Year: 1875

"Sister hasn't any supper for you
or herself, but we must pray all the
harder" solemnly responded the lit
tie Jennie.


So the two baby wanderers, alone
in the wide heavens, unawed by dark
ness, immensity and silence, by the
presence of the great comet, and the
millions of IMPLYING stars, lifted
their little hands and sobbed out
their sorrowful "Our Father" and
then that quaint little supplementary
prayer :


''Now lay me down to sleep,


1 pray the Lord my soul to keep
If should die before l wake,
pray the Lord my soul to take"


'There, God heard that easy !; for
We are close to him up here" said
innocent little Johnny.


Doubtless divine love stopped to
the little ones, and folded them in
perfect peace. For soon the younger,
sitting Oh the bottom of the car, with
his head leaning against his sisters
knee, sleept as soundly as through he
were lying in his own little bed at
home while the sister watched
| quie tly through the long, long,
hours, and the car foated gently on
the still night air, till it began to
sway and rock on the fresh morning
breeze.


At length happy providence
guided the little girls wandering
hand to a cord connecting the valve;
something told her to pull it.


At once the balloon began to sink,
slowly and gently, as thought let
down by gentle hands, or as though
some celestial pilot guided it through
the wild currents of air, not letting
it drop into lakes or rivers, leafy
wood or impenetrable swamp, where
this strange, unch'ldlike experience
might have been closed by a death
of unspeakable horror but causing
1t to descend as bird alights on a
spot where care and human pity
awaited it.


The sun had not yet risen, but the
morning twilight had come, when
the little girl, looking over the edge
Of the car, saw the dear old earth
coming rising to ward
them," she said. But when the car
stopped, to her great diSsappoint-
ment, it was not on the ground, but
caught fast in the topmost branch of
a tree. Yet she saw they were near
a house whence help might soon
come, so she awakened her brother
and told him the good news, and
together they watched and waited
for deliveranee, hugging each other
for JOY and warmth, for they were
very cold.


Farmer Buxton, 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 he
awoke his wife and said "It's no
use Tll just get up and have look
at the comet"


The next she heard was frighten-
ed summons at the door. 1t seems
that no sooner did he step from the
house than his eyes fell on strange
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 lights, had come down there to
perch. In his fright and perplexity
he did what every wise man would
do in like extremity. Reinforced
by her he drew near the tree, eau
tiouslyreconnoitering. Surely, pear
tree never bore such precious fruit !!
Suddenly there descended from the
thing a plaintive, trembling little
voice, "Please take us down we're
so 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 "We
are Mrs. Harwood's little boy and
girl and we are lost in a balloon"


The second little voice said "It's
us, and we ruined away in balloon.
Please take us down."


Dimly comprehending the situa-
ton, the farmer, getting hold of a
dangling rope, succeeded in pulling
down the balloon. He first lifted
out little Johnny, who ran rapidly
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 sobbing, she
told her wonderful story. Before
sunrise a mounted messenger was
sent to the Harwood home, with the
glad tidings of great joy. He reach
ed it in the afternoon, and few
hours later the children themselves
arrived. Joy bells were rung in
the neighboring town, and in the
farmers brown house the happiest
family on the continent thanked
God that night.