130 Walks i n N^ England 



The Electric Storm 



YET upon the hush of the elements breaks 

 in the electric storm. There are more 

 terrible manifestations of the elemental 

 forces, as when a tornado sweeps across the land, 

 or a tidal wave engulfs a city, or an earthquake 

 or volcanic eruption destroys the habitations of 

 men and the supposed stability of mountains, or 

 a typhoon sweeps across the ocean and tosses a 

 great ship with its human freight as a bubble. 

 These are more terrible, because so escapeless. 

 But the emotion of awe is swallowed up in terror, 

 and with it, if any other feeling arise, it is that of 

 revolt and anger, that man should so be taken 

 advantage of, helpless and resourceless as he must 

 be in the concourse and conspiracy of elements. 

 To awaken in its sublime reach the grand spirit 

 ual feeling truly known as awe, that small impulse 

 of pygmy resentment must be stilled, must be 

 absent, nothing must remain except what the 

 prophet felt when on the mount before the Lord 

 he heard and beheld him pass by, &quot; a still, small 



