The Shasta courier., 1868-12-12

ana then that quaint little supplement tary
prayer:
Now lay me down to sleep,
pray the Lord my soul to keep;
II should die before wake ems rs.
pray the Lord my soul to take ~
There God heard that, easy; for W.
are close to Him up here" said innocent lit
tie Johnny pr 'a'T'
Doubtless Divine Love stopped to the lit
tie ones, and folded them in perfect peace
for. soon the younger, sitting on the bottom
OF the car, with his head leaning against hi
sisters knee, slept as soundlv as though b,
We're lying in his own little bed at home
while the sister watched quietly through thu
long hours, and the car hoated gently on il
the still night air. till it began to sway away
and rock on the fresh morning wind
Who can imagine that simple little child.
thoughts, speculations, and wild imagining s
while watching through those hours? Sht
may nave feared coming in collision with q
meteor-tor many were abroad that night
scouts and heralds of the great comet-ol
perhaps being cast away on some desoat,
star island; or, more dreary still, foatfn Q
and floating on, night and day, till they
should both die of cold and hunger. Poor
little babes in the clouds
AT length, happy chance, or Providence
we will say Providence guided the little
girls wandering hand to cord connected
with the valve; something told her to pull it.
at once the balloon began to sink, slowly
and gently, as though let down by tender
hands; or as though some celestial pilot
guided it through the wild currents of air,
not letting it drop into a lake or river, lofty
wood or impenetrable swamp, where this
strange, unchildlike experience might have
been closed by death of unspeakable hor-
ror, but causing it to descend as softly as a
bird alights, on spot where human care
and pity awaited it.
ing twilight had come, when the little girl.
looking over the edge of the car, saw The dear
old earth coming nearer. rising toward
them, she said. But when the car stopped,
to her disappointment, it was not on the
ground, but caught fast in the topmost
branches of tree. Yet she saw they were
near house whence help might soon come,
SO she awakened her brother and told him
the good news, and together they watched
and waited for deliverance. hugging each
other forJoy and warmth, for they were cold.
Farmer Burton, who lived in lonely house
on the edge of his own private prairie, was
a famous sleeper in general. but on this par
tlcular occasion he awoke before the dawn,
and though he turned and turned gain,
he could sleep no more. So at last he
said to his good wife, whom he had kindly
awakened to inform her of his unaccountable
insomnolence, . It's no use I'll get up and
dress myself, and have a look at the comet -
The next that worthy woman heard from
nor l. Al
the door. ltseems that no sooner did he step
forth from bis house than his eyes fell on a
strange, portentous shape hanging in a large
pear tree about twenty yards distant. He
could see no likeness in it toanything earth
ly, and he half fancied it might be the comet,
who, having put out its light, had come down
there to perch. In this fright and perplexity
he did what every wise man should do in like
extremity-he called up his valiant wife
Reinforced by her be drew near the tree, eau
tously accommodating the while. Surely
never pear tree bore such fruit.
Suddenly there descended from the thing
a plaintive .atrembling little voice: 8 Please
take US down; we are very cold"
Then a second little voice said: And
hungry too; please take us down."
\" Why, who are you? And where are you
from ~
The first little voice said: ave are Mr..
IIarwoodss little boy and girl, and we are lost
in balloon"
The second little voice said: "It is us,
and we ruined away witha balloon. Please
take US down. ss8 aaan FaE tsa
Dimly comprehending the situation, the
farmer, getting hold of the dangling rope,
succeeded in pulling down the balloon.
He first pulled out Johnny, who ran rapid
ly few Yards toward the house, then turned
round and stood for few moments curiously
the balloon. The faithful little
sister was so chilled and exhausted that she
had to be carried into the house, where,
trembling and sobbipg, she told the wonder
ful story.
Before sunrise mounted messenger was
dispatched to the Harwood home with glad
tidings of great joy. He reached it in the
afternoon, and a few hours later the children
themselves arrived, in state, with banners
and music, and conveyed in covered hay
wagon and four.
Joy. bells were rung in the neighboring
town, and in the farmers brown house the
happiest family on the continent thanked
God that night.
The following scene occurred recently IN
school-room ~
"Ah, Pat, Pat! !" exclaimed the school
mistress to thick. headed urchin, into whose
muddy brain she as attempting to beat the
alphabet -" Pm afraid you will never learn
Now. what's that letter, eh ~
'.Sure, don't know, ma am" replied Pat.
II thought you'd recollect that"
'Why, ma'am?'
Because it has dot over the top of it,"
'.Och, ma am, mind it we'll, but shure /
thought it was a fly speck." p9 s-.
"Weil, now remember, Pat, it's l."
tsYou, ma amp Ass
No, no, not U, but I" .ar
mot l, but you, ma 'am-how's that ?"
"Not !, but you, blockhead."
40, yis, faith, now have it, mas you
mean to say that not |, bat you are block
head''
Foolp' exclaimed the pedagoguess al
most bursting with rage.
so, yis, ma'am. All right, ma am, " ex-
claimed Pat.
BIG THINo.-The Leavenworth Kansas
Bulletin terms this az big thing:' Gov
ernor Crawford appointing himself Colonel of
the Nineteenth Cavalry Regiment, and then
i