Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-06-14

cold and hunger. Poor babies il
the clouds.
At length happy chance of prov.
idence--we say providence-guideC
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 lei
down by gentle hands, or as though
some celestial pilot guided it through
the wild currents of air, not letting
it drop into lakes or rivers, leafy
wood, or impenetable swamp, where
this strange, unchildlike experience
might have been closed by death
of unspeakable horror but causing
it to descend as softly as a bird
alights on spot where care and
human pity awaited ii.
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 dear old earth
coming nearer rising toward them,
she said. But when the car stopped
to her great disappointment, it was
not on the ground, but caught fast
in the topmost branch of a tree
Yet she saw they were near house
whence help might soon come, SO
she awakened her brother, and told
him the good news, and together
they watched and waited for deliv-
GRANGE, hugging each other for joy
and warmth for they were very
cold.
Farmer Buxton, who lived in q
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, be could sleep no more. So,
at last he said to his good wife,
whom he had kindly awakened to
inform her of his unaccountable in
somnolence Its no use; I'll Just
get up and dress, and have q look at
the comet
The next that worthy women
heard from her wakeful spouse, was
a frightened summons to the door.
1t seems that no sooner did he step
from his house, than his eyes fell on
strange portentious 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 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
extremity I; he called on his valiant
wife. Reinforced by her, he drew
near the tree, cautiously reconnoiter-
ing. Surely, never pear tree bore
such fruit
Suddenly there descended from
the thing plaintive, trembling little
voice. "Please take us down. We
are very cold ?"
Then q second little voice. "And
hungry, too. please take us down Z
'Why, who are you? And where
are your
Then the first little voice said -
we are Mr.. Harwood's little boy
and girl, and we are lost in bal
loon.'
The second little voice said: Its
US, and we ruined away in balloon.
Please take US down.
Dimly comprehending the situa-
ton, the farmer, getting hold of a
dangling rope, succeeded in pulling
down the balloon.
He first lifted out little Johnny.
who ran rapidly few yards toward
the house, then turned round and
stood for few moments, curiously
surveying the balloon. The faithful
little sister was so chilled and ex-
hausted that she had to be carried
into the house, where trembling aud
sobbing she told her wonderful story.
Before sunrise a mounted messen-
ger was dispatched to the HARDWOOD
home, with glad tidings of great joy.
he reached it in the afternoon, and a
few hours later the children them
selves arrived, in state, with banners,
and conveyed in covered hay-wagon
and four.
Joy bells were rung in the neigh
boring town, and in the farmers
brown house the happiest family on
the continent thanked God that
night.