The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-07
MIGHT OF THE FAILING STARS"
Murat Halstead Writes the Recollection OF
a Four-Year- Old Child


Four-Year- Child
Cincinnati, Ohio, Dec. 4.-Murat Hal
stead writes:
81 am Of the few who can speak as
eye witnesses OF The Night Of the Fall
ing Stars November 1918, 1888. Those
who beheld the wonders Of that time
were dazed by the awful splendors, and
long spoke of them as of some majestic.
supernatural vision. 1t was the night
Edwin Booth, the famous actor. was
born. My age was four years and two
months, and point Of observation val
ley in southwestern Ohio. One of the
treasures OF our house was an astrono-
mical atlas, with mysterious maps Of
the castellations. over which my par
ents pondered; and the strange animals
drawn among the stars were figures the
more incomprehensible the more they
were explained. Ny parents were much
given to studying thee louds by day ana
the stars by night, and one Of my ear
liest recollections is that they would
call each others attention to celestial
phenomena. SO that I was something OF
a star gazer' myself and knew when
'Oron's Belt The Seven Stars The
Dipper.' The North Star, and the star
OF the morning and evening.
MY father, the day before the men,
orable night, mad killed mess Of
young squirrels and out OF difference
to me had not shot them as a marks
man should, through the head. for my
favorite diet was squirrels brains Ny
passion for this dainty dish was indulg-
ed at supper, and during the night, /
disturbed the house shouting for alle>
Walton of sharp pains, resulting from
too much brains-in my inexperienced
stomach. My mother. aroused, saw a
strange light glaring az the windows,
and loi II was evident enough the uni
verse was afire. My father seldom al
lowed anything TO astonish him. but that
did. II he had not seen II he would not
have believed X, and yet he did Tot
think tnel ast hours OF the globe We IN
habit had come and the judgment az
hand. The hour was after midnight and
how long the stars had been falling could
not be sscertained.
Special attention was given TO point
ory, and The amazing scene fs before me
now. though ftst was long before pho
tog-sphy. do not recOllect that look
ed westward az all. Observation OF TIE
east fascinated me, and DO not think
turned my face in any other direction.
There were innumerabIe lines Of light.
drawn as i. by invisible pencils with
points ot fre; strangely straight lines
sweeping from near the zenith to the
horizon. Ny clear impression Is there
were no cross lines; that tlsre seemed
70 be : nonstrous stream OF fery hair.
q vivid oiending of sun and moonlight.
Pouring from a Stupendoos, .exhaustiess
Urn; some OF the bright lines fading as
they swept far down, faiu;ing into the
serene depths ot the SKY. There was a
certain majestic -srsnity s50u. :he ex-
aTed conhagTation. 8iy parents we're
not alarmed or greatly agitsted. but eu-
joyiRg every Domsnt ] recall their l7x
tones and some ot their exclsna tons Of
Surprise snd admiration.
The silence that ATTENDED the dag
zling display-tae apparent fight Of al
the Stars from their cours.e-tss mighty
inexpensive save n TIE
swift dsrting of celestial arrow. inst
flashed into space and male no sound, |
most iDpTez=sd re bsn5,5srs. sod was
always mentioned a. sJnsrhfnz mysfi- |
cai-sn ASPIRATION .. CORY iosonceiy- |
able I; was unsu5s..ntIai "a the north /
eEa sizsts AMI ye< wat more co1sd Zap
pen atse- one rad sesn t1s vsoi; o. |
heaven incan 3escert S.t5 tsso0sz ~ !
streams o pale lightning al stsl a. the !
frost that giis-ene1 "a r.se z-s.s. TIE
dome af ts1e cjIhSe IN S1fc. rhe xsrss /
- t5T Sss t5e 15uptssn f.ou vain |
sped shesreS Of i11z-Srzzn saecss OF (.
liz1r. a. II sone ss5ds1 volcano In tse
blue rad sen; to-;a radiant array q /
s1@--zi s7ez-s. putting Cd; s.2e sts-s. I!
The c9Duso,ion smonS -zs people IN l
SINE co-a.-y nssgaoo.hoo5s sss 80 1.
Warning hal been given IA. 1sr q