The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-06

aplehfinfs fBditfei, and theif AeuHf4i
tfend Faa dpsnWafi In . diaaoHaI difHr
tion, tHfi 10 they iadVpssei IN nuinlef y go
fmpuaslbla ~ eefef thsif sFteH ~ aay
given reint w ~ sav thsi thsv fursuet
ary sHnTfsi esufss
The whple heayefs ffpm hnfisan Nv zenith
Wefe literally fti N fhem hlasiHe messen.
Gers iHf,ina upwsnt, downward, sthwafti
~ that tho slf seeurgl fhieh Wtth thrm ~
have srrn an an Infinitely %sfnHllHf anaie
the sveblna atf ithfmiHatat fof n few feet
atpve The afaas n q savannah Nv Genital
Amsfica ~ myfisda NJ hrehles Hlvine .
dualrt chafm Nv The quiet s'ehs that
hothlha c1uid inpruvs rfsn fof hesuty
and simplicity
NJ 6ne ~ tho suffering men fna,ie 4
a5unsli ~ utterly hlent wefv I'LL subIunary
,hlnea that hesf'teaia ~p,iid he heard and
~ cuilI swear that ~ heart alao tho
aft swish N The nyiue stars through tho
ally Occasionally one brighter thsn
usual would hurst apparently quite close
w W. and dagsls oIr aehlna syebails With
NJ radiance ~ many cuIorri nres, I tried
W. shut my eyes ~ feu, them. but " ap-
p~afcd ~ n I saw inst ~ plainly through
my Icwrrrd ida, ~ I gave that M and
stared upward ~ before.
How long this went IN hefors ! gained
comporirr I de- not know hut I do know
that prrVently I found comfort In n worry
curious appreciation NJ q palpnblc fact,
showing that child Ne was my mind had
not Lost its owens. ~ reasoning argued
that sincr ~ the Last Day the world waa
10 IN dept rpyed by nn " was strangr that
We we're not feeling any peroeptible In
crease of heat. but rather the reverse.
Moreover I hid a dim feeling that all
was not proceeding upon orthodox lines,
slnce neither the form n the Archangcl
had been visible nor had tho sound u his
trumpet been heard. These reflections
comforted mo 10 much that I had actually
moved a hit from my cramped position
and unolutohed Iouis'a death-like grip on
my arm, m action Of which he took no
notice. when TO my dismay another portent
appea red, which although I have viewed
Il several times since. I have never again
beheld an clear and distinct as I then saw
IL.
Il was o mighty cons Of soft light rising
from the western horizon IND slightly In
clined at It's summit. which was half way
10 the zenith, 10 the south. At its base
It spread over a space which memory tells
me was about an eighth Of that hafo Of the
horizon, or say 10 or IL degrees, This recol-
lection, however, is very vague and must
be taken for what it is worth.
What l can vouch for, my memory on
these points being intensely vivid, is that
his wondrous one OF light. although
only like the shadow Of some mighty fame
a universe away, was so t%enuous, II ] may
express light In such a way that the meteors
still flying were yet visible against it or
through it, 40 clearly visible was it among
these multitudinous brightnesses. It's
edges seemed to waver as do those Of the
fla me Of a candle, md IL I looked at them
steadily ! could not tell presently where
they began or ended, and had to close my
eyes awhile md look quickly when reopen
ing them to see any definite edges at all.
The appearance of this mysterious phe-
nomenon, the origin or import Of which, | be-
lieve, has never been explained satisfactor-
lily, marked a sudden decrease in celestial
activities and I presently heard a raucous
voice rasping on the night: Seems t be
takin' of a bit, don't it," It was the skipper
and I, the lowest Of his crew and the one
from whom he would have deemed it an in
suit had l expressed an agreement with him,
felt quite proud to think that my previously
formed opinion was thus corrobora ted
by the man in whom 7 had perfect con-
fdence.
Az for the rest Of the crew. they were
still without any comfort. 1t is true their
deepest terror had gone, for the brain can
not hold so much fear for any length Of
time without dementia, and althou gh I
feel sure that some Of them were closely
bordering upon insanity, I believe their
thick skulls saved them.
There was, however, a sense that the worst
Of the strain was over, the hurried breath
ing OF fright was giving way to natural
respiration, and the sky era dually assumed
its wonted aspect. There were ONE I'M
easy movements among them, until at last
the spell was completely broken by the
striking Of a match for a cigarette.
Matters having assumed their normal con-
dition above, the stars peeping shyly out In
their familiar old positions, and the empty
parts Of the heaven showing again blue
black, the sea beneath seemed relieved.
The creatures whose nocturnal goings and
depths, and which had been 80 strangely |
quiet or invisible during the marvellous
display overhead, resumed their gambols, !
and presently the dark waters were all
a~iivetagain. II
brows refreshingly, and the old familiar call
of 4lee fore brace" shattered the last breath
Of silence with its hoarse reverberations.
All unconscious OF whose watch it was all
hands turned to at the braces with a will
and their weird cries rang out l. IDLY and
clearly as II lin chant Of praise that the night
Of terror was gone. |
Then when the yards were trimmed
and the ropes coiled up, behoiu Il vas dis
covered that all that soul withe ring ex-
perience had been compressed into a space
Of half an hour. There were many ex-
pressions OF satisfaction from the watch
below upon finding that so little Of their
valued sleep time had passed away, but
from none of them did l hear any clear
account, that l at least could understand, |
about their late vision.
Nor did the officers ever again speak Of
to my knowledge. It has, however.
remained with me in all its vivid phases
through these many years as the strangest
thing I ever witnessed.