OUR house was far enough away from the barn to prevent the shock of the thunderbolt from disabling us for longer than a moment or two. Merton had fallen off his chair, but was on his feet almost instantly; the other children were soon sobbing and clinging to my wife and myself. In tones that I sought to render firm and quiet, I said:

"No more of this foolish fear. We are in God's hands, and He will take care of us. Winifred, you must rally and soothe the children, while Merton and I go out and save what we can. All danger to the house is now over, for the worst of the storm has passed."

In a moment my wife, although very pale, was re-assuring the younger children, and Merton and I hurried from the house.

"Lead the horse out of the basement of the barn, Merton," I cried, "and tie him securely behind the house. If he wont go readily, throw a blanket over his eyes."

I spoke these words as we ran through the torrents of rain that followed the tremendous concussion produced by the lightning.

I opened the barn doors and saw that the hay was on fire. There was not a second to lose, and excitement doubled my strength. The load of hay on the wagon had not yet caught. Although almost stifled with sulphurous smoke, I seized the

shafts and backed the wagon with its burden out into the rain. Then seizing a fork, I pushed and tossed off the load so that I could draw our useful market vehicle to a safe distance. There were a number of crates and baskets in the barn, also some tools, and so on. These I had to lose. Hastening to the basement, I found that Merton had succeeded in leading the horse away. There was still time to smash the window of the poultry-room and toss the chickens out into the rain. Our cow, fortunately, was in the meadow by the creek.

By this time, Mr. Jones and Junior were on the ground, and they were soon followed by Rollins, Bagley, and others. There was nothing to do now, however, but to stand aloof and witness the swift destruction. After the first great gust had passed, there was fortunately but little wind; and the flames were prevented from spreading by the heavy down-pour. In this we stood, scarcely heeding it in the excitement of the hour. After a few moments, I hastened to assure my trembling wife and crying children that the rain made the house perfectly safe, and that they were in no danger at all. Then I called to the neighbors to come and stand under the porch-roof.

From this point we saw a great pyramid of fire and smoke ascending into the black sky. The rain-drops glittered like fiery hail in the intense light of the fire and the still vivid flashes of lightning. "This is hard luck, neighbor Durham," said Mr. Jones, with a long breath.

"My wife and children are safe," I replied, quietly.

Then we heard the horse neighing and tugging at its halter. Bagley had the good sense and will to pull off his coat, tie it around the animal's eyes, and lead it some distance away from the flames, with their fatal fascination.

In a very brief space of time, the whole structure, with my summer crop of hay, gathered with so much labor, sank down into glowing, hissing embers. I was glad to have the ordeal over, for I had feared that the wind might rise again. Now I was assured of the extent of our loss, as well as of its certainty.

"Well, well," said the warm-hearted and impulsive Rollins; "when you are ready to build again, your neighbors will give you a lift. By converting Bagley into a decent fellow, you 've made all our barns safer, and we owe you a good turn. He was worse than lightning."

I expressed my thanks, adding, "This is n't so bad as you think; the barn was insured."

"Well, now, that 's sensible," said Mr. Jones; "I'll sleep better for that fact, and so will you, Robert Durham. You were wise in time, and you 'll make a go of it here yet. I'm sure o' that."

"I'm not in the least discouraged," I answered; "far worse things might have happened. I've noticed in my paper that a great many barns have been struck this summer, so my experience is not unusual. The only thing to do is to meet such things patiently and make the best of them. So long as the family is safe and well, outside matters can be remedied. Thank you, Mr. Bagley," I continued, addressing him, as he now led forward the horse. "You had your wits about you. The old horse will have to stand under the shed to-night."

"Well, Mr. Durham, the harness is still on him, all 'cept the head-stall; and he 's quiet now." "Yes," I replied, "in our haste we did n't throw off the harness before the shower, and it has turned out very well."

"I tell ye what it is, neighbors," said practical Mr. Jones; "t is n't too late for Mr. Durham to plant a big lot of fodder-corn, and that 's about as good as hay. We'll turn to and help him get in

a lot."

This was agreed to heartily, and one after another they wrung my hand and departed, Bagley jogging in a companionable way down the road with Rollins, whose chickens he had stolen, but had already paid for. I looked after them and thought: "Well, I have not lost my barn in the way some thought at one time I might. As Rollins suggested, I'd rather take my chances with the lightning than with a vicious neighbor. Bagley acted the part of a good friend to-night."

Then seeing that we could do nothing more, Merton and I entered the house. I clapped the boy on the shoulder as I said:

"You acted like a man in the emergency, and I'm proud of you. To see a young fellow at his best is almost worth the cost of a barn."

My wife came and put her arm around my neck as she said:

"You bear up bravely, Robert, but I fear you are discouraged at heart. To think of such a loss, just as we were getting started!" and there were tears in her eyes.

"Yes," I replied, "it will be a heavy loss for us, and a great inconvenience, but it might have been much worse. Let us all sit down, and I'll tell you something. You see my training in business led me to think of the importance of insurance, and to know the best companies. As soon as the property became yours, Winifred, I insured the buildings for nearly all they were worth. The hay and the things in the barn at the time will prove a total loss; but it is a loss that we can stand and almost make good before winter. I tell you honestly that we have no reason to be discouraged. We shall soon have a better barn than the one lost; for, by good planning, a better one can be

built for the money that I shall receive. So we will thank God that we all are safe ourselves, and go quietly to sleep."

With the passing of the storm, the children had become quiet, and soon we lost in slumber all thought of danger and loss.

In the morning, the absence of the barn made a great gap in our familiar outlook, and brought many and serious thoughts; but with the light came renewed hopefulness. All the scene was flooded with glorious sunlight, and only the blackened ruins made the frightful storm of the previous evening seem possible. Nearly all the chickens came at Winnie's call, looking draggled and forlorn indeed, but practically unharmed and ready to resume their wonted cheerful clucking after an hour in the sunshine. We fitted up for them the old coop in the orchard, and a part of the ancient and dilapidated barn which was to have been used for corn-stalks only. The drenching rain had saved this and the adjoining shed from destruction, and now in our great emergency they proved useful indeed.

The trees around the site of the barn were blackened and their foliage burnt to a crisp. Within the stone foundations the smoke from the still smoldering débris rose sluggishly. I turned away from it all, saying:

"Let us worry no more over that spilled milk. Fortunately the greater part of our crates and baskets were under the shed. Take the children and pick over the raspberry patches carefully once more, while I go to work in the garden. That has been helped rather than injured by the storm, and, if we take good care of it, will give us plenty of food for the winter. Work there will revive my spirits."

The ground was too wet for the use of the hoe, but there was plenty of weeding to be done, while I answered the questions of neighbors who came to offer their sympathy. I also looked around to see what could be sold, feeling the need of securing every dollar possible. I found much that was hopeful and promising. The lima-bean vines had covered the poles, and toward their base the pods were filling out. The ears on our early corn were fit to pull, the beets and onions had attained a good size; the early peas had given place to turnips, winter cabbages and celery; there were plenty of green melons on the vines, and more cucumbers than we could use. The pods on the firstplanting bush-beans were too mature for further use, and I resolved to let them stand till sufficiently dry to be gathered and spread in the attic. All that we had planted had done, or was doing, fairly well, for the season had been moist enough to insure a good growth. We had been using new potatoes

since the first of the month, and now I saw that the vines were so yellow that all in the garden could be dug at once and sold. They would bring in some ready money, and I learned from my garden book that I could still sow on the cleared spaces the strap-leaved turnips, and they would have time to

mature.

After all, my strawberry-beds gave me the most hope. There were hundreds of young plants already rooted, and still a greater number lying loosely on the ground; so I spent almost the whole morning in weeding these out and pressing the young plants on the ends of the runners into the moist soil, having learned that with such treatment they form roots and become established in a very few days.

After dinner, Mr. Jones appeared with his team and heavy plow, and we selected an acre of upland meadow where the sod was light and thin.

"This will give a fair growth of young cornleaves," he said, "by the middle of September. By that time you'll have a new barn up, I s'pose; and after you have cut and dried the corn, you can put a little of it into the mows in place of the hay. The greater part will keep better if stacked outdoors. A horse will thrive on such fodder almost as well as a cow, 'specially if ye cut it up and mix some bran-meal with it. We'll sow the corn in drills a foot apart, and you can spread a little manure over the top of the ground after the seed is in. This ground is a trifle thin; a top-dressin' will help it 'mazin'ly."

Merton succeeded in getting several crates of raspberries, but said that two or three more pickings would finish them. Since the time we had begun to go daily to the landing, we had sent the surplus of our vegetables to a village store, with the understanding that we could trade out the proceeds. We thus had accumulated a little balance in our favor against which we could draw in groceries and other requisites.

On the evening of this day I took the crates to the landing, and found a purchaser for my garden potatoes, at a dollar a bushel. I also made arrangements at a summer boarding-house for the sale of our spring chickens, our sweet corn, tomatoes, and some other vegetables, as fast as we had them to spare. Now that our income from raspberries was about to cease, it was essential to make the most of everything else on the place that would bring money, even if we had to deny ourselves. It would not do for us to say: "We can use this or that ourselves." The question to be decided was, whether, if such a thing were sold, the proceeds would not go further toward our support than the things themselves. If this should be true of sweet corn, lima-beans, and even the melons, on which

the children had set their hearts, we must be chary in consuming them ourselves. This I explained in such a way that all except Bobsey saw the wisdom, or, rather, the necessity of it. As yet, Bobsey's tendencies were those of a consumer, and not a producer or saver.

Rollins and one or two others came the next day, and, with Bagley's help, the corn for fodder was soon in the ground.

I was now eager to begin the setting of the strawberry plants in the field where we had put potatoes, but the recent heavy shower had kept the latter still green and growing. During the first week in August, however, I found that they had attained a good size, and I then began to dig long rows on the upper side of the patch, selling in the village, each week, several barrels of potatoes.

We had now dispensed with Bagley's services, a good word from me having secured him work elsewhere. I found that I could not make arrangements for rebuilding the barn before the last of August, and we now began to take a little of the rest we so needed. Our noonings were two or three hours long. Merton and Junior had time for a good swim every day, while the younger children were never weary of wading in the shallows. I insisted, however, that they should never remain long in the water at any one time, and now and then we all took a grain or two of quinine to fortify our systems against any malarial influences that might be lurking about at this season.

The children were also permitted to make expeditions to the mountain-sides for huckleberries and blackberries; and as a result, we often had these wholesome fruits on the table, while my wife canned the surplus for winter use. A harvest apple-tree also began to be one of the most popular resorts, and delicious pies made the dinner-hour more welcome than ever. The greater part of the apples were sold, however, and this was true also of the lima-beans, sweet corn, and melons. My account-book showed that our income was still running well ahead of our expenses.

Bobsey and Winnie had to receive another touch of discipline, and learn another lesson from experience. I had marked with my eye a very large, perfect musk-melon, and had decided that it should be kept for seed. They, too, had marked it; and one morning, thinking themselves unobserved, they carried it off to the seclusion of the raspberry bushes, proposing a selfish feast by themselves.

Merton caught a glimpse of the little marauders, and followed them. They had cut the melon in two, and found it as green and tasteless as a pumpkin. He made me laugh as he described their dismay

and disgust, then their fears and forebodings. The latter were soon realized, for seeing me in the distance, he beckoned. As I approached, the children stole out of the bushes, looking very guilty.

Merton explained, and I said:

"Very well, you shall have your melon for dinner, and nothing else. I intend you shall enjoy this melon fully. So sit down under yonder tree and each of you hold half the melon till I release you. You have already learned that you can feast your eyes only.

There they were kept, hour after hour, each holding a half of the green melon. The dinnerbell rang, and they knew that we had ripe melons and green corn; while nothing was given them but a little bread and water. Bobsey howled and Winnie sobbed, but my wife and I agreed that such tendencies toward dishonesty and selfishness merited a lasting lesson, and they received one. At supper they were as hungry as little wolves; and as I explained that the big melon had been kept for seed, and that if it had been left to ripen they should have had their share, they felt that they had cheated themselves completely.

"Don't you see, children," I concluded, "that to act honestly is not only right, but that it is always best for us in the end."

Then I asked: "Merton, what have the Bagley children been doing since they stopped picking raspberries for us?"

"I'm told they 've been gathering blackberries and huckleberries in the mountains, and selling them."

"That's promising. Now I wish you to pick out a good-sized water-melon and half a dozen muskmelons, and I'll leave them at Bagley's cottage to-morrow night as I go down to the village. In old times they would have stolen our crop; now they shall share in it."

When I delivered the present the following evening, the children welcomed the gift with many exclamations of delight, and Bagley himself was touched.

"I hear good accounts of you and your children," I said, "and I'm glad of it. Save the seeds of these melons and plant a lot for yourself. By the way, Bagley, we'll plow your garden for you this fall, and you can put a better fence around it. If you 'll do this, I'll share my garden seeds with you next spring, and you can raise enough on that patch of ground to help support your family."

"I'll take you up!" cried the man, "and I'm thankful to ye."

"God bless you and Mrs. Durham!" added his "Now we 're beginning to live like human

wife. beings."