Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1875-03-11


psieh. IN iiis fright and . perplsxity err he he
did what every wise man would do IN o.
like extremity he called npon his
valiant wife. Reinforced By her, he
drew near the tree cautiously recon.
ncitering. Surely appear tree never bore
suoh fruit. z.sz..z.zs,l q. .ls.l.E
Suddenly there descended from the
thing d plaintiYe, trembling little voice:
g UaSlease take MS down. We aresyery
cold:,"- s., ,,, 1,f, s.; =.
I'll Thsn second. .I;ttI i;ttttIIs voice ss;;aa
Sand hungry, too. Please take us
down."
"Why, who are yon? And where are
you2 ,',i T. =,
/ The frst little voice said: "It's us,
ande we ruined away with q balloon.
PleItse take .us down"
Dimly comprehending the situation,
the farmer, getting hold of O dangling
rope, succeeded in getting down the
balloon. rs
He first lifted ont little johnny, who
ran rapidly few yards toWafd the
house, then turned round, and stood
for few moments, curiously surveying
the balloon. The faithful little sister
was SO chilledand exhausted that she
had to be carried into the house, where,
trembling, she told the wonderful
story.
Before sunrise q mounted messenger
was dispatched to the Harwood home,
with glad 'tidings of great Joy. He
reached it in the afternoon, and q few
hours later the olildred arrived, in
state, with banners and music, and cov-
cred hay-wagOn and four,
Joy. bells were rung in the neighbor-
ing town, and in the farmers brown
house, the happiest family on tho con-
tinent thanked God that night.
would seem that this comet had
some occult maddening influence on
the balloons, for during its appearance
there occurred in another western state
an involuns scy ascension, similar to the
ono I have rotated, but moro trngical in
its termination.
An 'erona,lt, whilo, if ] remember
rightly, repairing tho network of his
balloon, was seated on u slight wooden
CROSS piece suspended under it !; tho car
having been removed q few feet above
the ground Aby, merely n rope ih the
hand of an assistant. From too caro-
less grasp this rope escaped, aud in an
instant he1gigantic bubble shot up
ward, carrying tho eronaut on his frail.
support; a rider more helpless than
Mazeppa bound to his Ukraine stecd, n
voyager more helpless than ship
wrecked sailor ahoat on n spar in mid
ocean.
Tho balloon rose rapidly, but un-
steadily, swnying and pitching in tho
evening wind. Ae long as it remained
in sight the form Of tho pronaut could
DO distinguished, swinging beneath it.
And as he WIS kno II to bo man of
uncommon nerve and presence of mind,
it was hoped that even from his dizzy
perch he might manage to operate on
tho valve, or ut least to pnncture
small hole in tho balloon, and thus cf-
feet descent.
But such efforts, if he made any, wore
vain, as for many days and nights there
was anxious inq uiry aud patient search
over a wide extent Of country with no
result. Wo gave him up. Only wifely
love hoped on, and looked and waited.
At last, in wild spot, tho wreck of the
balloon was found, and TINT was all.
Still, wifely love hoped on, until, Il
month or two lator, somc children nut
ting in wood, many miles away from
where the balloon was found, discov-
cred, half buried in tho ground, n
strange dark mass that looked like n
heap of old clothes, but there was
something, shapeless and fearful, hold
ing it together.
1t was thought the teronaut parted
company with his balloon by loosering
Ills hold on the cords above him, in
desperate Efforts to open the valve but
he may, after whirling in swift vortices,
or plunging and mounting, through
cloudy abysses of alr, have become I'M
nerved by the awful silence of the up.
per night, by the comet's fearful COM
panionship, by whelming immensity
and infinity, and wearily let go his hold,
to drop earthward.