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

Just ten years ago, there suddenly burst
upon the Western world, magnificent
stranger from foreign parts, with all his
travelling glories on" It was the great
comet of 1858, on the grand tour of the
universe.
1t seemed strange sthat petty human life
could go on as usual, with its eating and
drinking, toiling, trafficling and pleasurinp.
while that flaming minister" on his bull
lion-iengued circuit. was preaching the
wonders OF infinite immensity and power.
and the nothingness of earth But science
has robbed celestial apparitions of their old
portentous significance. The comet no
longer runs his kindling race, like Vich.
Alpine's henchman, with his fiery cross.
announcing war and disaster,
Herald of battle, fate and fear.
lie is on his own business; not oure.
Under the tail of this particular comet
doubtless many tale of love was told-in
the light of his swift splendors many O
tender look exchanged. The astronomer
coolly swept the starry field with his glass,
unawed by the irregular night-guard patrol
ing the Heavens. and the robber and mur-
derer disdained the awful witness. He left
as he found ns-joined to our mortal idols
wise In our conceit, weak and worldly and
wicked. but no castaways of tho 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, which will
.grovel In poor earthly affairs even within
sight OF the most august celestial phenomena.
One pleasant Saturday afternoon during
the comets appearance, an mronaut, after a
prosperous voyage, descended upon farm
In the neighborhOod of large marke town.
in one of the Western States. He was soon
surrounded by curious group of the far
mer's family and laborers, all asking eager
questions about the voyage and the manage
ment of the balloon. That secured by an
anchor and rope in the hand of the aero
naut, its car but n foot or two above the
ground, was swaying lazily backward and
forward in the evening air. It was good
deal out OF wind, and was sleepy and inno-
cent monster n'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
IT, his three children, aged respectively ten,
eight and three. begged bim to lift them
Into that big basket" that they might sit
on "those pretty red cushions "tlaWhile tho
attention Of the 9ronaut was diverted by
more curious GuestiOners from q neighbor-
ing farm, this rash father lifted his dnrlipps
one by one into the car Chubby little
!ohnny rrc"ca :ho "ouuce TOO much': for
the aerial camel, and brought him to the
ground; and then, unluckiy. not the baby,
but the eldest hope of the family. WAS lifted
out. The relief was too great for the mon
ster The volatile creatures spirits rose at
once. he jerked his halter out of the farmers
hand, ard with wild bound, mounted into
tho air. Vain was the @ronaut's anchor.
1t caught for moment in q fence. but it
tore away. and was off, dangling uselessly
after the runaway balloon, which 70 swift,
and steadily rose, that in few minutes
those two little white faces peering over the
edge OF the car grew indistinct, and those
piteous cries of "papa!" mammal" grew
faint and fainter in the air.
When distance and twilight mists had
swallowed up voices ard faces, and nothing
could be seen but the dark cruel shape
sailing trinmphantly away, with its precious
booty, like an @rial privateer, the poor