night! Twas the great Canoe of
the Damned, running au large across
the sky! Mary, Mother of God, hear
e~-S fAOn ILLS Iluc JSdn
Breboeuf shall lead better life!"
The storm, bafaed, passed on. The
rain, unsatisfied, sullenly ceased in it's
attack. The waves, hopeless but still
vlnd1ctlye, began to call back their
legions from the narrow shore. The
ightnings, unsated in their wrath,
fared and fickered on and out across
the eastward sea. With wild laughter
and shrieks and imprecations, the
spirit of the tempest walled on its
furious way. The red west had raised
its hand to smite, but it had not smit-.
ten sure.
In the silence of the night, in
the hush following the uproar
OF the storm, there came a lit,
tie wailing cry; so faint. SO,
feeble, yet so mighty, so conquering,,
this sign Of the coming generation, the,
voice of the newborn babe. At this.
little human voice, born of sorrow and
sin, born to suffering and to knowl-
edge, born to life in all its wonders:
and to death in all it's mystery-thei
elements perchance relented and avert
ed their fury. Not yet was there to,
be punished sin, or wrong, or doubt,
or weakness. Not at once would JUS
tice punish the parents of this babe
and blot out at once the record of their,
fault. Storm and lightning, darkness:
and the night yielded to the voice of
the infant and allowed the old story
OF humanity and sin, and hope and
mercy to run on.
The babe walled family in the ST..
lence OF the night. Under the hearth.
log there still endured the fire. And
then the red west, seeing itself con-.
quered, smiled and flung wide its arms,
and greeted them with the burgeoning
dawn, and the voices of birds, with a.
sky blue and repentant, sun smiling.
and not unkind.
4.