The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-11-25
ONE WOMAN'S FEAR OF LIGHTNING.

Well, sir, continued Mr.. McWilliams, for this
was not the beginning of his talk, the fear of
lightning is of the most distressing inirmites
a human being can be afflicted with 1t is mostly
confined TO women; but now and then YOU find it
in little dog, and sometimes in a man. 1t is
particularly distressing nfirmity, for the reason
that it takes the sand out of person to an extent
which no other fear can, and it can't be reasoned
with, and neither can it be shamed out OF person
a woman who could face the evil one himself-or
mouse-loses her grip and goes all to pieces in
front of flash Of lightning. Her fright is some
thing pitiful to see.
Well, as l was telling you, woke up, with that
smothered and unbeatable cry of Mortimer I.
Mortimer - wailing in my ears and as soon as |
could scrape my faculties together / 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 80, and such an
awful storm going On.u
"Why, how can one be ashamed while he is
asleep? 1t is unreasonable: a man can't be
ashamed when he is asleep Evangeline"
You never try, Mortimer-you know very well
you never try"
1 caught the sound of muiied sobs That sound
smote dead the sharp speech that was on my lips,
and | changed it to:
Pm sorry, dear-Pm truly sorry. I never
meant 20 act so. Come back and
"MoRTMER"
"Hoavens 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 / should think YOU
would take some little care of your life for my
sake and the childrens, if you will not for your
own
"Don't talk to me- Mortimer. You know there
is no place 50 dangerous a bed, in such a thun-
der storm this-all the books saw that vet there
you would lie and deliberately throw away your
for flra.-l 1,.,4
of arguing and arguing and"
But confound it, Evangeline, Pm not in bed
now. Pin"
TSentence interrupted bv a sudden glare Of
lightning, followed by terrified little scream
from Mrs. McWlliams and a tremendous blast of
thunder.
"There! You see the result. O Mortimer how
can you be so profigate as to swear at such time
as this?"
81 didn't swear; and that wasn't result Of it.
any way. 1t would have come Just the same, il |
hadn't said word and you know very well,
Evangelne-at least you ought to know-that
when the atmosphere is charged with cleo
tricity-u
"Oh, yes, now argue it, and argue it, and argue
1t ! don't see how you can act So when you
know that there is not a lightning rod on the
place and your poor wife and children are abso-
lutely at the mercy Of Providence. What are you
DONG? Lighting match at such time as this
Are you stark mad%'
"Hang it, woman, where's the harm? The
place is as dark the inside of an infidel and
L vi IL Out put IL out instantly Are YOU de-
termlned to sacrifice Us all? You know there is
nothing that attracts lightning like a light.
lFZt. - crash - boom - boloom-boom-boom Y
Oh, just hear it! Now you see what you have
done -
"No, don't see what I've done 4 match may
attract lightning, for all ! know but il don't
cause ightning-Ill 90 odds on that And il
didn't attract it worth cent this time; for if that
shot was leveled at my watch, it was blessed poor
ksmanship-about an average of none out Of a
possible million, should say WHY, at Dolly
mount, such craftsmanship as that
For shame, Mortimer! Here we are standing
right in the very presence of DEATH and vet i'm 50
solemn a moment you are capable of using such
language as that. If you have no desire to
Mortimer -
"Well ?'
Ibid you say your prayers tonight ~
"I-l-meant to- but got to trying to cipher
out how much twelve times thirteen is, and
FIT boom berOOm boom bumbIe- humble
bang-SAIASH
"Oh, we are lost, beyond all help! How coulC
you neglect such thing at such time as this -
'But it wasn't such a time as this Their,
wasn't a cloud in the sky How could / know
there was going to be all this rumpus and pow
WOW about a little slip like that? And / dom