After the Storm. 



STEADILY, for many long hours, the rain 

 poured down, coming in long unbroken streams 

 from the low-lying clouds. The sleepy brook 

 that had murmured itself almost to sleep, as it 

 crossed the lane, and languidly crept through 

 the dark ravine that shuts out the sunlit world 

 for many a rod, at last was roused to unwonted 

 energy, and rushed forward to find the meadows 

 of which it had been dreaming meadows no 

 longer, but a lovely lake. Hour after hour, 

 still it rained, and never night more dreary and 

 more dark. The ominous roar of the wind 

 among the door-yard trees made me tremble 

 for the safety of the three beeches near my 

 house, nor was my mind at ease until the gray- 

 streaked dawn announced not only the break 

 of day but the passing of the storm. The up- 

 land fields were all intact ; the hill-side trees 

 had suffered no injury, but there were no 



55 



