Year: 1869

his head leaning against his SISTERS knee, slept as
soundly as if he were lying in his own little bed,
ut home; whiieths elder watched quietly through
the long, long hours, and the ear Aoated 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, specul.tions, and wild imaginings while
watching through those hours? She may have
feared coming In, collision with meteor-for ma
ny were abroad chat night, scouts and heralds of
the great cumet-or perhaps being cast away on
some aesohte star island, or more dreary still,
floating ON, night and day, till they should both
die Of cold and hunger. Poor babes in the clouds


At length, happy chance, or Providence we
will say Providence-guide the little girls wand
ering hand to cord connected 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 celes-
tal pilot guided it through the wild currents of air,
not letting it drop into lake, or river lofty wood or
|impenetrable swamp, where this strange, unchild-
like experience might have been closed by death
of unspeakable horror but causing it to descend as
softly as q bird ahghts on spot where human
care and pity awaited it


The sun had not yet risen, but the morning twi-
| light had come, when the little girl looking over
the edge Of the car, saw the dear old earth coming
nearer -''rising towards 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 tree Yet she saw they
were near house, whence help might soon come,
80 she awakened her brother and told him the
good news, and together they watched and waited
for dehyerance, hugging each other tor JOY and
warmth, for they were very cold.


Farmer Burton, who lived in lonely house, on
the edge Of his own private prairie was famous
sleeper in general but on this particular morning
he awoke before the 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 unaccountable in
somnolence, cts no use; III just get up and
dress, and have look at the comet"


The next that worthy woman heard from her
wakefu spouse, was frightened summons to the
outer door. 1t seems, that no sooner did he step
forth from his house, than his eyes fell on strange
portentous shape hanging in large pear tree,
about twenty yards distant. He could see in it
no likeness to any thing earthly, and he halt IAN
cied it might be the comet, who, having put out
his light, had come there to perch. In his fright
and perplexity, he did what every wise man would
do in Ike extremity; he called on his valiant
wife. Reinforced by her, he drew near the tree,
cautiously reconnoitenng. 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 cole"


Then second little voice. "And hungry, too.
Please take US down."


"Why, who are you2 And where are you r
The first little voice said: ''We are Mr.. Har-
wood little boy and girl, and we are lost in bal
loon. a'. ..


The second little voice said: "It's u.s. and we
ruined away in balloon. Please take US down. -


Dimly comprehending the situation, the farmer,
getting hold of dangling rope, succeeded in pull
| ing down the balloon. ..
he first Fitted out little Johnnie, who ran rapid
lily a few yards toward the house, then turned
round, and stood for few moments, curiousy
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
bing, she told her wonderful story.


Before sunrise mounted messenger was des-
patched to the Harwood home, with glad tidings
Of great joy. He reached it in the afternoon, and
few hours later the children themselves arrived,
in state, with banners and music, and conveyed in
q covered hay-wagon and four. .....


Joy-bells were rung in the neighboring town,
and in the farmer brown house the happiest IA
mily on the Continent thanked God that night.


1t would seem that this comet had some occult
maddening influence on balloons, for during its
appearance there occurred in another Western
State an involuntary ascension, similar to the one
have related but more tragical in its ternina-
ton.


An aronaut while, if I remember rightly, re-
pairing the network Of his balloon, was seated on
slight wooden cross-piece, suspended under it
the car having been removed, and the balloon be,
ing held in its position, few feet from the ground
by merely rope in the hands of an assistant.
From too careless grasp, this rope escaped, end
in an instant the gigantic bubble shot upward, car
rying the aronaut on his frail support; rider
more helpless than Mazeppa bound to his Ukraine
stsed; voyager more hopeless than ashipwreck.
ed sailor afoat on spar on the ocean.


The balloon rose rapidly, but unsteadily, sway,
| ing and pitching in the evening wind. AS long as
it remained in sight, the form of the seronaut
could be distinguished, swinging beneath it. And
as he was known to be man of uncommon nerve
and presence of mind, it was hoped that even from
his dizzy perch he might manage to operate on the
valve, or at least to puncture a small hole in the
balloon, and thus effect descent But such Of


forts, if he made any, were vain, as for many day:
and nights, there was anxious inquiry and patien
: search over wide extent Of country, with no re
suit. At last in wild spot, the wreck of thu
balloon was found, and that was all. Still, wifely
love hoped on, until, month or two later, some
children nutting in wood, many miles away from
where the balloon was found, discovered, half bu
ried in the ground, strange dark mass, that look
ed like heap of old clethes but that there was
; something shapeless and fearful, holding it to
gether.


4 1t was thought that the aronaut parted com


pany from his balloon by loosening his hold on th'
cords above him, in desperate efforts to open th'
valve but he may, after whirng in swift vortices
lor plunging and mounting through cloudy abysse