The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-06-27

itr Naslf4HFli HHl fE l- Hat t&liA great PtAllt
but9eg lay ilsal oae heaFs q Aissigef-
.ag two liule babes safely taroash nc
uls
Ialsa true taie which I am ab0uttoell
yous aud iook pIaae aboat fourteen ycaiv
aaa rgiaf. yon may have heard tliat
So tls year q Ass large comet appear
si ia the sl9 A comet = q star witt a
( long tail Of Gfe. Iu appearance this was
something i.ke q large stationary rocket,
aud looked 8 very bright aud prely ob-
jeaf az aighialI Il attracted the aiten-
zion or al sisr guers, aud many were
eoBIectures Of those who saw it blazing
So brightly, a. 10 whether there was any
danger 10 DIR globe from collision with
#N
+ ON q pleasant Saturday afternoon Al
+ this time two little boys and girl, tho
children ofa Guner named Ma Harwood
were pIayin together "a tio garden
around their home, q farm situated n the
uaiahborhood Of q large market town, IN
one of the Western States
The eldest boy wa. about ten year, old
Jennie, inc liule girl, eight; aud Johnny,
the youngest, only three They would
have found no lack Of amusement THE
evening had they only had their usual
toys 10 play with bat strange event
occurred, which astouished not only
| themselves but their parents and The la-
borers employed on the farm. Acurious
object made its appearance In the sky,
seeming az first scarcely more than a
small spcck but growing momently larg-
or and larger ltcould not be the comet
arriving earlier than Csual, for II was
dark, not fiery At last Il descended on
tho 'mrm itself and proved TO be a BAL
loon. . E..
Nh Harwooa aud the farm aborers as
scmblcd around It, and began easily to
question the uronnt Gas man who tray
cls III a balloon IS called) about his voy-
age aud the way be managed 60 pilot the
balloon through the Clouds While he
was satisfying their curiosity, the balloon
was kept from rising merely by a small
anchor aud rope, which the owner held
in bis hand
Il was much ont ofwiud, and the farm
cr as he observed it 5wqying backward
and forward lazily in the air, was far
from suspccting what dangerous thing
II could prove were it rashly tampered
with lie told the owner he thought he
could hitch II to his fence, and with his
permission took possession OF it, while
the gronaut continued TO answer the nu-
merous questions addressed to him.
The children Of course eagerly followed
their father, anxions to see as much as
they could Of the wonderful strange
monster. They they made the request
tho Grst which always oco'ra 90 children
IN their circumstance be lifted inside
the big basket, and to be allowedt to sit on
the pretty red cushions. Not dreaming
ofdangcr he readily complied, putting in
first the eldest boy, then Jennie, and last
ly baby johnny. .....
Holding on the rope be allowed them
10 mount up in the sky, higher than the
tops OF the houses and the trees, greatly
to their delight. At last Mr., Harwood
drew them down again to the ground
aud lifted out the biggest boy. The re-
lief Of his weight unfortunately proved so
great that the balloon arose immediately;
with a wild bound ii jerked the rope out
Of the fathers hands, and sprang into the
air. Utterly useless did the anchor prove
to keep It to the earth. It caught for
moment in tho fence, then tore away,
and dangled down yainly from tlnt side.
What could have been the fathers feel-
iugs, and the poor mothers, who at the
alarm came hnrying to the spot, ,as they
saw that dark cruel object carrying away
their dariugs, whose faces grew moment
Is indistinci and their piteous cries 70
papa and mamma TO help them fainter
and fainter. They turned to the rronaut
who bad discovered their imprudence
when too hate, alas! be was powerlcss to
assist them. The only consolation he
bad 10 offer was ,imt the balloon could
not travel more than thirty niiles tarth-
cr.
But where would 81 descend Perhaps
+ ia the middle Of the sea, or river, or IN
lbo center ofa dense forest, where the
, unfortunate little ones might perish with
/ hunger undiscovered, Even II II should
aIighl in favorable situation, there was
tbc iear that the eldest child would step
out Grsi and Tire sudden relief would
cause 5hc balloon TO spring up with the
( younger 0uc iuto the air.
Oh, thai / do not fear for q moment cx-
claimcd thc poor mother, with faint ray
Of hope; dear iilile Jepuy would never
sir from tAc car without johnny IN her
aEms. ..
When lhe last yesiige ol tAe balloon
hal disappeared, tle poor father sank
down helpless aud Teechless' but Tie
mother, nearly faatic with grieis still
stretched hrr arms towards heaven, and
called wildly amer her eiiiaren.
BIZ Csc meau time low dil II fare with
0ar poor gttie friend. 10 DE balloon:
Fortunately Ienuy was a good litle giri
aaa bad Been well instructed by Ter IN.
male AaiaHah each moment De knew
sbe leii bome taiher aud farther beneath
them. Was n0t tod ih tile ALy above
them il seemed alHaost g. II they were
nearer 10 him uow than when on earth