The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-01-30

quietly through the long, long hours, and
the car floated gently on in the still night
air, till it began to sway and rock on the
fresh morning wind.
Who can divine that simple little child's
thoughts, speculations, and wild imagin-
ings, while watching through those hours ?
She may have feared coming in collision
with a 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 Providence
we will say Providence-guided the lit
tie girls wandering hand to a cord con
nected with the valve; something told her
to pull it. At once the balloon began to
sink, slowly and gently. as though let
down by tender hands; or as though some
celestial pilot guided it through wild cur-
rents of air, not letting it drop into lake or
river, lofty wood, or impenetrable swamp,
where this strange unchild-like experience
might nave been closed by a death of un-
spealsable horror; but causing it to descend
as softly as a bird alights, on a spot where
human care and pity awaited it.
The sun had not yet risen, but the morn
ing twilight had come, when the little girl,
looking over the edge of the car, saw the
Jnar o1J n orfl, anp,i,n i, n ror sEricipa ta
ward Them she said. But when the car
stopped, to her great disappointment, it
was not on the ground, but caught fast in
the topmost branches of a tree. Yet she
might soon come, SO she awakened her
brother and told him the good news, and
together they watched and waited for de
liverance, hugging zach other for joy and
for warmth; for they were very cold.
Farmer Burton, who lived in a lonely
house, on the edge of his w private
prairie, was a famous sleeper in general,
but on this particular morning he awoke
before 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 awakened to inform her Of his
insomnolence, cts no use; I'll just get
up and dress. aud have a look at the
comet.
Til next that woman woman heard from
her wakeful spouse was a frightened sum-
mons to the outer door. 1t seems. that no
sooner did he step forth from his house
than his eyes fell on a strange portentous
shape hanging in a large pear tree, about
twenty yards distant. He could see in it
no likeness to anything earthly, and he
half fancied it might be the comet, who
having put out his light, had come down
there to perch. In his fright and perplex-
ity he did what every wise man would do
in a like extremity; he called on his vail
ant wife. Reinforced by her he drew near
the tree, cautiously accommodating. Surely
never pear-tree bore such fruit.
Suddenly there descended from the thing
a plaintive trembling little voice, 'Please
take us down. We are very cold!'
Then a second little voice, "And hungry
too. Please take us down.
'Why, who are you? And where are
you?"
The first little voice said: 1--WE are Mr..
Harwood's little boy and girl and are lost
in a ballon."
The second little voice said, ''It's us and
we ruined away with a ballon. Please
take us down"
Dimly comprehending the situation, the
farmer, getting hold of a dancing rope,
succeeded in pulling down the balloon.
He first lifted out little Johnnie, who
ran rapidly a few yards toward the house,
then turned round. and stood for a few
moments, curiously surveying the balloon.
The faithful little sister was so chilled
and exhausted that she had to be carried
into the house, where, trembling and sob
bling she told her wonderful story.
Before sunrise a mounted messenger was
dispatched to the Harwood home, with
glad tidings of great joy. He reached it in
children themselves arrived, i'll state, with
banners and music, and conveyed in a hay
wagon and four.
Joy-bells Were rung in the ~neighboring
town, and in the farmers house the hap
piest family on the Continent thanked God
that night.-Grace Greennood, in Stories
for Home Folks
Tho Eehruarv upmhar of the CoTT AGE