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222
A New England Girlhood, Outlined from Memory (Beverly, MA)
·
Lucy Larcom
203
The
most
widespread
delusion
of
the
time
was
Millerism.
A
great
many
persons--and
yet
not
so
many
that
I
knew
even
one
of
them--believed
that
the
end
of
the
world
was
coming
in
the
year
1842;
though
the
date
was
postponed
from
year
to
year,
as
the
prophesy
failed
of
fulfillment.
The
idea
in
itself
was
almost
too
serious
to
be
jested
about;
and
yet
its
advocates
made
it
so
literal
a
matter
that
it
did
look
very
ridiculous
to
unbelievers.
An
irreverent
little
workmate
of
mine
in
the
spinning-room
made
a
string
of
jingling
couplets
about
it,
like
this:--
"Oh
dear!
oh
dear!
what
shall
we
do
In
eighteen
hundred
and
forty-two?
"Oh
dear!
oh
dear!
where
shall
we
be
In
eighteen
hundred
and
forty-three?
"Oh
dear!
oh
dear!
we
shall
be
no
more
In
eighteen
hundred
and
forty-four,
"Oh
dear!
oh
dear!
we
sha'n't
be
alive
In
eighteen
hundred
and
forty-five."
I
thought
it
audacious
in
her,
since
surely
she
and
all
of
us
were
aware
that
the
world
would
come
to
an
end
some
time,
in
some
way,
for
every
one
of
us.
I
said
to
myself
that
I
could
not
have
"made
up"
those
rhymes.
Nevertheless
we
all
laughed
at
them
together.
A
comet
appeared
at
about
the
time
of
the
Miller
excitement,
and
also
a
very
unusual
illumination
of
sky
and
earth
by
the
Aurora
Borealis.
This
latter
occurred
in
midwinter.
The
whole
heavens
were
of
a
deep
rose-color--almost
crimson--reddest
at
the
zenith,
and
paling
as
it
radiated
towards
the
horizon.
The
snow
was
fresh
on
the
ground,
and
that,
too,
was
of
a
brilliant
red.
Cold
as
it
was,
windows
were
thrown
up
all
around
us
for
people
to
look
out
at
the
wonderful
sight.
I
was
gazing
with
the
rest,
and
listening
to
exclamations
of
wonder
from
surrounding
unseen
beholders,
when
somebody
shouted
from
far
down
the
opposite
block
of
buildings,
with
startling
effect,--
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