Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1869-05-26

the bottom of the car, with his head lean
/ ing against his sisters knee, slept a,
/ sOUndly as though he were lying in hi:
own little bed at home; while the elder
watched quietly through the long, long
hours, and the car tiOated gently on in
the still night air, till it began to sway
and rock on the frest morning wind.
Who can divine that simple little
child's thoughts, speculatiOns, and wild
imaginings, while watching through
these hours? She may have feared com.
ing in collision with n meteOT-fOT ma
ny were abroad that night, scouts and
heralds of the great cOmet-Or perhaps
be cast away on some desOlate star isl.
and, or more dEeary still, floating on,
night and day, till they should both die
of cold and hunger. Poor babes in the
clouds!
At length, a happy chance, or PrOvi.
dence-we will say Providence guided
the little girls hand to a cord connect
ed with the valve; something told hel
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
lake or rivers, Ieafy wood or impenetTa-
bic swamp, where this strange, Unchild-
like experience might have been closed
by death of unspeakable horror; but
causing it to descend as softly as bird
alights, on a spot where human care and
pity awaited it.
The sun had not yet risen, but the
morning twilight had come, when the
little girl, looking over the edge of the
car, saw the dead old earth coming near
er--'1Fising towards them,D she said
But when the car stopped, to her great
Disappointment it was not on the ground
but caught fast in the topmOst branches
of a tree. Yet she saw they were neal
a 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, hug
ging each other for joy and for warmth;
for they were very cold.
Farmer Buxton, who lived in u lonely
house on the edge of his own private
prairie, was famous sleeper in general,
but on this particular morning he awOke
before the dawn, and, though he turned
and turned again, he could sleep no
more. SO,at last he said to his good wife
whom he had kindly awakened to in
form her Of his unaccOuntable insOmnO-
lence, "It's no use; I'll just get up and
dress, and have look at the comet"
The next that worthy woman heard
from her wakeful spouse, was a frighen-
ed summons to the outer door. Itseems,
that no sooner did he step forth from his
house, than his eye fell on a strange por-
tentOus shape hanging in large pear
tree about twenty yards distant. He
could see in it no likeness to anything
earthly, and he half fancied it might be
q 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 a like extremity;
he called on his valiant wife. ReinfOTc-
ed by her, he drew near the tree, eau
tiOusly accommodating. Surely, never
pear tree bore such fruit!
Suddenly there descended from the
thing, plaintive, trembling little voice,
"please take lis down. We are very
cOId!D
Then a second little voice, "aud hun
CRY, too. Please take us down."
"Why, who are you? And where are
you!"
The first little voice said: "We are
Mr.. HaTwoOd's little boy and girl, and
we are lost in a balloon"
The second little voice said: 'It's us
and we ruined away with q ballOOn.-
Please take us dOWnn'
Dimly cOmprehending the situation,
the farmer getting hold of dangling
rope, succeeded in pulling down the bal
loon.
He first lifted out little Johnny, who
ran rapidly a few yards towards the
house, then turned round, and stood for
a few moments cUriOUsly surveying the
balloon. The faithful little sister was so
chilled and exhausted that she had to be
carried into the house, where, trembling
and sObbing, she told her wonderful stO-
Ty.
Before sunrise a mounted messenger,
was dispatched to the Harwood home
with glad tidings of great joy. He reach
ed it in the afternoon, and few hours
later the children themselves arrived,
in state, with banners, and conveyed
i'll a covered hay wagon and four.
Joy bells were rung in the neighbor-
ing town, and in the farmers brown
house the happiest family on the conti-
nent thanked God that night.-AH the
Year Round.