On entering, I found Francis sitting on his mother's bed, telling her the story of the lightning, of the wire which was called _a conductor_, of the figs that he was going to gather for her, and that papa had called him--little Francis--_the preserver of the whole family_.

Having briefly explained to them the results of Francis's fortunate device, I procured some raw potato to apply to Ernest's hand, which still gave him great pain, and bathed my wife's foot with some _eau d'arquebusade_, which I procured from my medicine-chest; here I also met with some laudanum, a few drops of which I infused into the lemonade, wishing her to sleep till her sons returned.

She soon was in a sweet slumber; the boys followed her example, and I was left alone with my anxieties; happy, however, to see them at rest after such an evening of agitation.
The hours passed, still my children returned not.

I was continually at the window, listening for their steps or the sound of their voices; I heard only the rain falling in torrents, the waves breaking against the rocks, and the wind howling frightfully.

I could not help thinking of the danger they ran, having twice to cross the river, which was doubtless swoln by the rain.