What a stormful sunset that was last night! How glorious the storm, and how splendid the setting of the sun! We do not remember ever before to have seen the like on our round globe. The scene opened in the west, with a whole horizon full of a golden interpenetrating luster which colored the foliage and brightened every object into its own rich dyes. The colors grew deeper and richer until the golden luster was transferred into a storm cloud, full of finest lightning, which leaped in dazzling zigzags all round and over the city. The wind arose with fury, the slender shrubs and giant trees made obeisance to its majesty. Some even snapped before its force. The strawberry beds and grass plots "turned up their whites" to see Zephyrus march by. As the rain came and the pools formed, and the gutters hurried away, thunder roared grandly, and the fire-bells caught the excitement and rung with hearty chorus. The South and East received the copious showers, and the West all at once brightened up in a long, polished belt of azure, worthy of a Sicilian sky.

Presently a cloud appeared in the azure belt, in the form of a castellated city. It became more v ivid, revealing strange forms of peerless fanes and alabaster temples, and gloeies rare and grand in this mundane sphere, reminding us of Wordsworth’s splendid verse in his "Excursion.”

But the city vanished only to give place to another isle, where the most beautiful forms of foliage appeared, imaging a Paradise in the distant air.

The sun, wearied of the elemental commotion, sank behind the green plains of the West. The "great eye in Heaven," however, went not down without a dark brow hanging over its departing light. The rich flush of the unearthly light had passed and the rain had ceased; when the solemn church-bells pealed, the laughter of children, out and joyous after the storm, is heard with the carol of birds, while the forked and purple weapon of the skies still darted illumination around the Starling College, trying to rival its angles and leap into its dark windows.

Candles are lighted. The piano strikes up. We feel it is good to have a home; good to be on the earth where such revelations of beauty and power may be made. And as we cannot refrain from reminding our readers of everything wonderful in our city, we have begun and ended our feeble etching of a sunset, which comes so rarely that its glory should be committed to immortal type.

From the Statesman of may 19, 1853.
Written by Senator Cox of Ohio.

Beyond The Sunset

Beyond the sunset, O blissful morning,
When with our Saviour heaven's begun.
Earth's toiling ended, O glorious dawning!
Beyond the sunset when day is done.

Beyond the sunset, no clouds will gather.
No storms will threaten, no fears annoy.
O day of gladness, O day unending.
Beyond the sunset eternal joy.

Beyond the sunset, a hand will guide me,
To God the Father whom I adore.
His glorious presence, His words of welcome,
Will be my portion on that fair shore.

Beyond the sunset, O glad reunion,
With our dear loved ones who've gone before,
In that fair homeland we'll know no parting.
Beyond the sunset forever more.
Music: Blanche Kerr Brock
Lyrics: Virgil P. Brock

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