Year: 1875

the Wlue heavens, unaWeu Dy uarKnGSS,
immensity 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:
If should die before l wake,
l pray the Lord my soul to take.


"There! God heard that, easy ; for
we are close to Him up here" said inno-
cent little Johnny.


Doubtless Divine love stopped to the
little ones and folded them in perfect
peacc-for soon tho younger, seated OH
the bottom of the car, with his head
leaning against his sisters knee, slept as
soundly rs though he were lying in his
own little bed ut home, while the elder
watched through the long, long hours,
and the car tioated gently on i'll the still
night air, till it begun 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 COM
ing in collision with n mcteor-for many
were abroad that night, scouts and her
aids of the great comct-or, perhaps
being cast away on some desolate star
island, or more ureary still, floating and
floating on, night and day, till they
should both die of cold and hunger.
Poor babes in the clouds.


AT length, happy chance, or Provi-
dence-we will say Provideuce-guidcd
the little girls wandering hand to cord
connected with tho valve something
told her to pull it. IAt once the balloon
began to sink, slowly and gently, as
though some celestial pilot guided it
through the wild currents of air, not let
ting it drop into lake, or river, lofty
wood, or impenetrable swamp, where
this strange, unchild-likc experience
might have been closed by death of I'M
speakable horror but causing it to de-
scend as softly rs bird alights, on
spot where human care and pity awaited


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
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





were 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 delivGrance,
hugging each other for JOY and warmth,
for they were 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, Mt last, he said to his good
wife, whom he had kindly awakened to
inform her of his unaccountable wakeful-
ness, cts no use, I'll just get up and
dress, and have look at the comet"


The next that worthy woman heard
from her wakeful spouse was q hasty
summons to the outer door. 1t seems
that no sooner did he step forth from his
house than his eyes fell on strange por-
tentous shape, hanging on large pear
tree, about twenty yeards distant He
could see no likeness in it to anything
earthly, and he half fancied that it might
be the comet, who, having put out his
light, had come down there to perch
In his fright and perplexity he did what
every wise man would do in n like ex-
tremity; he called upon his valiant wife.
Reinforced by her he drew near the tree,
cautiously accommodating. Surely pear
tree never bore such fruit.


Suddenly there descended from the
thing plaintive, trembling little voice:
"Please take us down. We are very
cold"


Then a second little voice said: "And
hungry, too. Please take us down."


Why, who are you9 And where
are you?"


The first little voice said: cts us,
and we runned away with balloon.
Please take us down"


Dimly comprehending the situation,
the farmer, getting hold of n dangling
rope, succeeded in pulling down the
balloon.


The 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 bal
loon. The faithful little sister was 50
chilled and exhausted that she had to
be carried Into the house, whore, trem-
bling, she told tho wonderful story.


Before sunrise n mounted messenger
was dispatched to the Harwood home,
with glad tidings of great Joy. He reach
ed it in the afternoon, and n few hours
later the children themselves arrived in
state, with banners and music, and con
veyed in a covered hay-wagon and four.


Joy-bells were rUng in the neighboring
town, and in the farmers brown house
the happiest family on the continent
thanked God that night.


1t would seem that this comet had
some occult maddening influence on tho
balloons, for during its appearance there
occurred in another Western State an in