The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-01-22

NOT mucn, SAID Johnny. tried
Humpty and the comb cracked like
everything. What makes it do that ?"
81 think we'll have to study that to.
night, replied. "Where's Humpty?"
" In the kitchen. Shall call him ?"
" If you please (; bring pussy, too"
Johnny was soon back with Humpty
and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - that's pussy.
We call him Neb, for short. Then we
went into the library and put out the
lights.
How can we see what the comb
does ?" Johnny asked.
Some things can be seen in the
dark" / replied. Then 1 drew the
comb briskly through Johnny's hair,
making it snap and sparkle beautifully.
" See, | said, bringing the teeth of the
comb opposite my knuckle, "this is
what makes the snapping."
"How pretty T. Johnny cried, as the
tiny sparks flew from the comb to my
knuckle. "What is it ?"
Lightning, said 1.
Lightning In my hair ?"
Certainly" l said. Let me comb
out some more"
when 1 brought another lot of sparks
from his head.
Folks had better look out when I'm
around" said the little fellow, pomp-
ously. Mary says l make more noise
than thunderstorm sometimes 1
guess it's the lightning in me. Some
body'll get hit yet"
"Not very severely, let us hope" said
], laughing. "Suppose we try Hump
ty. Maybe he's lightning bag, too"
Sure enough, when we passed the
comb through his shaggy coat the
sparks few finely. So they did when
we rubbed him with the hand.
Lets try Neb, said Johnny :" here
he is under the sofa f; can see his
eyes,"
But Neb had no notion of being
rubbed the wrong way. AS soon as the
sparks began to show his patience gave
out, and he went off with rush.
81 guess Neb's lightning goes to his
eyes and his claws" said Johnny.
After that we tried the sheepskin rug,
Mary's muff, and several other things
of the sort, getting sparks from all of
them.
Everything seems to have lightning
in it, said Johnny.
apparently" said I, but you
can't make it show in everything alike !;
any way, not by rubbing. Try the chair
back, the table, The sofa, and such
things. Generally when two things are
rubbed together the lightning-or cleo
tricity as it is commonly called-es-
capes quickly. When it can't do that,
it accumulates-as it does in the rubber
comb-and goes off in snap when it
gets a chance. When cloud contains
more electricity than it can hold, some
of it jumps to another cloud or to the
earth, making a flash of lightning The
thunder is its prodigious snap and the
echoes of it. Are your slippers quite
dry"
ing what that had to do with lightning.
" think the furnace has been on
long enough to make the carpet. quite
dry, too" 1 said turning just glim-
mer of light on. eff it is, you can
make little thunder storm of yourself
easily"
"How ?" Johnny asked eagerly.
"Just skip around the room a few
times without taking your feet from the
carpet.
Johnny spun round like water
beetle for minute or two then ]
stopped him and told him to reach out
his forefnger. When he did so,
reached my forefinger to his, and as
the points came together snap went q
spark between them, whereat Johnny
cried, "Oh % and put his finger to his
mouth.
"Did it burn you ?"
ono" said Johnny, "but it scared
me-"
He was not so badly scared, however
but he wanted to try it again and again
while turned up the light and went OF
with my reading. BY and-by Humpty
came out from under the sofa to SCI
what was going on, and Johnny sent
spark into his nose. It didn't hur
any, though it surprised him not
little.
Wouldn't it be fun" said Johnny
"to give Mary shock ?"
"Charge yourself again." said
then come to me with your hand
down."
Johnny did as babe him, where
upon 1 stopped and kissed him on tn
mouth. 1t was his turn to be sur
prised that time.
Just then Mary came to tell the younI
lightning catcher that it was time to g
to bed.
"All right" said the little rogue
cheerily, skipping about the room
"Kiss me goodnight, Mary, but don
touch me with your hands" he said a
last, demnrely holding up his mischiey
Gus mouth.
Mary gave the kiss, and got in retur
what she didn't expect.
You little rascal - she cried
"you've got pin in your mouth"
mo 1 haven't" he said.
{" It's piece of rubber, then"
"No, it isn't rubber"
"What was it ?"
lightning" said Johnny. "See
and he skipped few times across tn
, floor, then gave her a spark from hi
finger. Then he ran off to bed, laugh
ing at Mays bewilderment.- Christta
Union.
INVISIBLE WRITING. If it be nece'