Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-08-20
THE THUNDER STORM.

little hands chung obstinately to the parents
dress
How you bother me! Yes, for mercy's sake,
60, and don't let me see you back in a hurry
As she spoke, Mrs. Carr gave the broom she
was using toss, and firted her dress from lit
tie Maggies hold 80 irritably that the smile
which had at first frightened the child's face
died away into a sorrowful glance.
Ihequick tempered parent saw the look, and
felt rebuked. She turned away, saying:
Well, go, if you are going"
Childhood soon fOrgets, even injustice. Mag
gies spirits gradually recovered their elastici-
", and her voice was heard calling her sister
Lucy to stop sweeping the walks and bring the
gather flowers. So away the two went, happy
In the Saturday afternoons holiday.
What a pleasant time they had, those inno-
cents ehildren, in those old woods How they
ran hither and thither, attracted by some new
fOusB bow they play hide and seek among the
trees how they watched the birds hopping fear
lesdy about them; how they arranged and re-
arranged their spOils in the basket; and how
Lucy finally sat down a bank and began
weaving chaplet for Maggie, which she tried
again and again, saying each time that ii was
beautiful, oh. so beautiful; but she d Just put
another flower in, to see if it wouldn't look bet
ter still"
Occupied in this way, the children had not
observed how far they had wandered into the
woods, nor how dark it was getting. Suddenly,
Lucy looked up
why, Maggie, it is almost night" she said,
IN surprise; " we must hurry home" And she
rose to 90.
At that instant a low, sullen growl was heard
Maggie, with ashy face, crept close to her sis
ter's side, too terrified to speak, but asking,
with her large, uPlifted eyes, what it meant.
Don't tremble so, darling"
al thought it must be a lion," whispered
Maggie, still almost afraid to look around
There are no lions here, you know, Mag
gle" replied Lucy; they are only found away
OF in Africa"
But there are bears and panthers. I've
hsasa- -fathss. say" said Maggie, blushing for
her mistake, yet speaking low. Don't you
remember he said he often heard 'em growl at
Eiey Wss but nine years old, 50 that she
eoxA6 not be expected to be much braver than
Neggies Who was five; so at this "reminiscences
shs iooked fearfully over her shoulder, as if half
expsctng to see savage beast leap from some
covert near. Till then she had not thought of
the bears and wolves. Even older persons, per-
haps, would have felt uneasy, if unarmed for
IL WAS the original forest and of vast extent,
stretching for miles away quite over the noun
tains- Nevertheless, Lucy tried to keep up her
courage.
1t is only the thunder, Maggie" she said;
:" let Us hurry and get out of the woods Maybe
We can do SO before it begins to rain
With these words, taking her little sister by
the hand, she began retracing her steps, walk
ing 30 fast that Maggie could scarcely keep up
with her. =
But fast as she walked, she could not out
strip the storm, whose rapid approach was
-heralded by. the increasing darkness and by the
Wind rising among the trees. Neither Of the
children had ever been out at such a time be-
lob, and the moaning breeze was 50 often like
the sob OF child, or the cry Of one in distress,
or Ero~l OF beast, that they were continually
starting IN terror. At such moments Of alarm
Maggie would cling closer to her sister, while
Lncy would hasten her steps anew, her little
heart throbbin2 almost to bursting.
ofadually the wind rose to a gale The leaves
saosered IN thousands to the ground the trees
oent, rocked, and groaned asif in great agony
the roar OF the elements was awful and the
sky grew so dark that Lucy no longer able to
PICK her way could only hurry blindly forward,
dragging Maggie with her breathlessly.
Nearly an hour had passed in this manner
an hour that seemed an age to the children.
Long SINCE Lucy knew they ought to have been
out OF the woods. But the forrest grew wilder
at each step; every familiar appearance had
conceal from herself that they were lost
Night was also at hand-a night Of rain and |
tempest. Lucy asked herself, could they sur |
yiye the wet and cold Could they escape the |
Wild beasts Of which they had heard! D what |
did not return!
As such reflections succeeded each other in |
her mind, she would have stopped hopelessly, |
but that the sight of her younger sister peryed |
her, and for Maggie's sake she courageously |
Kept on, trying 10 recover the lost path
Az last, further progress became impossible, |
50 Thick grew the darkness. They had reached |
little open space where a huge tree abutted |
on broken bank, and to her dismay Lucy re- |
ceognlzed this as spot which they had passed |
long ago They were walking in a circle, she |
saw. AT this thought her 6rmness finally gave |
way.
She paused, therefore, and looked in aoonv
around. Yet still mindful of her younger Sis |
ter, she gathered Maggie, with motherly care.
under her own shawl, in order 10 shelter her
from the wind, that blew through the glade |
mercer man ever. She had scarcely done this |
when clap OF thunder, breaking almost i'm
medlately over head, went rattIfny down the |
SKY earth and heaven shaking under the con- |
eusslOn, as If nature was dissolying. IL was |
accompanied by fash Of lightning so vivid |
!nIt everything Tor an instant seemed to swim
IN night; Lucy was blinded by the glare and |
stunned by the thunder The horror of the
nsht was increased by the gloom which fell /
9umc scene, accompanied by a sudden cessa-
uon OF the wind that was indescribably awful.
Iaggie Thought the world was coming to an
ena, and whispered as much, elinging wildly To
ner sister Then bursting into loud sobs, She /
ssciaimed, IL mother was only here :" and |
hid her face i'll Lucy's bosom
Lucy was scarce less terrified than her sister
ne very ground seemed still reeIing beneath |
oer The rain, too, now began to fall in tor 1
rents, as If the fountains Of heaven itself were
opened. Wasn't it just like what she had read |
OF the day Of judgment? Her limbs refused TO /
support her, and she sank to her knees, drag
glng Maggie with her. Yet she made a last |
effort 70 cheer her sister
Don don't cry so, was all she could saw,
GiasPins Maggie and soLbing as she spoke
men nsr little remaining fortitude gave way,
other eonvulsyely
II.
lL anne ne. Mr', Carr, after busting through |
ner Work, Ike thrifty housewife as sb. wa