Year: 1859

I
The following sketch s founded on
fact which occurred in the experience of
distinguished legal gentleman of Virgin
ia)


A fine summer day was drawing to a
close as Mr.. T., after dining with brother
lawyer, mounted his horse to ride home
He had been entertained with the gentle
and genial hospitality of the Old Domin-
ion, and felt that agreeable stimulus of
the animal spirits which follows in the
train Of a moderate dinner among congo
nial friends. He had delayed the moment
of departure as long as possible, though
the ride home was a long one, because he
would have full moon to light him on
his way, and the air would be cooler after
night.fall SO that it was with none but
the most agreeable emotions he babe adieu
to his friends, oosened the bride of his
horse. and turned into the road which led
through the forest.


To a native sense of the beauty and ex-
cellence Of nature, Mr.. II. added that re-
fnement of taste, which is the result of
careful mental culture, and buoyancy of
feeling which excess had never dulled.
He enjoyed the serene silence of evening
in the forest--the varied lights and shades
on rock and tree and stream, and the Pc
culiar 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
a bird, or the croak of frog a prelude
OF the evenings concert. The scent Of
the evening air was delicious and refresh
ing, after the heat OF the day. In short,
so pleasurabe were his emotions that Mr..
!. rode along at very easy pace, and it
was on y when the rapid Increase of the
darkness warned him of the approach of
night, that he began to urge his horse to
greater stiffness Absorbed IN the pleas
ant 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 of clouds, which after
lying lazily along the horizon for some
hours, now began to lift themselves to-
wards the zenith, and emit an occasional
angry fash-sure token of coming
storm, 1t was indeed approaching with
a rpidity which Knocked every effort he
could make to reach place of shelter be-
fore its outburst He rode rapidly but
each flash 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 to descend
so heavily that our traveller was glad to
IeincHDcI ue must now nave nearly
reached large church, which stood on his
homeward way, in the large, old-fashioned
entrance to which he hoped to find tenn
porary shelter. With this view, he urged
his horse to the utmost speed, and so vio-
lent did the tempest become, so close and
incessant were the flashes Of lightning, so
heavy the rain, and so numerous the
branches torn irem the trees by the wind.
that he began to feel no small anxiety to
reach Il place of safety.


At length tn lightning showed the old
church near at hand He rode up to it.
dismounted, and placing his horse so as to
protect him as much as possible from the
storm. entered the deep and spacious door
way. As he leaned for support against
the heavy folding door, to his surprise it
yielded to the pressure; he opened it and
entered the church, glad to find himself in
20 secure a situation. He walked up the
central aisle and sat down IN one of the
pews near the middle of the church.