Year: 1869

The t2th of May, 1850, was d remarkable
one in the annalsof New Ehglahd; on ac-
count of the thick darkness that over
spread the land, like funeral pail. II was
u day long to be remembered and talked
of by those who witnessed the strange,
and at that time fearful, phenomenon.
There was much writing upon and dis
cussion of the subject at the time and
aftcrward, but l believe no satisfactory
conclusion was ever arrived at as to its
cause. There were SONIC who thought
that it must have Proceeded rom total
eclipse of the sun, that from some cause
escaped the calculations of mathematicians
and astronomers but that was easily
shown to be impossible by facts and
| figures.


II was then the darkest and most hope
less period Of the war of the revolution,
and it was thought by many of the
! Responding and discouraged to be signif-
can't OF the end of that which then ap.
pearcd them as n hopeless struggle. Some
of the more sanguine insisted that as the
hour before dawn was always tho darkest,
so this strange aud portentious gloom was
but the prelude to, the bright dawn of
libefty and independence that Was so0h to
| follow. .... .....
The father Of the writer was then o
| boy of thirteen years, and was at work
with his father and brother, planting or
preparing the ground. 1t was dull, hazy
! morning, and as the time passed, Ii
gradually thickcned, and by 10 O'clock the
increasing darkness began to be quite ap-
parent They kept ON with their work,
and as the gloom increased they observed
that he would pause once in while and
| look intcntly all around the horizon and
over head, but made no remark until he
directed tic oldest boy TO 20 to the barn
and turn the horse and all the cattle that
Were inside out into an open lot, and tc
close aud secure every door and window


1t appeared that he was apprehensive thai
some sudden and furious gust or squal


would soon manifest ITSELF and that the


animals Would be in less datiger out in thu


field than inside the building


Still the darkness grew thicker anC


deeper, till presently they said they nigh


us well quit work for the present. Oh


reaching the house the mother and siste


were about their usual duties, pale an'


silent Little was said except an occasion
al remark or direction In low tone. N


one seemed inclined TO conversation o


demonstration of any kind. Soon Dime


was ready, with candles lighted the sam


do ul HlHblj buJ ilOt u hiOioCi Nuo NheVhs 4


dead silence seemed to peryade all nature


broken only by occasional bleating of


lamb, or the distant lowing of the kline


which wandered about restless and uneasy


The domestic fowls seemed to be incline,


to come to the conclusion that if it wa
not night, they could put no other col
= struction upon it, so, after clucking ovC
, the matter for a while, they went to roos
I And thus the long and dreary hours passC
, away. Along in the afternoon the veil W.
+ lifted in some degree, and at the time
| sunset it was about the same as in a
t ordinary dull and cloudy day.


S The night which followed was, it is salt
7 as dark proportionately as was the da
| 1t was The perfect blackness of darl
: ness" Not the tAintest outline of any ol
ject could be discerned against the sky. .
! light would penetrate it but little wa,
5 and then seem to disclose but a solid wa
e of blaclIness around.-Cdp6 Ann Adoe
l hser