FARMER JOHN'S RETURN 
was swaying lazily backward and forward iu 
the evening air. It was a good der.l out of 
wind and was a sleepy and innocent, monster 
In the eyes of the farmer who, with the own¬ 
er's permission, led It up to his house where, 
as he said, he could hitch it to his fonoe. But 
beforo he had thus secured it, the three chil¬ 
dren. aged respectively ten, eight and three, 
begged him to lift them u Into that big basket,’* 
that they might “alt on those pretty red cush¬ 
ions." 
While tiie attention of the seronsiut was di¬ 
verted by more curious questioners from a 
neighboring farm, this rash father lifted his 
darlings one by one Into the car. Chubby little 
Johnny proved the “ ounce too much" for the 
aerial camel and brought him to the ground; 
and then, unluckily, not the baby but the eld¬ 
est hope of the family, was lifted out. The re¬ 
lief was too great for the monster. The vola¬ 
tile creature’s spirit rose at once; he jerked 
his halter out of hi* father's hand and, with a 
wild bound, rnountod into the air! Vain was 
the atronaut's anchor. It caught for a moment 
iu a fence; but It tore away and was off, dang¬ 
ling uselessly after the runaway balloon, which 
bo swiftly and steadily rose that in a few min¬ 
utes those two little white faces, peering over 
the edge of the oar, grew indistinct, and those 
piteous cries of "Papa!" “Mamma!" grow 
faint and fainter up in the air. 
When distance and twilight mists had swal¬ 
lowed up voices and faces, .md nothing could 
bo seen hut the dark, cruel shape, sailing trium¬ 
phantly away with its precious booty, like an 
aariat privateer, the poor father sank down 
helpless and speechless; hut the mother, fran- 
tio with grief, still stretched her yearning arms 
toward the inexorable heavens and called wild¬ 
ly into the unanswering void. 
Thercronaut strove to console the wretched 
parents with assurances that the balloon would 
descend within thirty miles of the town, and 
that all might lie well with the children, pro¬ 
vided that it did not come down iu the water 
or in deep woods. In the event of its descend¬ 
ing in a favorable spot. lie thought that the 
older child might stepout, leaving the younger 
in the balloon. Then it might again arise and 
continue Its voyage. 
“Ah, no,” replied the mother ; “Jenny would 
never stir from the car without Johnny In hor 
arms." 
The balloon passed directly over the market 
town and the children, seeing many people In 
the streets, stretched out their hands and called 
loudly for help. But the villagers, though they 
saw th® bright little heads, heard un calls. 
Amazed at thestrangoapparltion.thcy might, 
have thought the translated little creatures 
small angel navigators, on some voyuge of dis¬ 
covery, some little cherubic venture of their 
own as, heading toward the rosy cloudlands 
and purple islands of sunset splendor, they 
suited deeper Into the West and faded away. 
Some company they had, poor little sky- 
waifs ! Something comforted them and allayed 
their wild terrors—something whiaperod that 
below the night and clouds was homo; that 
above was God; that wherever they might drift 
or clash, living or dead, they would still be in 
Ills domain and under Ills care—that though 
borne away among the stars, they could not be 
lost, for His love would follow them. 
When the sunlight all wont away and the 
great comet came blazing out, litcle Johnxy 
was apprebenstve that the comet might come 
too near their airy craft and sot It on Arc with 
a whisk of its dreadful tail. But when his sis¬ 
ter assured him that the fiery dragon was “ as 
much as twenty miles away," and that God 
wouldn't let hiul hurt them, bo was tranqull- 
ized, but soon afterward said, “ l wish ho would 
come a little nearer so 1 could warm myself 
I'm so cold!" 
Then JiiHNTK took off her apron and wrapped 
it about the child, saying tenderly, “ Tills is all 
sister has to make you warm, darling; butshe ll 
hug you close in her arms and we will say our 
prayers and you shall go to sleep." 
“Why, how can I say my prayers before I 
have my supper?” asked little Johnny. 
“Sister hasn't any supper for you or for her¬ 
self. but wo must pray all the harder," solemnly 
replied JrnnIK. 
So the two baby wanderers, alone in the w ide 
heavens, unawed by darkness, immensity and 
the millions of unpitytng stars, lirted their 
little clasped bands and sobbed out their sor¬ 
rowful “Our Fatber," and that quaint little 
supplementary prayer: 
Now 1 lay mn down to sleep, 
1 pray tUo ho HD my soul to keep; 
UI should rtlo before I wake. 
I 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 Dlvlno Love stooped to the little 
ones and folded thorn In perfect peace; for soon 
the younger, uoatod on the bottom of the car, 
with his head leaning against his sister's knee, 
slept as soundly as though he were lying in liis 
own little bod at homo, while the elder watched 
through the long, long hours, and tho car float¬ 
ed gently on in tho still night air till It begun 
to sway and rook on the fresh morning wind. 
Who cun divine that simple little child's 
thoughts, speculations and wild Imaginings 
while watching through those hours ? She may 
have feared coming In collision with a meteor 
—for many were abroad that night, scouts and 
heralds of the great comet—or, perhaps being 
cast away on some desolate star-island; or, 
more dreary still, floating and floating on, night 
and day, till they should both die of cold and 
hunger. Poor babes in tho clouds! 
At length a happy chance or Providence—we 
will say Providence — guided tho little girl’s 
wandering hand to a cord connected with the 
valve; something told her to pull It. At once 
tb® balloon began to sink; slo vly and gently, 
as though some celestial pilot guided It through 
the wild currants of air, not letting It drop 
Into lake or river, lofty wood nr impenetrable 
swamp, where this strange, unchlldllke exper¬ 
ience might have been closed by a death of 
unspeakable horror—but causing U to descend 
as softly as a bird alights on a spot where 
human care and pity awaited it. 
The sun had not yet risen; but tho morning 
twilight had coino when the little girl, looking 
over the edge of tho car, saw the dear old earth 
coming nearer—" rising towards them,” she 
said. But when tho oar stopped, to her great 
disappointment it was not on the ground but 
caught fast in the topmost branches of n tree. 
Yet she saw t hey wore near a house whence 
help might soon come, so she awakened her 
brother and told him the good news, and to¬ 
gether they watoliod and waited for deliver¬ 
ance, hugging each other for Joy and warmth, 
for they were cold. 
Farmer Burton, who lived in a lonely house 
on the edge of his own private prairie, was a 
famous sleeper in general; hut.on this particu¬ 
lar morning he awoke beforo the dawn, and 
though he turned and turned again, he could 
sleep no more. So at last, he said to his good 
wife, whom ho had kindly awakone i to inform 
her of his unaccountable wakefulness, “ It's no 
use; I'll just got up and dress and have a look 
at the comet.” 
The next, that worthy woman heard from her 
wakeful spousa was a hasty summons to tho 
outer door. It seems that no sooner did he 
step forth from bis house than his eyes fell on 
a strange, portentous shape hanging on a largo 
pear tree, about twenty yards 
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 
Home from Ms Journey Farmer John 
Arrived tills morning safe and sound ; 
His black coal off, and his old clothes on. 
“ Now I'm mysellsays Funner John ; 
And he thinks. “ I'll look around.” 
Up leaps the dog; “ Get down, you pup I 
Axe you so glad yon would eat me up?” 
The old cow lows at the gate to meet him 
" Well. well, old Bay I 
“ Ha, ha, old Gray ! 
Do you get good feed when 1 am away ?' 
“ You have not a rtb !” suvs Farmer John ; 
" The cattle arc looking round und sleek ; 
The colt Is going to be n roan, 
And a hominy too; how lie has grown 1 
We'H wrr.n the calf next week.” 
Puvs Farmer John, “When I've been off. 
To coil you again about the trough, 
And watch vou. and pet you, while you drink 
Is h greater comfort thun you can think i” 
And ho pats old liny, 
And lie slaps old Gray: 
*’ Ah, this is the comfort of going away I" 
“ For after nil,” says Farmer John, 
" The beet of a Journey Is getting home. 
I've seen great sights; but would! give 
This spot, and the peaceful life 1 live, 
For Mil their Paris and Home? 
These hills for the city's stifled air, 
And big hotels all bustle and glare, 
TaiuI ail houses, and roads all stones. 
That deafen your ears and batter your bones ? 
Would you. old Bay? 
Would yon, old Gray 1 
That's what one gets by going away I" 
"There Money is king," »nys Farmer John, 
“And Fashion Is queen: and it’s mighty queer 
To see how sometimes, while the man. 
Raking and scraping all ho can, 
The wife spoons every year 
Enough you would think tor a score of wives, 
To keep them In luxury ull their lives! 
The town is a perfect Babylon 
To a quiet ebap,” sajs Fanner John. 
' You see. old Bay. 
You see. old Gruy, 
J‘m wiser than when 1 went away. 
" I've found out tills." says Farmer John, 
" That happiness l- not bought and sold. 
And clutched tn n life of waste and hurrv, 
In nights of plea>uie and days of worry: 
And wealth Isn’t all In gold, 
Mortgage and stocks and too per cent.. 
But tn simple ways and sweet content. 
Few wants, pure hopes, und noble ends. 
Some land to till, and a few good friends, 
Like you, old Hay, 
And you. old Gray. 
That's what I’ve learned by going away.” 
And a happy man Is Farmer John, 
O, a rich and happy imn is lie; 
He sees the peas aud pumpkins growing. 
The corn in labels, the buckwheat blowing, 
Aud fruit on vino and lr» t; 
The lurge, kind oven look their thanks 
A* he mbs their foreheads amt strokes their flanks 
The doves light round him, and strut and coo. 
bays Farmer John. “ I'll take you too, 
Aud you. old Bay, 
And you. old Gray. 
Next time 1 travel so faraway |” 
BABES IN THE OLOUDS 
A. TRUE fcJTOIiY 
Just ten years ago there sud¬ 
denly burst upon the Western 
world amagnlilcent stranger from 
foreign parts, with nil his “ trav¬ 
eling glories on." It. was the 
great comet of 18oS on the grand 
tour of the universe. 
It seemed strange that petty 
human life could go on as usual, 
with its eating and drinking, 
tolling, trafficking and pleasur¬ 
ing, while that "flaming minis¬ 
ter," on his hlllnn-leagued cir¬ 
cuit. was preaching the wonders 
of Infliiito immensity and power 
and the nothingneBsof oarth. The 
comet no longer runs his kindling 
race, like Ylch-Alpine's hench¬ 
man, with iiia fiery cross, an¬ 
nouncing war and disaster. 
" Herald of buttle, fate and fear." 
Ho iu ou ids own business, not 
ours. 
Under lire tail of this particular 
comet doubtless many a tale ol' 
love was told—in the light of his 
swift splendors many a tender 
look exchanged. The astronomer 
coolly swept the starry Hold with 
his glass, unawed by the irreg¬ 
ular night-guard patrolling the 
heavens, and the robber and 
murderer disdained tho awful 
witness. Ho left us as he found 
us—joined to our mortal idols, 
wise in our own conceit, weak 
and worldly and wicked, but no 
castaways of the universe after 
ail. 
We remember that comet sum¬ 
mer, not so much for its great 
astronomical event as for a singu¬ 
lar iocident that, nearly touched 
our humnu sympathies, which 
will grovel in poor earthly affairs, 
eveu within sight of the most 
august celestial phenomena. 
One pleasant Saturday after¬ 
noon during the comet’s appear¬ 
ance an seronaut, after a pros¬ 
perous voyage, descended upon 
a farm in the neighborhood of a 
large market town In one of the 
Western States. He was soon 
surrounded by a curious group of 
the farmer’s family and laborers, 
all asking eager questions about 
the voyage and the management 
of the balloon. That, secured by 
an anchor and a rope In the hand 
of the ceronaut, Its car being a 
foqt or two above the ground, 
tic lore sunrise a mouutod mes- 
senger was dispatched to the Hui - 
./£! wood home with glad Goings of 
great joy. He reached i in the 
afternoon and a few In m later 
Shi the children arrived, instate w 'h 
hanners and music and covered 
|H>, hay wagon and four. 
Joy - bells wore rung in the 
neighboring town, and in the 
ppF farmer’s brown house the hap¬ 
piest family on the continent 
thanked God that night.. 
LITTLE MOZAET, 
One evening in Vienna there 
was a grand concert in the palace 
of the Empress of Austria, Maria 
Thercse, wife of the Emperor, 
Francis I. 
The most brilliant society had 
already assembled in the saloons . 
On every Side one saw nothing 
but plumes, diamonds, ombio d- 
ered coats, sparkling die: sec, 
when, to the great astonishment 
of everybody, a man, very hum¬ 
bly dressed, followed by two chil- 
TT^Fl CiE-TIXsJD’S THE FATHER TO THE TvIaVZST. 
A little model the father wrought, Which should be to the perfect plan What the child is to the man 
