The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-01-19


as heading forward the rosy cloud lands
and purple islands of sunset spiendor,
they sailed deeper and deeper into the
west and faded away.
Some company they had, poor little
sky. waits Something comforted them,
and alIayed their Wild terrors-some
thing whispered to them and below the
night and clouds was home, and above
was God; that wherever they might
drift OF clash, living or dead, they would
still be in His domain and under His
care-that ihoug hborne away among the
stars, they could not be lost, for His
love would follow them.
When the sunlight all went away. and
the great comet came blazing out, little
Johnny was apprehensive that the comet
might come too near the airy craft, and
set it on fire with a whisk Of it's dread
full tail But when his sister assured
him that the fiery dragon WAS 'as much
as twenty miles away and that God
would not let him hurt them, he was
tranquilized, but soon afterwards said,
wish he wos Id come little nearer, SO
could wa: N myself, I'm 50 cold y
Then Jennie took off her apron, and
wrapped it about the child, saying ten
derly. srhis is all sister has to make
you warm, darling, but she'll hug you
close in her arms and we will say our
prayers and you shall go to sleep
Why, how can say my prayers, be-
fore have had my supper ? asked little
Johnny.
Sister hasn't any supper, for you. or
for herself but we must pray all the
harder, solemnly responded Jennie.
So the two baby wanderers, alone in
the wide heavens, unawed by darkness,
immensity and silence, by the presence
of the great comet and the millions OF
Implying stars, lifted their little clasp
ed hands, and sobbed out their sorrow-
full Our Father and then that quaint
little supplementary prayer:
Now Hay me down to sleep,
pray the Lord my soul to keeps
If should die before W axe,
l pay the Lord my soul to take
There God heard that, easy, for we
are close to Him up here, said little
Johnny,
Doubtless Divine love stopped to the
little ones and folded them in rerfect
paace-for soon the younger, sitting on
the bottom of the car, with his head
leaning on his sisters knee, slept sound
| L. <Lo ho lrir in
little bed at home, while the elder watch
ed quietly through the long, long hours,
and the car fioated gently on in the still
night air, till it began to sway and rock
on the fresh morning wind.
Who can divine that simple little
cbild's thoughts, speculations and wild
immaginiugs while watching through
those hours? She may have feared
coming in collision with meteor-for
many were abroad that night, scouts and
heralds Of the great comet-or perhaps
being cast away upon some star Island,
Or more DIR cary still, floating on and on.
night and day, till they should both die
of cold and hunger. Poor babes in the
clouds.
At length happy chance, or Provi-
dence-we will say Providence-guided
the little girls wandering hand to a 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 eel iestial piiot'guide.i it
through the wild cnrrent> of air, not
F letting it drop into lake or river, lofty
wood or impenetrable swamp where this
strange, unchild like experience might
have been closed y 8 death Of unspeak
able horror; but causing it to descen i,
as softly as a bird alights, on q spot
where human care and pity awaited it.
, The sun had not yet risen, but the
. mo: ming twilight had come, when the
| little girl, looking over the edge Of the
! car, saw the dear old earth coming near
, er, s.rising toward them,' she said. But
when the car stopped, to her great dis
appointment it was not on the ground,
, but caught fast on the topmost branches
{ of little tree But she saw they were
near house whence help might soon
come, 50 she awakened her brother and
I tod him the good news, and together
, they watched and waited for deliver
? ance, hugging each other for Joy and
9 warmth; for they were very cold.
e Farmer Burton, who lived in lonely
t house on the edge Of his own rivate
prairie, was 3 famous sleeper in general,
e but on this particular morning he awoke
It before the dawn, and though he turned
and turned again, he could sleep no
more. So, at last, he said to his uood