Year: 1868

leaving the younger In the balloon. Then,
1t might again rise, and continue its voyage


'Ah, no, replied the mother, ''Jennie
would never stir from the car without ] John
ME in her arms!'


The balloon passed directly over the mar
ket town, and the children seeing many peo-
pie in the streets, stretched out their hands
and cried loudly for help. But the villagers,
though they saw the bright little heads, heard
no call.


Amazed at the strange apparitioD, they
might almost have thought the translated
little creatures small angel navigators on
some voyage of discovery, some little cher
ubic venture of their own, as, heading to-
ward The rosy cloud lands and purple islands
of sunset spleudor, they sailed deeper and
deeper into the west, and faded away.


Some company they had. poor little sky
waits! Something comforted them, and al
layed their wild terrors-something whis-
pered them that below the night and clouds
was home that above was God that wher-
ever they might drift or clash, living or dead,
they would still be in His donain, and un-
der His care-that though borne away,
among the stars, they could not be lost for
His love would follow them.


When the sunlight all went away, and the
great comet came blazing cut, little John
ME was apprehensiye that the comet might
come too near their airy craft, and set it on
FIRE, with a whisk of its dreadful tail. But
when his sister assured him that that fiery
dragon was as much as twenty miles away
and that God wouldn't let it hurt them, he
was tranquilized, but soon afterward said
Il wish he would come little nearer, so |
could warm myself-Im so cold I"


Then Jennie took off her apron and wrap
ped it about the child, saying, tenderly:


This is all sister has to make you warm
darling, but she II hug you close in her arms,
and We will say our prayers and you shall go
to sleep


Why, how can say my prayers, before
| have my supper p asked Johnnie


Sister hasn't any supper for you, or for
herself, but we must pray all the harder, y
solennly responded Jennie.


Sc the two baby wanderers. alone in the
wide heavens, unawed by darknes. immensi-
ty, and silence, by the presence of the great
comet and the millions of implying stars,
lifted their little clasped hands, and sobbed
out their..sorrowful. Our Father, and then
that quaint little supplementary prayer:


Now / lay me down to sleep.


pray the Lord my soul to keep,


II | should die before I wake,


pray the Lord my soul to take.


There God heard that, easy. for we
are close to Him, up here" said innocent
little Johnnie


Doubtless Divine Love stopped 30 the lit
tie ones, and folded them in perfect peace
for soon the Younger, sitting 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 quietly through the
long, long hours, and the car foated 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 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 desoiate
star-island, or more dreary still, floating and
floating on, night and day, ill they should
both die of cold and hunger. Poor babes
in the cloudsl


At length happy chance, or Providence
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 began to sink, slow
" and gently, as though let down by tender
hands; or as though some celestial pilot
guided it through the wild currents of air.
not letting it drop into lake, or river, lofty
wood or impenetrsble swamp, where this
strange unchild like experience might have
been closed by death of unspeakablc hor-
ror; 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
dear old earth coming 'risirg to-
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 saw
they we're 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 deliverance, hugglng
each other for joy and for warmth; for they
were very cold.


Farmer Burton. who lived in lonely
house, on the edge of his own private pral-
rie, was famous sleeper in general, but on
this particular morning he awoke before the
| dawn, and, though he turned and turned
/ again, he could not sleep. So at last, he
said to his good wife, whom he had kindly
awakened to inform her of his unaccounta-
/ bic insomnolence, Its no use; i'll get up
and dress and have a look at the comet. "


The next that worthy woman heard from
4 r.