Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-03-29
CHATTER xiii.

surrounded by halo OF llre anu IhaV n0
saw strange-looking devils In the light.
CHATTER XIII.
THE HOUSE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING,
In the last chapter mention was MADE
of O. belated traveller who; approaching
the village through the woods, saw the
Hillary cabin surrounded by unholy
light. and also saw in the light d wall OF
demons dancing around it: They were
Of fantastic shape, and yet here ana there
were voluptuOus limbs which would nave
been a temptation for st. Anthony APP
pcaring here and there like an Oft-recur-
ling thread in loom, appeared q round
ed arm or d delicately curved legJ the
shadow of the outline of woman's
breast and above in the darkness
woman's face. These would pass in
circle around the cabin, and in their
place would appear the shriveled forms
of hags, and the fendish faces OF demons.
All wore themselves into supple dance
in which voluptuous forms and devillsh
shapes were curiously interminglcd. 1t
was veritable dance Of the evil ono
and his victims. The sight struck the
traveller with awe, and he stopped be-
meath an elm tree which grew by the
brook to watch it. For full minute
the light lasted and then the stranger
continued his journey.
Just as he approached the cabin ne
heard roll Of thunder and saw flash
of lightning. AS he emerged from the
forest and wended his way down the
village street he saw that house at the
other end was ablaze with fire. With a
cry of "fre" he sprang forward and ran
with all speed to the burning house. The
villagers. awakened by the cry, left their
comfortable beds and followed. inc
house to which their steps were directed
was the parsonage, and it had been
struck by lightning.
When the stranger arrived he tollnd
| that the minister and his family had
rushed from their burning home, ana
that the former was already busy saving
the most valuable of his possessions.
Tho wife with her two children stood
shiyerIng beneath tree, from which
great drops of water fell now and then,
gazing with agonizing looks upon their
home, but seemingly unable to lend a
| helping hand
Even in his haste to reach and assist
the minister, who was making quick
visits to the house, the stranger noticed
that the mother pressed one child moro
closely to her side than the other. 1t
was Achsah, who had been torn from
her bed where she had been suffering
from her nervousness, but now not a
race of her disorder appeared She
looked like one just brought back to life
There were traces of ill-health in hel
face, but her countcnance had under
gone change. The old querulous look
had disappeared and in its place a look
of returning health had come. Hcl
recent illness had been cured in an In
slant, and she stood beneath the dripping
tree stronger than she had been fol
years.
Either by the flash of lightning or b!
the tragedy in the cabin in the woods
she had been cured. and, strange as 1
was, her attacks never occurred again.
For an hour the pioneers WORKED
dragging out the minister's furniture
and then stood around while the las
beams of the unhappy home fell into TIN
Goals below and were consumed. Da.
had not yet begun to break when th
homeless family was taken to neighbor
ing houses and the village returned t
their beds. In the confusion the strang
er was not noticed, and none missed hin
when he disappeared from the crowd.