18 THE PLAGUE OF THE HAIL. 



and smelling terribly of brimstone and gunpowder. The Messrs. 

 Gattleton, senior and junior, retired to rest with a vague idea of emi- 

 grating to Swan River early in the ensuing week. 



Rose Villa has once again resumed its wonted appearance : the 

 dining-room furniture has been replaced ; the tables are as nicely 

 polished as formerly ; the horse-hair chairs are ranged against the 

 wall as regularly as ever ; and Venetian blinds have been fitted to 

 every window in the house, to intercept the prying gaze of Mrs. 

 Joseph Porter. The subject of theatricals is now never mentioned 

 in the Gattleton family, unless, indeed by Uncle Tom, who cannot 

 refrain from sometimes expressing his surprise and regret at finding 

 that his nephews and nieces appear to have lost the relish they once 

 possessed for the beauties of Shakspeare and quotations from the 

 works of the immortal bard. 



THE PLAGUE OF THE HAIL. 



BY JOHN GALT. 



" And Moses stretched forth his rod toward Heaven, and the Lord rained hail 

 upon the land of Egypt." EXODUS. 



'Twas setting sun ; 

 THE cloudless golden horizontal light 

 Brightened the Memphian domes. Glittering afar 

 The mountain pyramids in ether shone ; 

 The Nile below with many a painted sail 

 Like rippling amber flowed. The air breathed peace- 

 When suddenly, without portent or sign, 

 As if the crystal firmament were crush'd, 

 And the bright fragments flung in anger down, 

 Fell the miraculous hail. Storms rush'd abroad ; 

 Clouds black and thick, like shreds of elder night, 

 Convulsed the sky, and ceaseless thunder rolled ; 

 The fiery wings of God's dread ministers, 

 That lavish'd round the hurtling indignation, 

 Their inextinguishable lightning glanced. 

 Thrice the diurnal lapse of mortal time, 

 And thrice again, with deep'ning furor fell 

 The irresistless hail. The woods were crushed, 

 And all with life within its order'd scope 

 Were battered dead. The old emblazonries 

 Of storied temples and mysterious towers 

 Were worn away, or roughly broke and scarred. 

 At length another interval of light, 

 Marking the seventh and tremendous day 

 Of wrath accelerating, wilder rose. 



