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THE
RAINBOW,
AFTER
The Thunder-Storm.
PRINTED FOR FRANCIS WESTLEY,
STATIONERS'-COURT, LUDGATE-HILL.
1823.
Peterboro'-court, Fleet-street, London.
THE RAINBOW,
AFTER
THE THUNDER-STORM.
JULIA and her mamma resided chieflyin London. Owing to indisposition thefamily were a little way from home for thebenefit of the air. In consequence of that,Julia and her mamma were frequentlywalking out. One summer's evening theyhad extended their walk to an unusual[4]length, when suddenly the clouds gathered,and distant thunder indicated an approachingstorm. They were a great way fromany house, but hurried to the nearest onefor shelter. It was a large brick-built house,with a court-yard, inclosed by a high wall.At the iron gate was a servant, with a pitcherin her hand, taking some milk of a manwho stood by. Julia's mamma went up toher, and said, "Will you be so obliging asto let us have a shelter from the storm?It appears likely to be very severe." Theservant replied, "I am very sorry, ma'am,but it is not in my power; my master andmistress are not at home, and they havegiven me orders not to admit any stranger."
There was no time to hesitate; immediatelythey proceeded to an unfinishedhouse they recollected to have seen; itwas a quarter of a mile distant. Almostbreathless with fatigue, they arrived; thewash-house door was standing open, theyentered, and thought themselves happy inhaving so good a shelter. "Oh," saidJulia, "how cruel it was in that youngwoman to refuse to let us go into the house!I would not have done so." "Then," repliedher mamma, "you would have done wrong;[5]however painful it must have been to her,to refuse was no more than her duty as afaithful servant."
Every minute the lightning became morevivid, and the thunder appeared to bebursting over their heads. "Oh, mamma,"said Julia, "how awful this is!" "Yes,it is indeed, my dear," said her mamma;"God thundereth marvellously with hisvoice; great wonders doeth he, which wecannot comprehend." "This is a storm,"r