Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-09-20
Mrs. McWilliams and the
Lightning.


talk,-the fear of lightning is one of
the most distressing infrmities human
being can be afflicted with. 1t is most
ly confined to women; but Eow and
then you find it in little dog and
sometimes in man. 1t is a particu-
larly distressing infrmity, for the rea-
son that it takes the sand out of per-
son to an extent which no other fear
can, and it can't be reasoned with, and
neither can it be shamed out of a per-
son. A woman who could face the very
devil himself-or a mouse-loscs her
grip and goes all to pieces in front of
fash of lightning. Her fright is some
thing pitifal to see.
Well, as l was telling you, woke
up, with that smothered and unlocata-
BILE cry of Mortimer Mortimer p
wailing in my ears and as soon as l
could scrape my faculties together l
reached over in the dark and then
said,-
"Evangeline, is that you calling?
What is the matter ? Where are you ?"
"Shut up in the boot-closet. You
ought to be ashamed to lie there and
sleep so, and such an awful storm going
on"
"Why, how can any one be ashamed
when he is asleep? 1t is unreasonable !;
man can't be ashamed when he is
asleep, Evangeline."
"You never try, Mortimer,-you know
very well you never try"
caught the sound of mufled sobs.
That sound smote dead the sharp
speech that was on my lips, and chang
ed it to
'l'm sorry, dear,-1'm truly sorry.
never meant to act so. Come back
and"-
Mortimer p
Heavens what is the matter, my
love ?"
"Do you mean to say you are in that
bed yet?''
"Why, of course
"Come out of it instantly. l should
think you would take some little care
of your life, for my sake and the chill
dren's if you will not for your owu."
"But my love-
Don't talk to me, Mortimer. You
know there is no place so dangerous as
as bed, in such q thunderstorm as this,
all the books say that yet there you
would lie, and deliberately throw away
your hfe,-for goodness knows what,
unless for the sake of arguing and argu-
ing, and"-
but, confound it, Evangaline, I'm
not in the bed, now. I'm"-
Sentence interrupted by a sudden
glare of lightning, followed by terri.
fed little scream from Mrs. McWilliams
and tremendous blast of thunder.
There You see the result Oh
Mortimer, how can you be SO profigate
as to swear at such time as this 2"
81 didn't swear. And that wasn't q
result of it, anyway. 1t would have
come, just the same, if l hadn't said {
word; and You know very well, Evange
line,-at least you ought to know
that when the atmosphere is charged
with electricity
"Oh, yes, now argue it, and argue it
and argue it IL don't see how you car
act so, when you know there is not
lightning-rod OF the place. and you
poor wife and children are absolutely a
the mercy of Providence. What are 70,
doing Fighting a match at such /;
time as this Are you stark mad ?"
Hang it, woman, where's the harm
The place is as dark as the iuside of al
in6del, and
"Put it out put it out instantly
Are you determined to sacrifice us all
You know there is nothing attracts light
ming light light. Fst l-crash
boon'-6OIoona-6oom-booms =! Oh, just hea
it! Now you see what you've done l''
"No, don't see what I've done.
match may attract lightning, for all
know, but it don't cause lightning
I'll 60 odds on that. And it didn't at
tract it worth cent this time; for i
that shot was leveled at my match, i
was blessed poor marksmanship,-abou
an average of none out of possible
million, | should say. Why, at Dolly
mount, such craftsmanship as that"
>''For shame, Mortimer Here W
are standing right in the very presenc
of death, and yet in SO solemn a mo
ment you are capable of using such Ian
guage as that If you have no desir
to-Mortimer p
Well %
"Did you say your prayers tonight {?
"l-l-meant to, but 1 got to tryin
to cipher out how much twelve time
thirteen is, and''-
| Fst!-boom-berroom-6oone r bumM,
una6Le ba7ag-Smash!1
| "Oh, We are lost, beyond all help
How could you neglect such thing q
1 oh a