At that moment I beheld a
dark, shadowy being, like an angel, standing, or
rather floating in mid-air between Europe and
America. Dipping water out of the
ocean in the hollow of each hand, he sprinkled
some upon America with his right hand, while he
cast upon Europe some with his left.
Immediately a dark cloud arose from
each of these countries, and joined in
mid-ocean. For a while it remained
stationary, and then moved slowly westward, until it enveloped America in its murky folds. Sharp flashes of lightning now gleamed throughout it at intervals, and I
heard the smothered groans and cries of
the American people. A second time the angel dipped water from the ocean, and sprinkled it as before. The dark cloud was then drawn back to the ocean, into whose heaving waves it sank from
view.