A WESTERN WEDDING. 85 



tliey still exist to greet him? Imaginations, 

 hopes, fears, rose rapidly and flitted alternately 

 — a phantom-like company — ^before his mind, 

 which, tumultuous and bewildered, shared the 

 agonizing struggle of creation around. Speedily 

 as it rose, the vision of despair passed by. In a 

 few minutes the heavens, serenely sunlit and 

 glad, seemed to express to the eye of Faith the 

 immutability of the eternal promise. 



Audubon's horse, relieved from its fears, no 

 longer needed the spur, but galloped as if as 

 eager as his master to escape another such ad- 

 venture. These visitations are generally fol- 

 lowed by slighter shocks, which occur almost 

 every day or night for several weeks. Gradually 

 they subside into little more than mere vibra- 

 tions. One of these happening during Audu- 

 bon's visit to his friend, was, strangely enough, 

 not only unattended with calamitous conse- 

 quences, but through the unfounded apprehen- 

 sions to which it gave rise, an additional incentive 

 to the rare merriment which renders a wedding 

 in the western country a truly festive occasion. 

 The ceremony having been performed, supper 

 over, and instruments tuned, dancing became 

 the order of the moment. It was kept up till a 

 late hour, the guests encouraged by the hilarity 

 of their host. Being a physician, his urbanity 

 was opportunely increased by the preservation 



