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Other Spellers 209
ing into their proper harbours. In short, every object yielded a display either of beauty or of happiness. On a sudden arose a violent storm. The winds mustered all their fury, and whole forests of oak lay scattered on the ground. Darkness instantly succeeded; hailstones and rain were poured forth in cataracts; and lightning and thunder added horrour to the gloom. And, now, the sea, piled up in mountains, bore aloft the largest vessels, while the horrid uproar of its waves drowned the shrieks of the wretched mariners. When the whole tempest had exhausted its fury, it was instantly followed by the shock of an earthquake.
The poor inhabitants of a neighbouring village flocked in crowds to our hermit's cave, religiously hoping that his well known sanctity would protect them in their distress. They were, however, not a little surprised at the profound tranquillity that appeared in his countenance. u My friends," said he, " be not dismayed. Terrible to me, as well as to you, would have been the war of the elements we have just beheld, but that I have meditated with so much attention on the various works of Providence^ as to be persuaded that his goodness is equal to his power.
The old-time school-book authors often attained a good deal of picturesqueness in the selections that went into their volumes, and some of these authors were hardly less picturesque in the arguments and opinions they addressed to the public in their prefaces. Here is the way Joshua Bradley appeals for the acceptance of his " lessons in spellings ' which he compiled in a square little volume of sixty-four pages, published at Windsor, Vermont, in 1815.
The author was led to lay this small work before the publick, for the benefit of beginners; who are apt to wear
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