The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-03-12

might come too near their airy craft,
and set it on Ere with whisk of ita
dreadful tail. But when his sister as
sured him that the fiery dragon was tas
much as twenty miles away and that
God wouldn't let him hurt them, he
was tranquilized, but soon afterward
!. said, II wish he would come little
nearer, 80 could warm myself, Tn so
cold r.
Then jennie took off her apron, and
wrapped it about the child, saying ten
derly, This is all sister has to make
you warm, darling, but she'll hug you
close In her arms, and we will say our
prayers and you shall go to sleep"
fWhy, how can say my prayers be.
fore ] have my supper ?" asked little
Johnny.
| Sister hasn't any supper for you or
for herself, but we must pray all the
harder, " solemnly responded Jennie.
| So the two baby wanderers, alone in
| the wide heavens, unaWed by darkness,
immensiby and the millions Of unpity-
ing stars, lifted their little clasped
hands, and sobbed out their sorrowfuI,
i" Our father" and that quaint little
supplementary prayer
Now lay me down to sleep,
pray the Lord my soul to keep;
IL I should die before wake
Tpray the Lord my soul TO take.
There God heard that, easy for
we are close to Him up here, 2 said in-
nocent little Johnny.
Doubtless Divine Love stopped to
the little ones and folded them in per-
feet peace forsoon the younger, seated
on the bottom of the car, with his head
leaning against his sisters knee, slept
as soundly as though he were lying in
his own little bed at home, while the
elder watched through the long, long
hours, and the car foated gently on in
the still night air, TIL IL begun TO sway
and rock on the fresh morning wind.
Who can divine that simple little
child's thoughts, speculations, and wild
imaginings, while watching through
those hours She may have feared
coming In collision with meteor-for
many were abroad that night, scouts
and heralds of the great comet--or,
perhaps being cast away on some desc
late star-island, or more dreary still.
floating and floating on, night and day,
till they should both die of cold and
hunger. Poor babes in the cloudsl
At length, a happy chance, or Provi- |
dence we will say Providence guided
the little girls wandering hand TO q |
cord connected with the valve some
thing told her to pull it. At once the
balloon began 10 sink, slowly and gent |
~, as though some celestial pilot guided
it through the wild currents Of air, not |
letting it drop into lake, or river, lofty |
wood, or impenetrabie swamp, where |
this strange. unchiId- 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 await
ed 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 dear old earth coming |
nearer rising towards them" she
said. But when the car stopped, to her |
great disappointmen 1t was not on the |
ground, but caught fast in the topmost |
branches of 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 to- |
gether they watched and watched and |
waited for deliverance, hugging each |
other for Joy and warmth, for they were
cold
Farmer Burton, who lived In lonely |
house, on the edge of his own private
prairie, yas d famous sleeper in gen- |
aral, 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 aWak-
ened to inform her OF his unaccountable /
wakefulness, It's no use, I'll just get |
up and dress, and have q look at the
comet.
The next that worthy woman heard /
from her wakeful spouse was hasty /
summons To the outer door. It seems /
that no sooner did lie step forth from
his house than his ey yes fell on strange I
potent0ns shape, hanging on large /
pear tree, about twenty yards distant.
He could see no likeness ID II To any
thing earthly, and he half fancied that /
it might be the comet, who, having put /
ont his light, had come down there TO
perch. Ia his fright and perplexity be /
did what every wise man would do in a |
like extremity he called upon his
valiant wife, Reinforced by her, he
drew near the tree cautiously recon
noitermg. Surely pear tree never bore
such fruit.
Suddenly there descended from the
thing plaintiye, trembling little voice:
IS PlapHes take 54a down We ara very /