The Haslingden Gazette. — 1908-07-25 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT. t was the rule in regard to recommendation of One of the strangest phenomena which have oe- students for appointment as pupil teachers, and curred for many yeare--strange, because alto- the Clerk replied that managers were supposed to gether unintelligible. and. so far, not satisfactorily recommend as many students as applied, though explained by scientists—was the remarkable and they were also expected to state how many vacanunaccountable prolongation of the glow of twi- cies they had. light, with the complete absence of darkness dur- Mr. Hindle stated that the managers of St. ins the whole of the night, which recently no John's School, Great Harwood, had been under startled north.western Europe. A beautiful sun- the impression that they had no option but to net hue pervaded the northern heavens, as though, send in all the applications and allow the commit' the axis of the earth, suddenly changing, the sun tee to make the selection. Continuing, he said had not sunk no far beneath the horizon as usual, it witB most unfair for the committee to have alt. and the position of the T•ole had altered five and pointed three pupil teachers for St. John's when twenty or more degrees, the arctic circle therefore they only •canted two. moving downwards. The phenomenon was en- Mr. J. C. Parker pointed out that the manetirely different to aurora borealis, and the cause gers had made a mistake in not stating how many remains an absolute mystery. It was as though a vacancies they had, and it was most unfair to Joshua had commanded the sun to stand still in try to throw any blame on that committee. order to prolong the length of the day. Mr. Hindle proposed an amendment, which was But however beautiful and strange, this phen- seconded by Mr. P. Longton, that the appointomenon could not compare in splendour and mag- ments for pupil teachers to St. John's be referred nificence with the startling display of aurora back, but the amendment was defeated, and the borealis which took place in England in 1859. As minutes of the committee were passed. the twilight disappeared strange coruscations e: coloured light were observed in the northern heavens. gradually taking the form of a gigantic luminous arch of many coloured fires. Depending , from the arch were geometrical columns, of naryins length, of quivering, many-hued wildfire; some a brilliant, amethyst, some a deeper purple, or some a vivid carmine or emerald. Now a throbbins pulsation passes over the entire glowing arc, 1. and it flashes in gold or orange, azure or ver' milion, mauve or violet; now for a moment partially fading away. again suddenly. with a quavering tremor, scintillating and flashing as brightly as before. The spectacle is now beyond expression sublime and majestic, and those who had the good fortune to witness it were altogether overwhehned at this magnificent and sumptuous display of the mighty forces of Nature. On another occasion, instead of a prolongation of daylight, for a space of three hours, commencing at noonday. a supernatural darkness overspread the land. a darkness in which, it is believed, the entire earth was plunged, for Nature was then veiling her face, shocked at the dread tragedy which was taking place on Golgotha. where the pure and holy Son of God was bearing the shameful load of our sins, and Himself on behalf of all who will but come to Him, enduring the punishment due by them to Eternal Justice. Aye, well might Nature then, aghast at the heartrending sufferings of her Lord, shroud herAelf in darkness, and screen Him from tho ribald insults of His dastardly murderers. But His death is our life, His sufferings our passport to the glories and supernal joys of heaven; His crown of thorns our title to a crown of glory.