Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-10-07

4
"NothinR. Just turning on the water
Thh room is smothering hot and close.
want to bathe my face and hands,"
"fou have certainly parted with the rem
nant Of your mind! Where lightning strikes
any other substance once il strikes water
fifty times. DO turn il of. Oh, dear. | am
sure that nothing in this world can save u.s.
II does seem to me that-Mortimer, what
was thatp"
at was dat was picture. Knocked
il down"
"Then you are close to the wall
never heard Of such imprudence Don't
you knor that there's no better conductor
for lightning than wall ? Come away from
there! And you came as near as anything
TO swearing, too. Oh. how can you be so
desperately wicked. and your family in such
peril Mortimer. did you order a feather
bed as asked you to do'"
NO forgot it."
"Forgot it! I, may cost you your life
If you had feather bed now, and could
spread it in the middle Of the room and lie
on it, YOU would be perfectly safe. Come
in here-come quick, before you have a
chance TO commit any more frantic indiscre-
| tons"
tried. but the little closet would not
hold US both with the door shut unless We
could be content TO smother. gasped
awhile, then forced my way out. Ny wife
called out
Mortimer. something mast be done for
your preservation. Give me that German
book that is on the end Of the mante- piece
and a candle but don't ligh, il give me
match will ligh, i, in here Tha, book
has some directions in it."
got the book-ai the cost Of a vase and
some other brittle things and the madam
shut herself up with her candle. had a
moments peace ; then she called out:
Mortimer, vha, was that"
Nothing bu, the cat"
The cat Oh, destruction, Catch her
and shut her up in the wash stand. DO be
quick. love cats are full Of electricity.
jus, know my hair will turn white with this
nights awful peris."
heard the mufsied sobbings again But
for that | should not have moved hand or
foot in such Wild enterprise in the dark.
However, l went at my sk,-over chairs
and against all sorts Of obstructions. all Of
them hard ones. too, and most OF them with
sharp edges,-and a, last | got kitty cooped
up IN the commode at an expense of over
four hundred dollars in broken furniture and
Sims. Then these muffied words came from
the closet:
at says the safest thing is to stand on
chair in the middle Of the room, Mortimer
and the legs Of the chair must be insulated
with non-conduetor,. That is, you mus, set
the legs Of the chair in glass tumblers.
lfa a'-boom-bdag t-smdsh Z Oh. hear
ybas tln hurrt N,r,,,,,..r -,
struck"
managed to find and secure the ,umblers
! got the last four-broke all the rest.
insulated the chair leg, and called for further
instructions.
Mortimer. it says, 'Wahrend zines Ge-
Writers entferne man Metallic. vie r.B, Ringe.
Chren, Schlussel, etc. Won sich und halie
sch auch nich, an solchen S,ellen auf. wo
yielc Metallic bel einander liegen, oder mi,
andern korpern ,crbunden sind. vie an Her
den, Oefen. Eisengittern u. dgl.' Wha, does
that mean. Mortimer Does i, mean tha,
YOU ma.t keep metal. about you. or keep
them array from you2'
well, hardly know. |, appears to be
a little mixed. An German advice is more
or less mixed. However, think that that
sentence is mostly in the dative case. with
little gentiye and aecusa,iye sift.d in here
and there for luck so | reckon i, mean.
that YOU must keep some metals about YOU"
"les. that must be it, it stands to reason
that II is. They are in the nature of light
ming rods. YOU know. Put on your hrcman's
helmet, Mortimer that is mostly metal"
60, il and put II on,-a very heavy and
clumsy and uncomfortable thing on hot
night in a close room. Even my nigh,-drcss
seemed to be more clothing than strictly
needed.
Mortimer, think your middle ought to
be protected. Won, YOU buckle on your
militia saber, please"
complied.
Nov, Mortimer. YOU ought to have
some way to protect your feet. DO please
put on your spurs"
81 did tin silenee-and KEEP, my temper
as well As could.
Mortimer, it SAYS 'Das Gewitter lau,en
ist sehr gefahrlich, we'll die Glocke selbst,
sowie der durch das Lauten yeranlasste
Lunzug und die Hohe des Thurmes den
Bli,x anziehen konnien.' Mortimer, does
that mean that it is dangerous not to ring
the church bells during a thunder storm"
"les, II seems 10 mean that-if that is
the pas, participle of the nominaiise case
singular, and | reckon it is. Yes, | think
II means that on account of the height of
the church tower and the absence of Luff-
rug II would be very dangerous (sehr gefdhr-
hehl not TO ring the bells in time of
storm; and, moreover, don't you see, the
very wording"
Never mind that, Mortimer don't waste
the precious time in talk. &c, the large
dinner-bell; il is right there in the hall.
Quick, Mortimer dear; we are almost safe
Oh, dear. do believe we are going to be
saved-at last,'
Our little summer establishment stands
on top Of high range Of hills overlooking
q valley. Several farm houses are in our
neghborhood. the nearest some three or
four hundred yards away
When |, mounted on the chair, had been
changing that dreadful bell a matter of
seven or eight minutes, our shutters were
suddenly torn open from without and a
brilliant bulIs-eye lantern was thrust in at
she window, followed by a hoarse inquiry:
"What in the nation is the matter here ?"
The window was full Of mems heads, and
the heads were full of eyes that stared
wildly at my night-dress and my warlike
accouterments.
uAoPPcu tbc ueii, ehipftu uoNu IlOIn
the chair in confusion. and said:
There is nothing the matter, friends
only a little discomfort on account of the
thunderstorm. ! was trying to keep of
the lightning"
Thunder Storm Lightning? Why. Mr..
McWilliams, have you lost your mind 1t
is beautiful starlight night; there has
been no storm"
looked out, and was so astonished that
could hardly speak for q while. Then
said:
u do not understand this. We distinctly
saw the glow Of the flashes through the
curtains and shutters and heard the thun-
der"
One after another those people laid down
on the ground to laugh-and two of them
died. One Of the survivors remarked:
"Pity you didn't think to open your
binds and look over to the top Of the high
hill yonder. What you heard was cannon;
what you saw was the fash. You see, the
telegraph brought some news just at mid
night; Gar6eld's nominated; and that 10
what's the natter"
Yes, Mr.. Twain, as was saying in the
beginning, (said Mr.. McWilliams,) the rules
for preserving people against lightning are