Year: 1873

The angels keep account in heaven.


The Babes in the Clouds.


You have often heard wondrous tale:


of the ways in which God has preserved


his children from great perils, but it is


not every day that one hears of his


steering two little babes safely through


the clouds.


1t is true tale which I am about to


tell you, and took place about fourteen


years ago. Perhaps you may have heard


that in the year 1858 large comet ap-


peared in the sky. A comet is a star


with long tail of fire. In appearance


this was something like large station


ary rocket, and looked very bright


and pretty object after nightfall. tat


tracted the attention of all star-gazers,


and many were the conjectures of those


who saw it blazing so brightly, as to


whether there was any danger to our


globe from a collision with it.


On a pleasant Saturday afternoon at


this time two little boys and girl, the


children of farmer named Mr.. Har-


wood, were playing together in the gar


den around their home, farm situated
in the neighborhood of large market


town, in one of the Western States.
The eldest boy was about ten years old ;
Jenny, the little girl, eight; and john
ny, the youngest, only three. They
would have found no lack of amuse-
ment this evening had they only had
their usual toys to play with; but
strange event occurred, which astonish-
ed not only themselves, but their par
ents and the laborers employed on the
farm. A curious object made its ap-
pearance in the sky, seeming at first
scarcely more than small speck, but
growing momently larger and larger.
1t could not be the comet arriving ear
lier than usual, for it was dark, not
fiery. At last it descended on the farm
itself, and proved to be balloon.


Mr.. Harwood and all the farm labor
ers assembled around it, and began
eagerly to question the aronaut (as a
man who travels in balloon is called)
about his voyage, and the way in which
he managed to pilot the balloon through
the clouds. While he was satisfying
their curiosity the balloon was kept
from rising merely by small anchor
and rope, which the owner held in
his hand. 1t was much out of wind
and the farmer, as he observed it sway
ing backward and forward lazily in the
air, was far from suspecting what
dangerous thing it could prove were it
rashly tampered with. He told the
owner he thought he could "hitch it in
his fence" and with his permission
took possession of it, while the aronaut
continued to answer the numerous ques-
tions addressed to him.


The children, of course, eagerly fol-
lowed their father, anxious to see as
much as they could of the wonderful
strange monster. They then made the
request-the first which always occurs
to children in their circumstances-"to |
be lifted inside the big basket, and to
be allowed to set on the pretty red cush-
IONS" Not dreaming of danger, he
readily complied, putting in first the
eldest boy, then Jenny, and lastly baby
Johnny. Holding on the rope, he al
lowed them to mount up in the sky,
higher than the tops of the houses and
the trees, greatly to their delight. At
last Mr.. Harwood drew them down
again to the ground, and lifted out the
biggest boy. The relief of his weight
unfortunately proved so great that the
balloon rose Immediately; with wild
bound it jerked the rope out of the
hand, and sprang into the air.
Utterly useless did the anchor prove to
keep it to the earth. 1t caught for
in the fence, then tore away,
and dangled down vainly from that
side.


What could have been the fathers
feelings, and the poor mothers, who at
the alarm came hurrying to the spot, as
they saw that dark, cruel object carry
ing away their darlings, whose faces
grew moment1y more indistinct, and
their piteous cries to papa and mamma
to help them fainter and fainter. They
turned to the aronaut, who had discov-
cred their imprudence when too late;
but .alasl he. was powerless to assist
them. The only consolation he had to
offer was that the balloon could not
travel more than thirty miles farther.


But where would it descend? Per-
haps in the middle of the sea, or river,
or in the center Of dense forest where
the unfortunate little ones might per-
ish with hunger undiscovered. Even if
it should alight in favorable situation
there was the fear that the eldest child
would step out first, and the sudden re-
lief would cause the balloon to spring
up with the younger one into the air.


40, that 1 do not fear for moment,"
exclaimed the poor mother, with faint
ray of hope; "dear little Jenny would
never stir from the car without Johnny
in her arms"


When the last vestige of the balloon
had disappeared, the poor father sank
down helpless and speechless; but the
nearly frantic with grief, still
her arms towards heaven, and
called wildly after her darlings.


In the meantime how did it fare with
our poor little friends in the balloon?
Fortunately Jenny was a good little
girl, and had been well instructed by
her parents. Although each moment
she knew left home farther and farther
beneath them, was not God in the sky
above them? 1t seemed almost rs
though they were nearer to him now
than when ON earth, although, of course
God is everywhere. She told Johnny
of this, and in trying to comfort him
comforted herself.


The balloon passed directly over the
market town. Many people were in
the streets, and the children seeing them
stretchd ont their hands and cried to
them for help which, of course, they