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Show TUESDAY'S STORM. But was not that a spectacular and savage storm on Tuesday last? First came the darkness almost at noonday, like the "cloud that was the garment, and thick darkness that made a swadl-ling swadl-ling band" for "the sea when it was shut up with doors." The houses, even the street cars had to turn on their lamps. It was as when the lights are shut off from the body of the house at a play, that the more startling may be the scenic effects on the stage. The heavens were black and where the lips of the clouds were turned up there was something so sinister and threatening about them that when the snarls of the approaching thunders broke through them they brought no surprise B The clouds were no canopy, but rather live mon B sters wheeling, turning, plunging like huge black B untrained cavalry steeds striving to form in col B umn the wild Cossacks of the upper Steppes. B Then the trumpets of the winds were Bounded B shrill and long-drawn; the banners of the light B nings were unfurled until the upper world was B all ablaze; the deep thunder-peals followed to B rend the sky and shake the earth and the mighty B column took up its march across the city. As it B passed it opened its magazines and deluged the B city with rain with "the treasures of the hail aid B snow," and sweeping on exhausted its strength B on the mountain side to the East. When it had fl passed those who in awe watched its retreat saw B again the sun appear and in the East beheld, B arched in splendor above the hills, a perfect rain B bow and a thoughtful watcher said: "It is the B flag of the Red Cross corps following in the wake B of the battle." B It was altogether such a display as had not H for a long time, if ever, been on exhibition in this I city. It seemed for a time as though all the ele- H ments had combined to read to man the lesson of H how little he is when Nature's forces are sum- moned to give an exhibition of their power. There I I as a deeper lesson, too, for when- the sun came I at and the rainbow was interposed between the I etreating storm and the city, the truth was B made clear that, after all, the phenomenon was I ent as "an ordinance of Heaven," "to cause it to aln on the earth" f "to satisfy the desolate I and waste ground and to cause the bud of the I tender herb to spring forth." |
