A Forced Candlelight Vigil Of Reading

Now I know what our forefathers from Washington and Jefferson on up through Webster, Clay, Calhoun, and Lincoln and beyond felt like when darkness fell.

When my power went out Monday night around 8 p.m., I dug out a few candles and started reading by candle light, much as most of the human race must have done until the advent of electricity rather recently in our history (unless they were reading by whale oil or some such thing).

I'm not complaining mind you.  When many of my neighbors in South Manchester lost power for days if not weeks in last year's Halloween storm, I was fine, so the weather gods are simply catching up with me.

I'm still struggling through Merrill D. Peterson's "The Great Triumvirate--Webster, Clay and Calhoun".  William Henry Harrison is about to beat all three of them in 1840 and become President (for a month).  That will lead us into Tyler too who was not at all what the Whigs had bargained for!

It's not an easy book what with tariffs, the bank battle, nullification, and other complex issues, but it's actually easier to read by candlelight without the distractions electricity provides.  No wonder our forefathers were for the most party much better readers than we are today!

Don’t get me wrong; I’m still hoping the lights (not to mention TV) will be back on by the time I get home today, but a few days of throwback can’t be all bad (at least not as bad as those Pittsburgh Steeler throwback uniforms we were subjected to Sunday!).