Our Little British Isles Cousins: English, Irish, Scotch

OUR LITTLE IRISH COUSIN As she finished speaking, there was a blinding flash of lightning. It was almost instantly followed by a peal of thunder which shook the little cabin again and again.

Norah’s mother made the sign of the cross upon her breast, and her lips moved in prayer. Every one was silent as flash after flash of bright light came through the window, and one peal of thunder followed close upon another.

It was a good half-hour before the storm began to die away.

“Yes, the rain comes often in these parts, and thunderstorms are a common matter in the summer time,” said Mrs. O’Neil, when they fell to talking again.

“That is one of the reasons why I don’t like jauntingcars,” said her lady visitor. “They have no covering, and in a sudden rain there is no way of keeping dry.”

“Wheniver the lightning comes as it did a few minutes ago,” said Mrs. O’Neil, “it makes me think of a story told by me father, God rest his sowl.

“There was once a man working in his garden. It began to thunder, and the man was scared. He put his head through a hole in the wall. ‘God save whativer is out of me.’

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