New Britain herald., 1922-02-17
PROPHET
 SEES WORLDS END
Effects of Present reelection Con-
 pared With That Of 1900


 the spring equinox, March 2i. this year, says the Meriden Record. He de- cares that this momentuous news was imparted to him In a vision by the Archangel Gabriel. and he ex- horts the people to abandon all their worldly interests and prepare them- selves to deliver their accounts at the
 last judgment.
 The writer adds however, that although the priest Is eloquent and desperately in earnest he Is hot having much success in impressing Balkans with the validity of his message. The peasants have grown practical and cynical since the war. Their faith Is not what Is used to be, and this seems to be a hard year for prophets.
 Not thus did the villagers of Nagy, in Hungary, behave when an alarm of the end of the world brought them shuddering out of their beds one night in 1900. They took the announcement in simple faith and prepared themselves for eternity, each according to his dis position.
 Saw Red Glow in the Sky
 The excitement was started by a night watchman who saw a mighty red glow in the sky across the plain. There had been some talk about comets and the end of the world, and the simple fellow did not doubt for moment that the red glow was ntn Nf tJ.a i,,rt celebrated Day of Judgment.
 Kristoffsky. The priest, after one
 Yelling his head off, he ran to arouse the parish priest, Father look at the red glow, which was increasing in extent and intensity, agreed that the Last Day was certain fly arriving. Crossing himself devout- ly. he put on his vestments and hur- ried into the church, after telling the watchman to arouse the whole popu- lation and summon all to suitable de- votions ip the sanctuary preparatory to the dreadful scenes that were fated to witness.
 Soon the church was crowded with trembling and sobbing concourse of sinners. The frightened walls of children mingled with the groans of men and the screams of women as the ,ruddy glow grew ruddier and darted with arrows of more vivid light, while above it rolled horrid cloud that looked as if it had climbed outof the bottomless pit.
 Frantic Scenes in Church
 Good Father Kristoffsky performed the sacred offices of his church in a very special manner, prayed with in- tense fervor for divine mercy toward his shining flock and preached rousing sermon in which he exhorted them to. repentance, now or never. Women tainted. Frantic men pleaded for an opportunity to confess long hidden sins. Some, despairing of get ting to the priest in time, shouted out their confessions in open church, whereby more than one mystery of crime was revealed.
 The village miser ran to his home' and came back with bags of gold which he cast upon the altar, then prostrated himself with broken con- fession of covetousness and hardness of heart. All present partook of holy communion with unparalleled ferven- cy. and the priest pronounced a bless ing that seemed to pour from the troubled depths of his soul. And then
 We'll there seemed to be nothing more to be done-nothing but to wait For what? For the last judg- ment to fall upon them. How long? Father Kristoffsky said it might be expected to begin at daylight, which was still some hours distant. Some thought the ruddy glow in the sky was increasing. Some thought it had diminished slightly. A few found themselves getting used to it and began to feel little impatient for the next act of the stupendous drama.
 All had very devoutly separated themselves in spirit from earthly desires and appetites-that is, they had~ tried to--but now they began to wonder if a bite of breakfast wouldn't be pardonable means of fortifying themselves for the tre- mendous ordeal ahead of them. Soon the odor of cooking foated through the village and voices took on slightly more cheerful ring.
 When Morning Dawned.
 It occurred to many bright minds that as this was the last earthly meal they would ever enjoy it would be just as we'll to make the most of it. Why let good food go to waste: Why not cook up all the stores in larder and cellar and make a feast of it, with all the wine and beer that would otherwise be sinfully wasted when the Judgment Day fire began?
 Why not, indeed? The logic of the question commended itself to nine- tenths Of the population, and soon ther was q great feast in progress in the square in front of the church. Fires were lighted. All the food stores in the village were dragged out and set a-cooking. ~< Wine and beer flowed like water.
 Despite the protests of the priest and the few faithful ones, who, like him, preferred to prepare themselves with prayer, the feast, became
 -''''t"u ucDuuCII, oTSy wherein the bascst impulsfs of hu-
 ,ature found free add cynical until the desperate wan Ioness died out in exhaustion and tho bloated revelers sprawled asleep upon the ground beneath the ruddy R& in the sky.
 l,ut tse ruddy glow died away, and when the debauched village