PAUL AND VIRGINIA. j^j 



the joinings of the boards, fo bright and fo fre- 

 quent were the flafhes of lightning. The intrepid 

 Pau/i attended by Domingo, went from the one cot- 

 tage to the other, notwithftanding the raging of 

 the elements, here fecuring a wall by a crofs beam, 

 and there by driving in a flake ; he went in, only 

 now and then, to comfort the family with the hope 

 of the fpeedy return of fine weather. In realit5% 

 towards evening the rain ceafed ; the Trade-wind 

 from the South-eaft refumed it's ufual current ; 

 the flormy clouds were driven to the North-well, 

 and the fetting Sun appeared in the horizon. 



The firft wifh which Virginia exprefled, was to 

 re-vifit the place of her repofe : Paul approached 

 her, with a timid air, and offered her his arm, to 

 affifl her in walking thither. She accepted it, with 

 a fmile, and they fet out together from the cottage ; 

 the air was cool and fonorous : clouds of white 

 fmoke arofe on the ridges of the mountains, fur- 

 rowed here and there by the foam of the torrents, 

 which were now drying up on every fide. As for 

 the garden, it was entirely deflroyed by deep gut- 

 ters; moft of the fruit-trees were torn up by the 

 roots; immenfe heaps of land covered the flripes 

 of meadow-ground, and completely choked up 

 Virginia s, bath : the two cocoa-trees, however, 

 were flill ftanding, and in full verdure : the bowers 

 and the grafly turfs were no more, and the ear was 



no 



