Year: 1859

The following sketch is founded on q
fact which occurred in the experience of a
distinguished legal gentleman of Virginia:]


A fine summer day was drawing to q
close as Mr.. T., after dining with brother
lawyer, mounted his horse to ride home.-l
He had been entertained with the gentle and
genial hospitality of the Old Dominion, and
felt that agreeable stimulus of the animal
spirits which follow in the train OF q moder.
ate dinner among congenial friends. He
had delayed the momeat Of departure as long
as possible, though the ride home was long
one. because he would have full moon to
light him on his wey, and the air would be
cooler after night-fall SO that it was with
none but the most agreeable emotions he
| bade adieu to his friends, loosened the bride
Of his horse, and turned into the road which
led through the forest.


To native sense Of the beauty and ex.
cellence of nature, M. T. added that refine
ment of taste, which is the result of careful
mental culture, and a buoyancy of fee ling,
which excess had never dulled. He enjoy
ed the serene silence of the evening in the
forest-the varied lights and shades on rock
aud tree and stream, and the peculiar air Of
majestic repose which nature wears in the
recesses OF her woodland solitudes. The
silence was interrupted only by the sound OF
his horses feet over the even road, and the
occasional note of q bird, or the croak of q
frog-a prelude of the evenings concert
The scent Of the evening air was delicious
and refreshing, after the heat of the day. In
short, so pleasurable were his emotions that
Mr.. T. rode along at very easy pace, and
it was only when the rapid increase of dark


ness warned him of the approach of night


that he began to urge his horse to greate'
sw'tness. Absorbed in pleasant thought


and shut out by the loftiness of the trees
from any but very partial view of the sky


he had not observed a heavy. battalion o.


clouds, which, after lying ,1azily" along the
horizon for some hours, now began to lif


themselves towards the zenith and emit an
occasional angry A'st-sure token of @
coming storm. 1t was indeed approaching
with rapdity which Knocked every effort he
could make to reach place OF shelter be-


fore its ouburSt. He rode rapidly, but each
fl sh Of lightning was followed by nearer
and nearer peal of thunder, and soon the
darkness became intense, the wind began to
rise, and the rain desce nded so heavily that
our traveller was glad to remember that he
must now nearly have reached q large
church, which stood on his homeward way


iu the large, old fashioned entrance Of viii. h
he hoped to find temporary shelter. With
speed, and so violent did the tempest be.
come, so close end incessant were the
flashes of lightning, SO heavy the Rim, uid
so numerous the branches torn from the
trees by the wind, that he began to feel no
small anxiety to reach place of safety.


At length the lightning showed the old
church near al. hand. He rode up to it, dis.
mounted, and placing his horse go as to pro.
tect him as much as possible from the storm


entered the deep and spacious doorway. A:
he leaned for support against the heavy fold
ing door, TO his surprise, it yielded to the
pressure; he opened it and entered the edi
flee, glad to find himself in so secure a stu
: ltion. He walked up the centre aisle, and
sat down in one OF the pews near the middle
o! the church.


1t was not possible for q man of the SEN
sibility and unaffected pi ty of Mr.. T. to fine
himself alone, in such situation, end mic
such manifestation Of Almighty power as
this furious tempest afforded, not to fee


some degree of solemnity and awe. He sa
down and gave way to the many solemn re


fections called up by the scene and thu
, hour. He thought OF the many who hat
once worshipped there who were now lying


in their last, long sleep in the church-yar'


without. Once, upon their beds of down
I how slight an obstacle, how small vexa
. ton, had been sufficient to bauish slumber
t Now-all the artillery of heaven, all th


peltiDg of the pitless storm, moved then
r not a iot. Imagination called up many
e form once as familiar as the pews and pill
: lars of the old church known from infancy
l. In thought he strove to follow some OF thes
8 into that strange realm. At this moment,
slight noise, in momentary lull of the TEN
It pest, made itself heard, apparently benin
8 and above him. twas not strange that a
IS such moment it sent thrill Of inexp xplicabl
:. emotion through his frame. In moment


the feeling passed away, and he turned, re
g solved to see, if possible, by the illuminate
of the next flash of lightning, what ha
n caused the sound which had startled him.
e, 1t came-broad, red, fierce, and revealed
ot him in the choir form, SO underlined, 8
E. hideous, that, with involuntary terror, h
r. covered his eyes with his hands.


" The place, the hour, the darkness, inte


rupted only by the glare of the lightning


the sounds Of the tempest raging without
II the solitude and this vague consciousness
/, unsupported companionship, had, it'must
at con fcssed, powerful effect on the mind
IA a man, naturally Of the firmest courage, ar
| nurtured in n societv where CoWardice ia