The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-02-02

u, MUNRUE CUUNI1,
and hear something of what was going
forward.
Mr.. Rice was there, and three gentle
men with him, namely Colonel Steward,
Captain Crawford and Sydney Baird,
Esq They were fine handsome looking
gentlemen, all three-especially Sydney
Baird, Esq, who was, as I have been
told play writer, and one of the clever
est men of the day I was going to
draw back when I saw them sitting there
with their wine and cigars; but they would
have me in to take glass of port, and
shook hands with me all round as polite
as possible, and treated me as handsome
as any gentlemen could.
"Here's health and success to you, my
brave fellow" says Colonel Stewart, "and
a pleasant trip to US all!' and then I
found that they were going up in the car
with Mr.. Staines. -
And now, what with their light cheer
full ways and pleasant talking, and what
with the glass Of wine that l had taken,
and the excitement, and the hum of vol
ces from the crowd outside, was in first
rate spirits, and as impatient to be off as
racer at the starting point Presently
one of the gentlemen looked at his
watch. Oh
"What are we waiting for?" said he.
''It is ten minutes past six, already"
And so it was. Ten minutes past the
hour, and Grifiths had not yet been seen
or heard of. Well, Mr.. Rice grew very
uneasy, and the crowd very .noisy, and so
twenty minutes more went by. Then we
made up our minds to go without him,
and Mr.. Rice made o little speech and
explained it to the people; and then there
was cheer, and great bustle; and the
gentlemen took their seats in the car; and
a hamper full of champagne and cold
chicken was put in with them; and I wa.
made fast by one leg to the base of the
trapeze; and Mr.. Staines was just abou,
to get in himself and give the signal to
cut loose, when who should we see fore.
ing his way through the crowd but Grif.
Gths.
Of course there was another cheer at
this, and delay of eight or ten minutes
more while he was dressing. . Al. last he
came, and it was now just quarter tc
seven o'clock. He looked very suller
when he found that he was to be the un.
dermost; but there was no time to change
anything now, even ii I had been willing
SO his left wrist and my right were bound
together by leathern strap, the signal
was given, the band struck up, the crowd
applauded like mad, and the balloon rose
straight above the heads of the people:
Down sank the trees and the fountains
aud the pavement of upturned faces
down sank the roof of the theatre, enc
fainter grew the sound of the hurrahine
: and the music. The sensation was sc
strange that, for the first moment, T wa
forced to close my eyes, aud felt as if ]
must fall and be dashed to pieces. Blu
that soon passed away, aud by, the tim,
we had risen to about three hundred fee
r I was as comfortable as if had beer
born and bred in the air with my heat
downwards. aos ~.:.
Presently we began our performances
Grifiths was as cool as possible-I nev
er saw him cooler--and we went through
every conceivable attitude; now swinging
by our hands, now by our feet, nov
t throwing summersaults one over the 9th
err And during the whole of this tim
8 the streets and squares seemed to sinl
I away to the rigbl, and the noises frou
! the living world died on the air--and, a
I turned and sluug, changing my position
t with every minute, I caught strange fit
: ting glimpses of the sunset and the city
: the sky and the river, the gentlemen lean
q ing over the car and the tiny passenger
7 swarming down below like ants on an ant
9 hill. ,
p Then the gentlemen grew tired o
: leaning over. and began to talk an
+ laugh, and busy themselves over thei
0 hamper, then the Surrey hills DIRE,
It nearer, and the city sank away to th
u right, farther ard farther Then ther
$ were nothing but green fields with line
3 of railway crossing them here and there
and presently it grew quite damp an
s misty, and we ceased to see anything ez
9 cept through breaks and openings in til
Q clouds. f-5fl+FI fi.q
Q "Come, john" says I, "our. share c
g this business is. done. =. Don't you thin
4 we might as well be getting into th
n carp" s-i +
u he was hanging below just then, hold
70 ing on by my two hands, and had bee
a hanging SO for quite some" minutes. II
q didn't seem to hear ME; and no wonde
q for the clouds were gathering about us s
thickly, that even the voices of the ger
!" tlemen up above grew mutfled, and
st could hardly see for q yard before me i
d any direction, So / called to him agai
1t and repeated the question.
o. He made no answer, bat shifted b
r grasp from my hand to my wrist, an
then up to the middle of my arm, SO rails
r. ing himself by degrees. till our faces cam
70 nearly onIa level. There he paused, an