The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-01-01

than his eyes fell on strange, portentous
shape. hanging in large pear tree, about
twenty yards distant. He could see in it no
likeness to anything earthly, and he half
fancled it might be the comet, who, having
put out his light, had come down there to
perch. In his fright and perplexity. he did
what every wise man would do in q like ex-
tremity; he called on his valiant wife. Re-
inforced by her, he drew near the tree,
cautiously reconnoitering Surely, never
pear-tree bore such fruit!
Suddenly there descended from the thing
plain tive, trembling little voice, 'Please
take us down. We are very cold!''
Then @ second little voice, "And hungry.
too Please take us down."
youp"
The first little voice said: 1--WE are Mr..
Harwood's little boy and girl, and we are
lost in O balloon"
The second little voice said: 'It's us. and
we runned away with balloon. Please take
us down.
Dimly comprehending the situation, the
farmer getting hold of O dapplinp rome
succeeded in pulling down the balloon.
He first lifted out little Johnnie. who ran
rapidly few yards towards the house, then
turned round, and stood for few moments.
curously surveying the balloon The faith
ful little sister was so chilled and exhausted
that she had to be carried into the house.
where, trembling and sobbing, she told her
wonderful story
Before nrise, q mounted messenger was
despatched TO the Harwood home, with glad
tldngs of great JOY. He reached it in the
afternoon, and II few hours later the chill
dten themselves arrived, in state. with ban
ners and music, and conveyed in a covered
hay gOn and fOur
Joy-bells were rung in the neighboring
town, and IN the farmers brown house the
happlest family on the continent thanked
God that night
1t would seem that this comet had some
occult maddening influence on balloons, for
during its appearance there occurred in
another Western State an involuntary asccn-
sion, similar to the one have related; but
more tragical in its termination.
An pronaut while, if I remember rightly.
repairing the network of his balloon, was
seated on slight wooden cross-piece, sus-
pended under it; the car having been re-
moved, and the balloon being held in it's
position, few feet from the ground by
merely rope III the hand of an assistant.
From a too careless grasp, this rope escaped,
and In an instant the gigantic bubble Shot
upward, carrying the pronaut on his fraiI
support; rider more helpless than Ma
zcppa bound to his Ukraine steed; voyager
more hopeless than a ship-wrecked sailor
afioat on spar in mid-ocean.
The balloon rose rapidly, but uusteadilv,
swaylng and pitching in the evening wind.
AS long as 1T remained in sight, the form of
the mronaut could be distinguished, swing
ing beneath 1T. And, as he was known to
De Il man OF uncommon nerve and presence
OF mind, 1T was hoped that even from lis
dizzy perch, he might manage to operate on
Ihe valve, or at least to puncture small
hole in the balloon, and thus effect descent
But such efforts, if he made any, were vain,
as 1or many days and nights, there was
anxious inquiry and patient search over
wide extent Of country, with no result. We
gave him up. Only wifely love hoped on,
and looked and waited. At last, in a wild
spot, the wreck of the balloon was found
and that was oil.
Still, wifely love hoped on, until, month
or two later, some children nuttinr in n
wood many miles away from where the
balloon was found, discovered, half-buried
IN the ground, strange dark mass. that
looked like heap of old clothes, but there
was something shapeless and fearful holding
it together
1t is thought that the nronaut parted COM
pany from his balloon by loosening his
hold on the cords above him, in desperate
efforts to open the valve; but he may, after
whirling in swift vortices, or plunging and
mounting through cloudy abysses of air.
have become unnerved by the awful silence
of the upper night, by the comets fearful
by whelming immensity
and infinity, and wearily let go his hold to
drop earthward.