secured by an anchor and a rope in the hand of the aeronaut, its car but a foot or two above the ground, was swaying lazily backward and forward in the evening air.

2. It seemed a sleepy and innocent monster in the eyes of the farmer, who, with the owner's permission, led it up to his house, where, as he said, he could

"hitch" it to his fence. But before he thus secured it, his three children, aged respectively ten, eight, and three, begged him to put them "into that big basket," that they might sit on "those pretty red cushions.”

3. While the attention of the aeronaut was diverted2 by more curious questioners from a neighboring farm, the rash father put his darlings, one by one, into the car. Chubby little Johnnie proved the "ounce too much" for the balloon, and brought it to the ground; and then, unluckily, not the baby, but the eldest hope of the family, was lifted out. The relief was too great for the monster. The volatile3 creature's spirits rose at once; he jerked his halter out of the farmer's hand, and with a wild bound mounted into the air.

4. Vain was the aeronaut's anchor. It caught for a moment in a fence; but it tore away, and was off, dangling uselessly after the runaway balloon, which so swiftly and steadily rose that in a few minutes those two little white faces, peering over the edge of the car, grew indistinct, and those piteous cries of "Father!" "Mother!" grew faint and fainter, up in the air.

5. When distance and twilight mists had swallowed up voices and faces, and nothing could be seen but that dark, cruel shape, sailing triumphantly away, with its precious booty, like an aerial privateer,5 the poor father sank down helpless and speechless; but the mother, frantic with grief, still stretched her yearning arms towards the pitiless heavens, and called wildly up into the unanswering void.

6. The aeronaut strove to console the wretched parents with assurances that the balloon would de

scend within thirty miles of the town, and that all might be well with the children, provided it did not come down in water or in deep woods. In the event of its descending in a favorable spot, there was but one danger to be apprehended: the elder child might step out, leaving the younger in the balloon. Then it might rise again, and continue its voyage.

7. "Ah, no," replied the mother; "Jennie would never stir from the car without Johnnie in her arms."

8. The balloon passed directly over the town, and the children, seeing many persons in the streets, stretched out their hands, and cried loudly for help. But the towns-people, though they saw the bright little heads, heard no call.

9. Amazed at the strange sight, they might almost have thought the little creatures small angel navigators on some voyage of discovery, as heading towards the rosy cloud-lands and purple islands of sunset splendor, they sailed deeper and deeper into the west, and faded away.

10. Some comfort they had, poor little sky-waifs.7 Something comforted them, and allayed their wild terrors; something whispered them that below the night and the clouds was their home, and that above was God; that wherever they might drift, living or dead, they would still be in his domain, and under his care.

11. When the sunlight all went away, and little Johnnie complained of the chill night air, Jennie took off her apron, and wrapped it about the child, saying tenderly, "This is all sister has to make you warm, darling; but she'll hug you close in her arms, and we will say our prayers, and you shall go to sleep."

12. "Why, how can I say my prayers before I have my supper?" asked little Johnnie.

13. Sister hasn't any supper for you, or for herself; but we must pray all the harder," solemnly responded9 Jennie.

14. So the two baby wanderers, alone in the wide heavens, lifted up their little clasped hands, and said their prayers, as they were wont. There! God heard that easy, for we are close to him, up here," said innocent little Johnnie.

15. Doubtless Divine Love stooped to the little ones, and folded them in perfect peace. Soon the younger, sitting on the bottom of the car, with his head leaning against his sister's knee, slept as soundly as though he were lying in his little bed at home. In the mean while the elder watched quietly through the long, long hours, and the car floated gently on in the still night air, till it began to sway and rock on the fresh morning wind.

16. At length, a happy chance, or Providence, we will say Providence, guided the little girl's wandering hand to a cord connected with the valve.10 Something told her to pull it. At once the balloon began to sink, slowly and gently, as though let down by tender hands, not into lake or river, lofty wood or lonely swamp, but causing it to descend, as softly as a bird alights, on a spot where human care and pity awaited it.

17. 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 branches. 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 rescue, hugging each other for joy and for warmth, for they were very cold.

18. Farmer Barton, who lived in a lonely house, on the edge of his own private prairie, was awake and abroad earlier than usual that particular morning. No sooner did he step from his house, than his eyes fell upon a strange object hanging in a large pear tree, about twenty yards distant. He had never seen anything like it before, and in his fright and perplexity, he did what every wise man would do in a like extremity: 11 he called on his valiant 12 wife. Re-enforced 13 by her, he drew near the tree, slowly and cautiously. Surely never pear tree bore such fruit!

19. Suddenly there was heard from the thing a plaintive, trembling little voice-"Please take us down. We are very cold."

20. Then a second little voice-"And hungry too. Please take us down."

21. "Why, who are you, and where are you?"

22. The first little voice said, "We are Mr. Harwood's little boy and girl, and we are lost in a balloon.”

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

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24. Dimly comprehending the situation, the farmer, getting hold of a dangling 1 rope, succeeded in pulling down the balloon. He first lifted out little Johnnie, who ran rapidly a few yards towards the house, then turned round, and stood for a few moments curiously surveying the balloon. The faithful little sister was so chilled