New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-06
THE LIGHTNING ROD MAN.


What grand. Irregular ihcnte!. though;
H. standing on thy aea:tEsIGae among :ae
eAcrOceraun:aH ailis. AZ .he scattered bolts
Doomed owe! head and crashed down among
she valleys. every Dol: followed b. zIg2sg
sridiat;ons and swift sian:s O: sharg. rain
which audibiy sang like a tLarge OF spear
poln:s on my low shing!et. root. suppose.
ShOugEs tina; she mountains Lersaborts
break and el.u:b up :he :rGnde: go That :.
Ss lar more glorious here than OF tire plain.
Hark: some one a! the door. Who Is this
thar chooses time Of tlunder 20. making
ealIss AnG why don't he. lnan.:ash;on. Use
she knoci1e, instead Of max ne tia. .iolet:,l
undertaken ciatver with his rs: l..ainst ;he
hollow pane: But Jet him in. All. mere lie
comes. Good da-. SIR entire strange
''Prav 5e seated VIVA! IS thar strange
Cooking walking stick !e carries. "A tins
thunderstorm. SIR
s'Fine!--Awfu!..'
s'YUu are we. Stand :e.e on the i.sr.L
before the fire.
t'No: for worlds
The stranger s:ii! stood u he exao:
middle OF !he cottage. where lie had :ics.
planted himself. His singu!ar:ty :nDe!.e,.
. closer scrutiny. 4 lean. gloomy figure.
Hair dark and tank. nat.ed..y s:geaked over
mis- brow. His suIheE pitfalls o! eyes we're
Singed by indigo aaltoes. and played with
-
without the bolt. The whole .a.,a was
dripping. He stood IL q puddle on The
bare TAX floor. his strange wa!k:ns-s.:ck
vertically resting az his side.
IL was a polished copper .ed. four tee:
Yong. fengthwI>e attached % a aaa- wooded
stan. by insertion .n!o two balls %. greenisi.
glass. yingeG with copper bands. The
metal rod terminated a. The to- tripodw:se.
in three keen tines. brightly git. He Le..:
Che thing by the wooden par. alone.
''Sir." said j. aew!ns politely. shave
Che honor OF Il risi: .I9ur :ha. ..iust.:ot,s
goi. Jupiter Tonans! SO stood he L. the
Greek statue OF old. grasping the lightning
bolt. 1t yeu be he. or his r:ceror. have
60 thank you for this uob... s:or1n you haze
brewed among our :nounra:i-a. Listen:
That was q glorious peal. All. 20 a lover OF
She majestic. il ia good sling 20 haze .he
Thunderec himself !t ones cottage. The
thunder grows finer for that. Bat pray se
seated. This old rush bo.:omei arm. CHAIR.
grant. IS poo: substitute COR your ever.
green throne on Olympus. ou:. cOndescenS
20 he seated
wn!is .hus pleasantly spoke. the
stranger eyed ne. nais II wonder. and hal:
in strange so.t Of horror: bU. did not
snOve 4 loot
''Do,. sir: be seated: yon need 70 be dried
ere going forth again.
! planted the chair invit:rc!y or the |
board hearth where !ltt:e ire had been
klndieG that afternoon 20 t!ssipa.e the |
dampNess. not the cold: Tor j: MAS ea;iy in |
She month OF September.
But without needing mv solicitations. and |
still standing n the middle of the floor, the !
stranger gazed at 3ne por.en:io.ls!y and |
spoke
''Sr," said he. EXCUSE the: bu! :rs:eat: of !
my accepting your kind invitation to be |
seateG on the hearth there. .oIemnly |
warn you. that you had bes: aocep. NINE.
and stand with NE il ehe middle @: the |;
Soonio Good heavens" he cried. starting
0'there is another of those awful CRASHES. ! |!
warn you, sir. quit the hearth
o'Mro Jupiter Tonans.' sad |. quietly
golIing my BODY on .ae stone. IL stand very
well here
'''Are rou SO horribly ignorant. .her." he
eriedo las not To know. that by TAR the mos.
langerous part o! house. during such a ,
serr!he tempest as TINS. is fine frepisce!''
'Nays ala no! know !ilat." inyo!untar:iy |
stepping ugoI: the frs: board mex: 70 the
stonee
The stranger row assumet srci an in.
pleasant air of successful admon:sibn. that
quite .nvoluntarly again! stepped back
apon the hearth, and threw myself into the
erec:esto proudess posture ] could So:n.
nando But said nothing.
''FOr heavens sake lie cried, witt; y
strange mixture of alarm ant: intimi6ar:on--
top heavens sake get of the HEARTH
Know You nofo thas the heated air and 500: I
are conductors to save nothing o. .h.se
immense fire dogs: Qu;: she spot.-I son.
ure-1 command yosio'
e.Mro Jupiter Tonanso AM nos aecus.
omed to be commanded IL sny Own house"
sCall me not by shat pa gan name. You
re prOtane in this slime Gt terror"
''Sirs will you be SO good as fe :eii ME |
FOUR business? If yes seek shelter floIa the
tormo you are welcome SO song as you be
ivil; but if YOU come on business. Upeg !:
orthwirho Who are youi'
81 am dealer in lightning scds.' said !
he stranger. sottening his SONG: ''mv |
pecis.i business is MercifuJ heaven! |
What acrash,--Have you ever been struck
our premises. meant MOI It's best Il, |
e prOvided;"-sigritcant fattling his 4;
metallic staff on the foor:-"by nature ]
here are no castles in .tbunderstorms; yes
ay but the word, and OF this cottage l |
an make a Gibraltar by few waves OF !
his wand Hark, what Himalaya OF cone
lssisns!'
"You interrupted YOURSELF your special I {
usiness you were aboug 10 speak Of }
MY special business is TO travel the ! {
,untry tor orders for lightning rods. This :!
my specimen rod" tapping his staff; Il {
ave the best OF references bling in ] ]
9 pockets. In Criggar last month put
, three. and.twenty rods on only tive I
Iildings."
LET me see. Was It not at Criggan FAST
EEK, about midnight on Saturday, that g
e steeple, the big elm and the assembly :
ON cupola were struck Any Of your i
Is there" t
Not on the tree and cupolas bug che T
eple."
OF what use isyour rod thena% p
of life and death use. But my workman o.
6 needless. In fitting the rod at top 10 n
steeple, he allowed part of the metal Il
zraze the tin sheering. Hence the acei- II
It. Not NV fault. bur HE. Hark" a.
Never mind. That clap burst quite loud D.
ugh to be heard 'wi.hou5 fngeS pointing. 81