The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-03-21
5. s. COx'S Sunset.

In the Questions an i Answers" col.
umn of the New York Sun occurs this
reply to request to print the celebrat.
ed description OF sunset written by
the late Congressman Samuel Sullivan
Cox, of Ohio and New York:
SIT is not now recalled that this piece
of fine writing has ever been included
in any of the anthologies; indeed, it
would scarcely be worth the keeping
except as one of the vigia of bombast
1t was written when Cox was editor OF
the Ohio Statesman in 1885, and at
tracted only local interest until some
representative dug it up and incorpor-
ated it in his remarks and spread it in
full upon the pages Of the Oongression-
al Globe.
"The National Cyclopedia of Ameri.
can Biography, vol. xiv, 986, prints it
as it appeared in the Ohio Statesman
May 10, 1858, published at Columbus
His soubriquet of Sunset, fitting his
initials of S. s., was Immediately fas-
tened on him by rival editors. His
first speech in congress was when he
represented the Ohio capital district,
and was on the Lecompton Constitution
during the Kansas trouble Of 1857. The
sunset, which he had witnessed the
night of the 18th, was thus painted:
"'What a stormful sunset was that
of last night How glorious the storm
and how splendid the setting Of the
sum- We do not remember ever hav-
ing seen the like on our round globe.
The scene opened in the west, with the
whole horizon full of golden, interpen-
etrating lustre, which colored the foli-
age and frightened every object into
its own rich dyes. The colers grew
deeper and richer until the golden lus-
ter was transfused into O storm cloud
full Of the finest lightning, which leap
ed in dazzling zigzags all around over
the city. The wind arose with fury,
the slender shrubs and giant trees made
obeisance to it's majesty. Some even
snapped before its force. The straw.
berry beds and grass plots "turned up
their whites" to see Zephyrus march
by. AS the rain came and the pools
formed, and the cutters hurried away,
thunder roared grandly and the fire.
bells caught the excitement and rang
with hearty chorus.
:" The south and east received the
copious showers and the west all a.
once frightened up in a long polished
belt of azure, worthy of Sicilian sky
Presently cloud appeared in the aZur'
belt in the form OF castellated city. I
became more vivid, revealing strang,
forms of peerless fanes and alabastel
temples and glories rare and grand il
this mundane sphere. 1t reminded u
of Wordsworth's splendid verse in hi
Excursions"
"'The appearance instantaneeusly dis
closed
Was of a mighty city; boldly lay,
A wilderness of buildings sinking far,
And selfwith drawn into o wondrou
depth,
Far sinking into splendor without end
"'But the city vanished, only t
give place to another isle, where th
most beautiful forms of foliage appear
ed, imagining paradise in the distan
and purified air. The sun, wearied Q
the commotion, sank behind the gree
plains of the west. The "great eye i
heaven" however, went not dow
without dark brow hanging over il
departing light. The rich flush of th
unearthly light had passed, and th
rain had ceased, when the solem
church bells pealed, the laughter {
children rang out and, joyous after th
storm, was heard with the carol I
birds; while the forked and purp
weapon of the skies still darted illum
nation around the Startling Colleg
trying to rival its angels and leap I'M
its dark windows.
"'Candles are lighted. The piar
strikes up. We feel it is good to ha'
home, good to be on the earth whe
such revelations of beauty and pow
!, may be made. And as we can not r
mind our readers of everything wonde
full in our city, we have begun and en-
ed our feeble etching of . sunset viii
comes SO rarely that its glory should
, committed to immortal type.