The Tempest - A Reminiscence.

2

s late in Ja's. The morning

buy, with the mercury, at midday,

arly nineties We had observed alm which usually presages a

at four o'clock a

If bally and

7. With

The Tempest-A Reminiscence.

Ir was late in July. The morning was sultry, with the mercury, at midday, in the early nineties. We had observed a peculiar calm which usually presages a violent storm; and at four o'clock a storm began to show itself broadly and darkly above the western horizon. With it came a constant, muttering growl or groan which indicated the approach of an electric storm of unusual proportions. One of the party went to the roof with his camera and exposed, as he said, a couple of plates to the most wonderful and frightful skies he had ever seen.

Its whole crest was one sheet of flame, which seemed to spring at once from every part of the approaching storm without a moment's break of either flash

or roar.

Now the hush and suspense

had become painful, and yet not a leaf moved. The great dog whined and leaned against his master, for instinct told him just what reason told us: that there was unusual danger at hand.

Yet all but the approaching storm was as still as the grave. While we instinctively held our breaths in awful very earth seemed to suspense, the tremble beneath the awful shock of the advancing tempest. In another moment it was upon us with all its remorseless fury. The onset was sublimely grand and terrific beyond description. An electric storm is more enjoyable than any other exhibition. In it there is danger without fear.

This was the king of storms. Jove was there in all his glory, to cleave the inky skies with a thousand blades and

hissing tongues of fire. Fearful! And its fury abated not. Great guns, what a crash! CRASH! How grand! It was Egypt's night on fire. Flash Flash! Crash! Crash! seemed to come from every point of the compass at one and the same moment. Fearful! Our very hair seemed charged with fire! And now the crash came home, and for a time, with us, all was over.

When consciousness returned, the demon had gone. The great Newfoundland was whining and licking our hands and faces, and we, like everything around us, were covered with dust. The clock

was mute, the great mirror shattered, pictures and bric-a-brac on the floor, and consternation and confusion were stamped on every face and every thing. The wreck was complete both in and out of doors.