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

rMEEsisa BEsI ISITHE cIo UDs. B
,ssg ts8 gssEs as5, 5eaS; sI;,,s 5A sIsl Y
burst upon tho western world q mas.
nificent stranger from foreign pnrts.
With all his travelling glories on. y Il
was the great comet of 1858, on tho
grand touriob the nrliverse. J; 9 3
.lt seemed strange that petty human
life could go on MS usual, with it's eat
{ 1ng Gand- drinking. ftpiling, q afioki1ig
i @afid plsasnripg, Tllilo that !" flaming
miGistefi r SON his billion .leae eued dir
cult, was preaching the wonders of lin
finite imm ensity and power, and the
nothing of earth. rIliSi comet no
longer runs his kindling race, like Vieh.
Alpine's hcnchman, with his fiery cross.
4 announcing war and disaster.
Herald OF battle, fate and foar. {
He. .is ON his own. business, not OURS.
Under the tail of his particular
.ssa.- !. ine6 GUubtiess many a tale OF love was
stold--in the light Of his swift splendors
many q tender look exchanged. The
astronomer coolly swept the starry field
with his glass, llnawed by the Irregular
light.gunrd patrolling the heavens, and
81 the robber and murderer disdained the
awful witness. He left us as ho found
us-Jo1ned to our mortal idols, wise in
& our own conceit, weak and worldly.
3 and wicked, but no castawayg of the
4 universe after all.
We remember Tint comet summer.
y not 80 mnch for its great astronomical
Y event as for two singular Incidents that
more nearly touched our human sym-
pathles. which will eroycl in poor
earthly a.fairs, even thin sight of the
most august celestial phenomena.
Ono pleasant Saturday afternoon
seduring the comets appearance, an sero-
nant, : after n prosperous voyage, de-
scended upon farm in the neighbor
hood of large market town in one of
the western states. He was soon sur
rounded r ~ a curious group of the
fartmer's family and laborers, all asking
eager questions about the voyage and
The management OF the balloon. That
secured by an anchor and rope in tho
nand OF the eronaut, it's car being n
Il ioot or two above the ground, was
B &sWaylng lazlly backward and forward
N IN me me evening air. 1t was good deal
\ ollt OF wind, and was sleepy and inuo-
cent monster. in the eyes OF the farmer.
who, with tho owners permission led
lit up to his house, where. as be soid
;the could hitch it to his fence. Bnt he,
fore he had thus secure d it, the three
chlidfen, aged respectively, ten, eight.
and three, begged him to lift them
INTO that big basket" that they might
sit on those pretty red cushions"
M while the attention of the nronnnt
was diverted by more curious ques-
tionefs from neighboring farm. this
s srt.:ss father lifted his aGrIings one by
3sone 98e into the car. Chubby little JOHNNY
proved the "ounce too much " for the
Drlal camel, and brought him to the
4 ground and then, unluckily, not the
baby, but the eldest hope of the family.
was lifted out. The relief was too
great for the monster The volatile
crea ture's spirit rose at once. he ierked
his halter out Of his fathers hand. and.
with wild bound, mounted into the
air Vain was the eronaut's anchor.
1t caught for a moment in fence. but
1T tore away, and was off, DANGLING
uselessly after the runaway balloon
whic SO swiftly and steadily rose that
IN few minutes those two little white
iacesi peeriDg over the edge OF the car,
grew 1ndistinct, and those piteous cries
OF Papal!'S." Mamma IL grew faint
anu fainter, up in the mir.
Wheh e distance l and twilight mists had
swallowed up voices and faces, and
nothing could be seen but the dark.
cruel shape, sailing triumphantly away,
with. It's eprecious booty, like an mriai
4 pr1vateer,l the poor father sank Gown
helpless and speechless; hut the moi Ter.
3sfrantlc with grief, still stretched her
Yearnlng arms towards the inexorable
heavens, and called wildly into the
rnansWering void.
The Bronaut strove to console the
wretched parents with assurances that
theaballoon would descend within thirty
miles OF the town, and that MI might
be well with the cliilren, provided that
1t did not come dewn IN tho water or in
deep woods. in tho event Of it's de-
& scsnilig gY5Il1Iqig IL favorable spot, tho