A WESTERN WEDDING. 33 
they 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. Ina 
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 
