St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-12-04
u Involuntary Balloon VOyage.
AN AMERICAN TRUE STORY.

Just ten years ago there suddenly
burst upon the western world magniti-
cent stranger from foreign parts, ''with
all his travelling glories on" 1t was
the great comet of 1857, on the grand
tour of the universe.
1t seemed strange that petty human
life could 90 on as usual, with its eating
and drinking, toiling, tratficking and
pleasuring, while that Flaming minister
on his billion lea2ued circuit, was preach
ing the wonders of infinite lmmensity and
power, and the nothingness Of earth.
The comet no longer runs his kindling
race, like Nich Alpine's henchman, with
his fiery crest announcing war and disas-
ter,
Herald of battle, fate and fear.
He is on his business, not ours.
Under the tail Of this particular comet,
doubtless many tale of love was told
in the light of his swift splendors many
Il tender look exchanged. The astrono-
mer coolly swept the starry field with
his glass unawed by the irregular night
guard patrolling the heavens, and the
murderer disdains the awful witness. He
left us as he found us joined to our
mortal idols, wise in our own conceit,
weak and worldly, and wicked, but no
castaways of the universe after all.
We remember that comet-summer, not
So much for its great astronomical event
as for two singular incidents that more
nearly touched our human sympathieS,
wLichswill grovel in poor earthly affairs,
even within sight OF the most august
celestial phenomena.
One pleasant Saturday afternoon
during the comets appearance, All Tro-
naut, after Il prosperous voyage, descend
ed upon ii farm i'll the ncighborhood OF II
large market town i'll one of the Western
States. He was soon surrounded by a
curious group of the farmers family, and
laborers, all asking eager questions about
the voyage and management of the bal
loon. That secured by an anchor and a
rope in the hand of the ;rrUnant. its car
but foot or two above the ground, was
swaying laZily backward and forward in
the evening air. 1t wa, Il good deal out
of wind, and was Il sleepy and innocent
monster in the eyes OF the farmer, who,
with the owners permission, led it up to
his house, where, as he SAID he could
hitch it to his fence. But before he thus
secured ii, his three children aged respect
!Nciy ten, eight and three, begged him to
lit them Unto that big basket thai
they might sit on those pretty red
cushions" While the attention OF the
rronaut was diverted by more curiou:
questionar- from a neighboring farm
tins rash father lifted his darlings one by
one into the car. Chubby little Johnny
proved the "Uuncc too much" for til,
;rral camel and brought him to th
ground and then unluckiiv, not the baby
but the oldest hope of the family wa:
lifted out. The rellet WAS too great TO
, the monster The volatile creature
spirits rose at once, he .Jerked his halter
out OF the farmers hand, and with ;
wild bound mounted into the all Vain
was the aronauts anchor. 1t caugh
for moment in "a fence, but it tor,
away and WAS oil, dangling uSelessly
, , after the runaway balloon, which :,
swiftly and steadily rose that in 4 tey
minutes those two little white face,
peering over the edge OF the car grew
: : indistinct, and those piteous cries o
Papa :" Mamma - grew faint an
fainter up in the air.
When distance and twilight mists ha,
swallowed up voices and faces, and moth
ing could be seen but the dark crue
: : shape, sailing triumphantly away, witt
., ! its precious booty, like an aerial privateer
! the poor father sank down helpless; bu
the mother, frantic with grief, sti
stretched her yearning arms toward til
l inexorable heavens, and called wildly "
u into the unanswering void.
The ;rronaut strove to console til
wretched parents with the asSuranc
that ths balloon would descend within
y thirty miles of the town, and that a
i might be well with the children, provide
u u it did not come down in the water or i
Il the deep woods. In the event of ii
II descending in favorable spot, it wa
thought that the older child might ste
l. out, leaving the younger in the BALBOA
Then it might again arise and continu
II its voyage.
e "Ah, no, replied the mother, "Jenni
II would never stir from the car withol
o Johnny in her arms ~
/ The balloon passed directly over til
II market town, and the children seeil
D." many people in the streets stretched o.
Is their hands and called loudly tor hel
20 But TIE villagers, though they saw IL
y bright little hands, heard no call.
III Amazed at the strange apparitiol
Is they might have thought the translate
E. little creatures small angel navigator
Is ON some voyage Of discovery, some lit
as cherubic venture of their own. as hea
as ing towards the rosy cloudlands al
e. purple islands of sunset splendor, th
e sailed deeper and deeper into the we
IL and faded away.
'h Some company they had, poor lit
NJ, ne skywaits Something comiorted the
and allayed their wild terrors-som
'ol thing whispered them that below t
. night and clouds was home that abo
was God: that wherever they mig
drift Or clash, living or dead, they wou
ng still be in His domain and under his ca
no that though borne away among t
az stars, they could not be lost, for His 10
az would follow them.
g When the sunlight all went away a
X, the great comet came blazing out, lit
sze Johnny was apprehensive that the con
liy might come too near their airy craft, Il
he sat If nm fire with a whisk of its dread
tail. But when his sister assured Ii