The idea is that the evil
power will not strike the dwelling of those who put up a sign that their
habitation is blessed. These bottles on the chimney-tops puzzled me
greatly, until at length I inquired the reason why they were there.
There was to me something exceedingly grand and elevating in this storm
that raged upon the hilltop, while the bell in the open tower, tossing like
a cask on the sea, proclaimed over all the house-tops and the fields the
fierceness of the struggle between the celestial guardians of the church
and village, and the demons that thronged the air. I felt that I might
never have such an opportunity as this again, and wished to make the most
of it. The cobbler nearly lost his temper at seeing me so wickedly elated.
Perhaps he thought that I might draw down a judgment upon myself, and that
he ran some risk of being included in it for having harboured me. He not
only looked frightened, but frankly owned that he was afraid. He was one
of those men--of whom I have known several--who can never overcome their
horror of a thunderstorm. At length the storm began to move off and the
bell stopped ringing; then the cobbler became quite cheerful.
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