Year: 1869

The DARK DAY OF 17S0.-The 18th of May
1850, WAS a remarkable one in the annals Of
New England, on account Of the thick dark
ness that overspread the land likes funeral
pail. It was 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 discussion
OF the subject at the time and afterward, but
i believe no satisfactory conclusion was ever
arrived at as TO its cause. There we're some
who thought 1t must have proceeded from
total eclipse Of the sun, that had from some
cause escaped the calculations of mathemati-
clans and astronomers, but that was easily
shown to be impossible by facts and figures


II WAS then the darkest and most hopeless
period in the war of the Revolution, and it
was thought by many of the Responding and
discouraged TO be significant of the end of
that which then appeared to them hopeless
struggle. Some of the more sanguine insist
ed that as the hour before the dawn was al.
ways the darkest, so this strange and portent-
Gus gloom WAS but the prelude to the bright
dawn of Liberty and Independence that was
soon TO follow.


The father of the writer was then but a
boy Of thirteen years. and was at work with
his father and brother, planting or preparing
the ground. II was dull, hazy morning,
aud as the time passed it gradually thickened
and by 10 o'clock the increasing darkness be-
gan to be quite apparent. They kept on with
their work, and as the gloom increased they
observed that he would pause once in a while
and look intently all around the horizon and
overhead, but made no remark until he di-
rected the oldest boy TO 60 to the barn and
turn the horse md ali the cattle that were in
side out into an open lot, and 70 close and Sc
cure every door and window. II appeared
that he was apprehensive that some sudden
and furious gust or 6quRL would soon mani
fest itself, and that the animals would be In
less danger out in the field than inside the
building


Still the darkness grew thicker and deeper.
| till presently he said we might as well quit
| work for the present. On reaching the house
the mother and sister were about their usual
duties. pale and silent. Little was said except
an occasional remark or direction in low
tone. No one seemed inclined to conversa-
| ton or demonstration Of any kind. Soon
dinner was ready, with candles lighted the
same az at night, but not a morsel was eaten.
| 4 dead silence seemed to pervade all nature,
broken only by an occasional bleating of the
lambs, or the distant lowing Of the kline,


which wandered about restless and uneasy.
| The domestic fowls seemed to be inclined to
come to the conclusion that if il was not night
| they could put no other construction upon it,
so, after clucking the matter over for while.
| they went to roost. And thus the long dreary
| hours passed away. Along in the afternoon
| the veil was lifted in some degree. and at the
| time OF suset il was about the same as in an


ordinary dull and cloudy day.


| The night which followed was, il is said, as


dark proportionately as was tho day. 1t was
! the perfect "blackness of darkness" Not


the faintest outline OF any object could be dis,


cerned against the sky, A light would pene


trato IL but little way, and then seem to


disclose but solid wall of blackness around


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