When the evening King gave place to night,
His beams he to his royal brother lent,
And so shone still in his reflected light.
DRYDEN.
Looking in the direction opposite from where the monarch of the day had disappeared, the cloudless sky brightened over the bare gray mountain-peak, and the stars, in joyful anticipation of the approaching event, abandoned their stoic immobility and trembled in feverish excitement. An impressive silence reigned in the little city, broken now and then by the almost noiseless footsteps of half-naked, barefoot natives, or the clattering of the hoofs of a horse and humming of the wheels of a passing cart, and, once or twice, by the whirr of the only automobile in the island, steered by an enterprising, prosperous French merchant.
Nature awoke from her noonday slumber, the glossy leaves resumed their natural shape and freshness, the drooping flowers revived, expanded and exhaled their fragrance, perfuming the evening air. The birds had found shelter and protection for the night in the leafy domes of the many beautiful shade and ornamental trees. It was solemn eveningtide, when the heart of man is most receptive for noble and pure impressions. It was the time to turn away the thoughts from the busy, selfish world and reflect upon the wonders of creation. It was the time to look upward to the calm, pale, blue sky, feebly illuminated by the soft light of countless tiny lamps suspended by invisible cords from the limitless space above. It was the time to look beyond earthly things. It was the time to understand:
The beauty of the world and the orderly arrangement of everything celestial makes us confess that there is an excellent and eternal nature, which ought to be worshiped and admired by all mankind.
CICERO.
We were speechless spectators of the passing and coming. Our thoughts were turned to the invisible hand that created the earth we inhabit and all of the heavenly bodies, and which directs their movements with infallible precision and unfailing regularity. We thought of things incomprehensible to man, of things far beyond the grasp of the human mind, of things known only to the Almighty Lord, Creator of all things in heaven and earth.
With our eyes fixed on the gateway of entrance of the Queen of Night, we patiently awaited her arrival, anxious, however, to catch the first glimpse of her beautiful face. No blare of trumpets or bugle call announced her approach. She rose in the sky silently, resplendent in her own magic beauty, and her charms are always sweetest when the nights are calm and peaceful. She combined beauty with two of the most attractive feminine virtues—modesty and gentleness. As we watched her regal entrance into the sky, the golden arch assumed the deep yellow hue of the precious metal it resembled, and, in a few moments, the pale rim of her sweet face rose over the dark, bald mountain-peak, and ascended slowly and majestically, higher and higher, away from earthly things, on her journey through the pathless sky. This evening she appeared in perfect glory, permitting us to look into her full, calm face. Her consort, the sun, had just disappeared, leaving behind him a golden crescent on the opposite horizon. She was following his pathway and had taken possession of his throne for the night. The departing sun and the ascending moon were in strange and pleasing contrast at the threshold of that beautiful night.
O! belle nuit! mit preferable au jour!
Premier nuit a amour consacree!
En sa faveur, prolonge ta duree,
Et du soleil retarde le retour.
DE MALFILATRE.
The moon loves to reign in peace and quietude. She abhors the tumult of the battle-field and the struggles of man for wealth and honor. She is the friend of the wounded, the sick and the poor; and the guardian angel of all those in need of repose. As she ascended heavenward, the rippling ocean became a great mirror, a mirror worthy to reflect her beautiful face. The soft, pale light streaming out from the silvery orb cast phantom-like shadows in the forests, parks and streets. Solemnity reigned supreme.
On seas, on earth, and all that in them dwell,
A death-like and deep silence fell.
WALLER.
Happy the people who respect and love the Queen of Night and her reign of peace and rest! Charming Queen! Retard your journey, prolong your peaceful mission for the well-being of your loyal subjects so much in need of your calming influence and of your soft, soothing light! To such petitions the goddess of the sky has only one inflexible reply: "The universe is my kingdom, the earth you live in is only one of my smallest possessions. I must remain loyal to all of my realms."