Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-03-27

bOtsOAt Va Viz Stti- EAtohotu pJ viz
voice of Alexandra, started quickly
to my feet, but was precipitated i'm
mediately against the opposite side.
The balloon was driving along at q
fearful rate, and the wind was blow
ing an awful gale. Oh, how the car
did swing, and the wind whistle
among the ropes
"Oh, God!o I cried, as sat up
again ~ am lost!
"Lost, darling? Why, no, you are
not. l know where we are exactly (;
and If it were not that q stratum OF
clouds lies between us and the earth
which we have quilted forever, /
could show you the city of Tours. We
are not more than eighteen or twenty
miles to the northward of it. BE
calm, my Lowell 1 am calm as mid
summers eve."
"Oh, Alexandra I said, sT pray
you let this dreadful machine descend
to the earth, and I will bless your
name forever-nay, / will give you
myself, body and soul !"
"POOr woman! you forget that we
are already married, and that you are
mine while life lasts. Descend ? All,
my cherub! it grieves me to the soul
to deny you request made thus early;
but would you return to that old,
chilly ball, called earth? i had
thought better things of you, Marie
mine, than this. Believe me, the
world is not for such as you there is
naught but disappointment there |;
none of our darling dreams are there
realized; 1t is ever thus with those
who live there, that Just as they ex-
pect their dearest hopes are about to
be realized, that the cup of expecta-
tion is just being changed to that of
enjoyment, it is rudely dashed from
their hands, and they are miserable.
Ask me anything but to descend, and
/ will grant 1t with joy to my Marie"
To my infinite joy, I could present
ly feel that the machine was rapidly
settling. A few minutes later, upon
looking out 1 saw that we were
among some dense clouds, which sur
rounded us above, below, and upon
every side. Oh, thought 1, If it could
only be that my mad lovers supply
of gas should become exhausted AS
this thought flashed across my brain,
he, too, seemed impressed with the
idea that we were gravitating.
"The gas Is running low, Marie"
said he, land q good @ronaut, like
myself or the Montgolfiers, should see
that the supply is kept up"
Then he took one of the balls and
carried it up into the upper part of the
balloon. Immediately / felt that the
machine was rising again. We shot
up out of the clouds into the broad
glare Of the sun; and 1 could see the
of the machine driving along
upon the billowy surface at appalling
speed. Then i swOoned away again.
How long l remained unconscious
/ do not know. When I awoke, AL
eXandre had hold of my arm trying
to arouse me.
"Ah, my love-" he began, "there is
a scene i'm store for you. Do not go to
sleep again, but come here and look
out.n I.., EE
He drew aside the curtains; and
fheSh 1erW e%eif flying, IL. lay a'SfGtit SttisSt
mass of compact and awfully black
clouds. They stretched away to the
right and left farther than the eye
could reach, and were boiling and
rolling like the smoke of the bottom
less pit. Anon the lightnings GRIM
son tongues would leap upward from
them, and the thunder's voice burst
forth.
"Now, my precious Marie" he con-
tinued, "you have an opportunity
which no balloonist ever yet had
that of sitting in the helaboratory of the
thunder storm, and meeting the
eye to eye!' The otherday,
those fearless eronauts, Blot and Gay
Lussac, thought themselves fortunate
when, at about this height, they
could take some observations of the
movements of the magnetic needle.
How much more fortunate are we
who shall soon see Jove forging his
thunderbolts !"
In few seconds the machine went
plunging into the black and rum
bling vortex And oh, Monsieur
Raynor, how my very soul shudders
at the thought of the fearful rolling
of the thunder and the kissing of the
which took place all around
us AT one moment all was dark
ness; at the next, with a dreadful
burst, all would be flooded with blaze
That was more horrible than oil else,
and l swooned again.
Once more l woke to sensibility.
"I think you are sick, my dear,n
said the voice of Alexandra. "These
airy voyages sometimes make the
Ostexperienced of us i'll. Lean your
head upon me; there is no sickness
where We go!p .... ...r. .,.. ....
We had left the thunderstorm. I
was very cold, and saw that frost
had settled upon the locks of the ma
MAC.
"You are cold" said he, III was OBJ
liged to rise a little higher than l in
tended, in order TO get out of the
storm. The thermometer usually
stands at this altitude below zero. l
will descend n little now and we will
sail along parallel with the earth, un-
til we get out to sea, when 1t will be
safe to begin our final ascent. 1t Is
not so cold over the ocean as over the
earth at the same hight. Soon we
shall bid farewell to France and the
world. We passed over Anglers two
hours ago. Now Nantes is nearly un-
der us. Within forty minutes we
shall be at sea then, no, for the up
ward flight !"
For an hour longer lay isthe bot
tom Of the car, as one i'm the midst of
a trance. After awhile, 1 began to
reflect. turned my'eyes upward and
gazed at the huge, dark side of the
balloon. How quick the descent
would be, thought /, If an accident
should make rent in the silk
"Marie, come here" cried Alcxan-
Dire, exultingly, "ho for the sea and
heaven Farewell-iarewell TO
France! Adieu to the earth!"
He removed the damask, and be-
held the machine sweeping OFF the
shore, and away to sea.
Now to descend would be DEATH