The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-20


warm darling; but sne:ll hug you close
in her arms and we will say our prayers
and you shall 90 to Sleep
why. how can ! say my prayers be-.
fore l have my supper !" asked little
Johnny.
I Sister hasn't any supper for you or
herself: but we must pray all the hard.
er, solemnly replied Jennie.
So the two baby wanderers, alone in
the wide heavens, unawed by darkness,
| immensely and the millions of Implying
stars. lifted their little clasped hands and
sobbed out their sorrowful ''Our Father"
and that quaint little supplementary
prayer:
CHOW lay me down to sleep,
pray the Lord my soul to Keep;
III should die befofe wake,
pray the Lord my soul to take.''
''Ihere! God heard that easy; for we
are close to Him up here" said innocent
little Johnny.
Doubtless Divine Love stopped to the
little ones and folded them in perfect
peace; for soon the younger, seated on
the bottom of the car, with his head lean
ing against his sisters knee, slept as
soundly as though he were lying in his
own little bad at home, while the elder
watched through the long, long hours,
and the car doated gently on in the still
night air till it begun to sway and rock
on the fresh morning wind.
Who can divine that simple little
chIld's thoughts. speculations and wild
lmaginings 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 desolate 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
clouds
AT length a happy chance or Prov
ldence we will say Providence-guided
the little girls wandering hand to a cord
connected with the valve; something told
her to pull it. At once the balloon be-
gan to sink; slowly and gently, as though
some celestial pilot guided it through the
wild currents Of air, not letting it drop in.
to lake or river, lofty wood or jmpen-
etrable swamp, where this strange, un.
chIldllke experience might have been
closed by death of unspeakable horror
but causing it to descend as softly as
bird allghts on spot where human care
and pity awaited It.
The sun had not yet risen; but the
morning twilight had come when the lit.
tie 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 ner great disap.
polntment 1t was not on the ground but
caught fast in the topmost branches 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 delivtrance, hugging each
other for they were cold.
Farmer Burton, who lived in lonely
house on the edge of his private prairie,
was famous sleeper in general; bat on
this particular morning he awoke before
the dawn. and though he turned again, he
could sleep no more. So at last. he said
to his good wife, whom he had kindly
| awakened to inform her of his unaccount-
able wakefulness, ':It's no use; III lust
get up and dress and have a look at the
comet
The next that worthy woman heard
| from her wakeful spouse was hasty
summons to the outer door. 1t seems
that no sooner did he step forth from his
house than his eyes fell on strange, por.
tentous shape hanging on large pear
tree, about twenty yards distant. He
could see no likeness in it to anything
earthly, and he half fancied that it might
hQ the 1rh1 hor L:
light. had come down there to perch. In
his fright and perplexity he did what
every wise man would do in like ex-
tremity-he called upon his valiant wife.
Reinforced by her, he drew near the tree.
cautiously accommodating. Surely pear
tree never bore such fruit.
Suddenly there descended from the
thing a p]aintive, trembling little voice,
"Please take US down. We are very cold"
Then second little voice said, "And
hungry, zoo. Please take us down.
"Why, who arc you! And where are
you?'
The first little voice said. cts us, and
we ruined away with balloon. Please
take US down.
Diniy comprehending the situation,
the farmer, getting hold of a dangling
rope, succeeded in getting down the bal.
loon.
lie first lifted out little Johnny who
ran few yards toward the house Then
turned round and stood for few mo.
ments, curiously surveying the balloon.
The faithful little sister was SO chilled
and exhausted that she had to be carried
into the house where trem bling, she told
the wonderful story.
Before sunrise mounted messenger
was dispatched to the HARDWOOD home