The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1870-12-20
QUALITY HILL.

Mrs. Woodstock sat in the middle
of the room, with her feet on the round
of the chair, and her fingers in her
ears.
"I like to hear thunder we'll enough;
don't know but what do. ] am not
any afraid of that. But | be scarf of
lightning" said she starting as the
heavens blazed over with sheet of
flame in instant glory, with a crash and
roar that found its way through her
fat fingers, and through two wads of
pink cotton, bursting on her ear like
the trump of doom.
Mercy on mel" shrieked Mrs.
Woodstock, "that struck. Now you
may rely on it, as sure as you're a liv-
ing creature, that struck"
Mr.. Spofford's old sorrel horse, the
only living creature in sight, made no
reply, but kept on nibbling away at
the white clover on the green before
the door, He only turned his back
to the driving rain, that flew from west
to east, so fast and so heavy, it was more
like bank of fog than moving drops
of water; and gave passing shiver
when the rainfall changed to hail ,and
ratified down in stones as large as birds
eggs.
But Mrs. Woodcock was above the
blind trust of the beast so, pale and
trembling, she pressed her hands tight
er over her ears, and looked at a spi.
der's web in the darkest corner of the
room as steadfastly as if she were sit
ting for her photograph.
The thunder growled itself to sleeT
at last, the lightning flashed its life
away, and the sun broke out likes sud
den smile on baby's face. Still the
unconscious Mrs. Woodcock held Oh
to her ears and gazed at the spider
web until the outer door was funs
open, and the chore-boy shuffled in.-
He was a hempen-haired, butermilk-
eyed lad of fifteen, who was eithe
half-witted or half-crazed-possibl,
both.
"Ho Aunt Prissy," he cried, "wha
are you keeping Independence for, th'
day after fourth? 1t has all come OF
clear as new cider and you are wasting
your time sitting there like statute
You better be mending my panta-
; ! looms,
AS he spoke q sudden sunbeam dart
ed through the western window, anC
flashed athwart the corner.
'"If there isn't cobweb right in m
kitchen P' quoth Mrs. Woodcock, ds
= liberatrly putting down her fingers an
feet and going for wing "A gra
goose wing that hung by a strip of re
calico on a nail behind the door,
/. 'e0hl Won come, Orson Wher
did it strike ?" she continued, appear
\ ing to discover the grinning boy.
"The hail struck everywhere, pal
ticularly on DIR. Seaerest's grape vine
e I haven't heard az the thunder struc
. at ali, not even on some folks ears,
J returned Orsons who was mainly con
posed of pair of oyergrown bare fee
r, blue cotton frock and overalls, Sc
st of broad white teeth, and a weathel
< < beaten hat with wide slouehing brin
r "You don't mean to say the doctor
y grape vines are hurt essentially, d
% your" queried Mrs. Woodcock, dei
to the impertinence as she had been
the thunder.
"Don't know nothing about no e
sences," replied Orson, who was fou
of long words, but not clear as to the
use. "But l can tell you one thin
a. though. You ought just to see Il
e. doctors new grape vines he set
~ ~ muoh By. The tenuons and -ynnr
i3 grapes are fairly chewed TO bits. Yes'I
b. l don't expect five hundred dollars
O. gold would put it back to where it W
- an hour ago."
"How you talkl" gasped Mrs. Woo
.s- cock who liked to have things happe
IS, and the worse they happened the b'
10 she liked it. She was a kind'heart'