Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-10-17
MISCELLANY.
From Chambers Jotrna
MIR. Browns last Ascent.


One fine summer morning, few years SINCE
there was wonderful excitement IN the lF'sn VII
laqe of Ballydooley. All the idle men, women
and children in the neighborhood-cothPre Prene"u-
ior ahout nine tenths OF the pOpulatlon-were as
sembed on the large level common wh'cn served
,s a race course and balling green; and all
tbronped towards some object in the centre,
which formed the nucleus of the crowd.
eyes then. what's the name of 1t at all, at
all q, demanded one ragged gossoon 49,,
"Is it tied 10 the tail Of it he's going to 60 up
asked another.
"Ab don't be foolish!" exclaimed an old man.
tho s.sense carrier'' of the dstrict don't ye see
the lone ropes he's going to hold on by e
"Wen. well!" groahed an old woman taking
her dudesn. or short black pipe, out of her mouth
and striking it, lighted as it was, within the folds
of her cross-ba barred cotton neckerchlei "them
Enolish are mighty quare people, Pm sure, when
we heard that this Mr.. Brown, with his sacks OF
cold was coming to Ritclarm, after buying out
the old stock of the Desays,we thought he'd nave
CARRIAGES and horses galore, and may be hne
Yacht in the harbor but it never entered the
lads of any of MS that nothing less would serve
him than going coursing through the air, ike
wild ooose. at the tail of ballone, or whatsomeVer
they call It." ra-.; a.
For some time past the process of initiating the
balloon had been going on and now the great
caily-painted orb lowered tremulOusly ABOVE the
heads of the gaping spectators, and pressing "a
qainst the cords by which 1t was held down. II
seemed only to await the arrival OF the ooia @fo-
uaut to dart upwards on It's way
"Here he isl" exclaimed the outward strag-
olers of the crowd and presently large carriage
| drew up, and out stepped MIR. Brown, the Eng
-. LII o1,, IRISH
landed proprietor. Mr.. Brown was little dap
p4r man. whom very small amount of pugilistlc
/ force would have sufficed to lay level with the
soil of his adoption He was one Of those unlucky
individuals who meet an accident at every lurn,-
who. in entering room, invariably slip, stumble,
| knock down some piece of furniture, or SIT down
beside chair instead of upon it. lie seldom es-
capped upSetling his inkstand: sending his meat
and drink the ''wrnng way" aud then coughing
and choking for half an hour; cutting his nngers
tearing his coat ur knocking his forehead against
door, So that he rarely appeared in society Without
scars. plasterS or bandages. In practising gym
uastics he had knocked out three teeth; IN yacht
inr at Cowes. he had been four times nearly
drowned in shooting on the moors In Scotland,
he had LETT the guuse unharmed. but had blown
off two of his own fingers A taste for pyrotechny
had sinped handsomely his eyebrows, hair, and
whiskers and as to railway travelling, his halr-
| breadth Escapes and moving accidents, amld col
lsiuns upSe,S. and explosions, would have served
two or three handsome orange colored volumes OF
the English Itail,cGy Library or the French 6'0-
iolheque des Chemias de Fer
At length. having tried the three clemens OIL
earth. water. and fire, it occurred to Hlr. brown
that the remaining one of air, as medium oi 10
comoton, might be more agreeable, and could not
be more 3erlI0uS, than the others lie accolu'hg
ly, the year before when residing on MS estate III
Doyenshire, had purchased an eXceneht oailooh,
and strange to say, had made several aSceh'S' a"u
had come down in perfect safety. Oh 'h'S occa -,
sion. he medtated flight over the Green Isle, ana
intended TO come down at Belfast; but the best
informed members of the crowd asserted lhat lie
was going every step of the way to AmerliKy.,
A London paper friend, who had come TO Ire
land on a fishing excursion, had promised TO JOIN
MIR. Brown in his flight; but. as it would seem,
his courage failed, and he came not. In nowlse
discouraged, however Mr.. Brown was just about
to step into his AERIAL car, when tall strongly
hnilt man suddenly stepped forward, and politely
saluting the aronaut, said May ask question,
sir 2"
Certainly" =,
"Is it true that you are going to America g,
"No: merely " Belfast, wind and weather
permitting, 1900. :, mr.Do
Belfast" repeated the stranger IN nusin9
r,.rner-" "tbe north of Ireland. Well. that is
inst the direction towards which want to go'and
/ hate land travelling. Will you, sir, accept me
as companion 2" /,
Mr.. Brown hesitated for moment; but as ne
really wished for some one to accompany him, ht
saw no serious objection to the plan. and accord
inuly signed his acquiescence. remarklng to tn'
stranger, that his costume seemed too light tr
the regions of cold air which they would have II
traverse.
"Bah ~ was the reply, 81 have passed through
more changes of climate thaR that land an happily
very robust.'