Newspaper Page Text
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VOL. VI
J. H. & W. B. SEAL!?
EDITORS AND
PROPRIETORS.
ATLANTA, GA., NOVEMBER 13, 1880.
lermsin Advances {
NO. 275
tfHE WIFE\S|GARI»EN.
BY B. F. SAWYER.
I've a rose in my garden,
A blushing red rose,
So daintily lovely,
The fairest that blows—
As fresh as the morning,
As pure as the dew;
And it blooms for my darling,
Blooms, darling, for you;
Yes, all for my darling—
My darling, for vou.
I've a snowy-white lily
Reclining so fair,
Where the breath of the oranee
Perfumes the glad air;
And lily and orange,
And blushing rose, too,
With the dainty, wee daisy,
Are blooming for you;
Yes, all for my darling—
My darling, for you.
I’ve a bird in my garden,
A flute-throated bird,
Whose song is the sweetest
That ever was heard.
It comes ev’ry evening
At fall o’ the dew.
And sings of my darling,
Yes, darling, of you;
A sweet song of gladness,
My darling, of you.
Atlanta, Ga„ November 2,18*0.
* H
A VOYAGE
IN A BALLOON
By Richard Pcnfleld, of Valdosta.
CHAPTER I.
Ten long years have elapsed since I bade
farewell-to the classical shades of dear old
, Atbens.at&flejQKtfd new, i again to return.
XMrlong years wnierpTt nave Spent.in pleas- f
ure-seeking and ceaseless wandering from
place to place, satisfying my craving thirst
for travel. I remember In my boyhood days,
when dreaming of the far famed foreign
lands and picturing to my minds eye. in
glowing colors, the various scenes I desired
to visit, my motto was: “When I’m a man
I’ll be a rover forevermore.” But now after
ten years of it, after “doing” England, Ger
many, France, Italy and the East, I, Edward
Norton, am weary of it and my heart craves
the old scenes and early associations.
As I sit here to-night thinking—“fancy
unto^ancy linking,” I have as vivid a recol
lection of those last days at Athens and the
Bummer following as if it were but yesterday.
I remember that when the tiresome routine
of the commencement would be over, I was
to visit my uncle, Ralph Fairfield, who lived
upon a large plantation, called Fairfields,
within a mile of Chattanooga, Tenn. Walter
Bates, my room-mate and best friend, was
to accompany me, and we intended spending
the holidays in hunting, fishing and various
other amusements which. might fall in our
way.
The commencement was over at last, my
friend Walter bearing off the first honor—
for which I was heartily glad—and we were
en route for Fairfields. Just freed from the
restraints of College life, how joyous and
light of heart we felt on that cool summer
morning as we sped along oyer hill and
vale in the wake of the great, puffing, snort
ing iron horse with the odoriferous breezes
from across the woodlands and meadows
fanning our flushed cheeks.
We arrived at Chattanooga at 5 o’clock P.
M., and as no one was there to meet us, we
started out to make the remainder of the
journey on foot. It now being summer, the
surrounding country was beautiful, even the
mountain tops being clothed in green.
To the right of us, far away in the hazy
distance we could see the Raccoon Mountains,
with their deep blue tops all glimmering
with the reflected gold of dying sunlight.
To the left was Lookout Mountain standing
alone with its huge bulk outlined against the
sky and rearing its lofty beAd to heaver,
monarch of the surrounding world. Just
now we gained an eminence and there, spread
out before us was the valley of the Tennessee.
Ah, how beautiful it was] The Tennessee
river, in whose waters were now reflected
the last rays of the setting sun, with many a
graceful curve, wound slowly through the
valley like a silver band.
Very soon we came in sight of Fairfields,
a pleasant, old fashioned country house, em
bowered in trees and standing among green
fields and flowery woodlands, with a pleas
ant air of peace and quiet overspreading the
whole. Up the avenue lined with elms we
walked and ascending the steps, stood upon
the veranda which encircled the house. There
we were met and cordially welcomed by
uncle Ralph, who conducted us into the house
where we exchanged greetings with the
whole family. These consisted of Aunt
Margaret, Robert the first born, one year
my senior, Claudia and Janet aged respec
tively sixteen and eighteen, and last of all,
several of the invariable small boys of va
rious sizes that infest every family.
In the days that followed I need scarcely
state that the time passed pleasantly. Every
day that came we either went on a deer hunt
in the mountains or fishing for trout in the
Tennessee, or better still on a picnic, in
which all the family joined.
Thus the days flew pleasantly by until a
month was past, when one evening W alter
and I with all the family were sitting out on
the veranda in the twilight. I remember
sitting there listening to the soft, low, melo
dious sound of the breeze coming through
the pines. They call it “the whisper of the
pines” and very appropriately; for what a
peculiar sound; it is suggestive of something so
indefinably weird and awesome that lan
guage is inadequate to describe it.
As I said before, we were all sitting on the.
veranda, except the children, who had been
sent to Chattanooga on some errand.
“What keeps the children*” said aunt Mar
garet, as she arose and looked anxiously
down the avenue.
“There they are now,” said uncle Ralph.
And so they w%re. Just then they rushed
pell mell into the house, all talking at once
and seemingly greatly excited. It appeared
as a reason for their excitement that they
anything of the sort. Where is our balloon
to come from?” said Walter.
“Nor I either,” said Robert. “What can
you mean? What’s your plan?”
“Why simply this: do you not remember
what the children said to-night about the
showman and the balloon they saw in Chat
tanooga? Well, all we will have to do will
be to go there and offer to pay him to take us
with him on his voyage.”
To this they all agreed, and we decided to
go to Chattanooga next morning. Thus we
separated for the night, with a parting ad
monition from unc'e Ralph that we should
attempt nothing unless the balloon proved
perfectly safe.
Accordingly, on the following morning, we
three, Walter. Robert and I set out for Chat
tanooga as soon as breakfast was over.
When we arrived, we found the town filled
with country people and darkles who will
walk forty miles on the shortest notice if they
happen to scent a ciicus. Following the
crowd we came to the place of rendezvous.
There, we saw a man, a pair of raw-boned
horses hitched to an equally dilapidated wag
on, but no balloon, as far as we could see.
Approaching nearer, we saw it spread out on
grass, containing many rents and darned
places, in answer to our questions as to the
cause of this, the man said:
“She’s ben through the rubs, young sirs. I
tell you she hev. I brung her all the way
from Californy in that thar team an’ she
kotched more no wbat was had fur ’er, which
is rain, than she did of w hat was good fur ’er,
which issun.” The value of which philosoph
ical remark was greatly enhanced by the
queer way he shook his l ead to one side and
obseived us out of one eye.
Upon our erquirirg when he intended
making an ascension, besaidhedidnotkncw,
as be bed ro money to make the necessary
repairs. "We then offered to advance the
money with the understanding that heshould
take us cn a pleasure trip of indefinite length.
To this he consented gladly.
Accordingly we procured w hat things were
necessary, and had balloon and all conveyed
to Faijfields. The man who gave his name
as Zeke Taylor, set to work with a vim, and
in three oays all was ready for departure.
Originally a good helicon, it w as now in splen
did order. Having stored it witn all neces
saries ard everything beirg completed, we
decided to start early next morning.
‘Janet Gazed at the ascending Balloon In Breathless Suspense, hnt Clandia conld not stand it.’
had seen a straggling showman in town with
a balloon, in which, he gave people to under
stand, he would make an ascent on the mor
row. After George, the eldest, had delivered
this piece of information, not without sun
dry corrections from the others as to the
facts of the case, uncle Ralph, looking smil
ingly at aunt Margaret, remarked:
- “Speaking of balloons reminds me of an
incident that occurred some years ago, but
it is almost too romantic for an old chap like
me to repeat. ” . .
“Oh, let us have it by all means if it is any
thing romantic!” cried the girls in a chorus.
“Just like you girls,” said he, “speak of
anything of that nature and you are all at
tention. I verily believe, if such a thing
were possible, you would seldom eat, if at
all, but’live entirely upon Tennyson, Shaks-
peare, Byron and the rest of them. But,
continued he, laughingly, “if my wife will
promise not to be jealous 1 will repeat it.
That lady smiled serenely and he pro-
“It was one summer years ago, when the
incident occurred of which I am about to
speak. I was spending some time at Cape
May, then a fashionable watering place.
There I ingratiated myself into the good
graces of several of the leading belles, but
the one 1 desired most to please was distant
and cold toward me. Mind, I was not in
love with her but felt piqued because she so
studiously avoided me on every occasion,
never allowing me the privileges the others
did. "What her real name was does not mat
ter here: I will call her Flora. The upshot
of the whole affair was that we became
sworn enemies. My persistence angered her
and her haughty indifference humiliated me;
so it stood between us.
This girl was a real mad-csp in her way.
She had set her heart on going on an aerial
voyage and she carried her point. How it
had been arranged I cannot say, but her
father had in some wav procured a balloon,
sentiment of having my revenge in [some
way, I repaired to the place from which the
balloon was to ascend. There was Flora sit
ting in the car, all smiles and in all the glory
of a new imported costume. But her smiles
soon changed to frowns, for just then a man
came up, stating that the owner o f the bal
loon had been suddenly taken sick, and the
projected ascent must be postponed indefi
nitely. Flora wai at her wits’ end. Aban
don her scheme she would not, but what
could she do? Looking enquiringly around
she said:
“is there no one here who understands how
to work this,” pointing at the balloon over
herhead. ”
No one responded and just then it flashed
upon me that now was the opportunity for
having my revenge by giving her a good
scare. Maybe it was wrong in me, but my
pride had been stung to the quick and I did
not stop to consider right or wrong in the
matter. So I stepped forward and climbed
into the car. I could see that she did not
like the turn affairs had taken but there was
no escape for her now, and just then the bal
loon being loosened, we were off like a flash.
Flora was in ecstasies, but she utterly ig
nored my presence, never vouchsafing me
one word. After we had gone quite high
and I thought it time to descend, seeing that
she thought so too—for she had ceased her
ecstatic exclamations—I deliberately picked
up one of the sand bags which had been
placed on board for ballast, and threw it
overboard, then up we flew, more rapidly
than ever. Observing which. Flora turned
about and said tremblingly:
“Mr. Fairfield, is it not time to descend?”
“Oh, no,” said I, with scornful noncha
lance, “on the contrary, I do not wish to de
scend at all. I would much rather go on up
into the frozen regions, for in that event 1
would have the consolation of knowing that
if I could not live, I could at least freeze to
death in company with you.”
it. I onlv meant to give her a gcod scare,
but I was paid back in my own coin, as you
will soon see.
“You inhnman monster!” she hurst out,
“I demand, sir, that we descend instantly.
nee. In 1tcse few nirutes tlaf stoned like
an eternity, as I climbed npw eic with noth
ing tele w me hut the far cistsrt eaith and
nothing above tut tie th e vault cf teaven
Gcd dnows wbat were my ttcughts. God
“Having at length neat bed tie place and
untangled the cold, I w as de:carding with a
lighter, though still quaking heart, w hen sud
denly the balloon, stiuek by a cuirentof air,
lurched heavily forw ard. The shock was so
My father will settle with you for this, meas- knows how I saw my past life in its ewn true
ure for measure!” she exclaimed dramat- j light,
ically. ~
“He will be more likely to measure our
dead bodies for coffins,” said I, cheefully, as
I threw out more ballast.
Then she sat down and covered htr face
with her hands and the tears made their ap- ! gVeat that tbe’rcpes to which I was clinging
pearance forthwith. Women sesm to have j ere wrenched frem my gtasp ar d I felt my-
an inexhaustible store of that commodity. 1 £e ]f fallirg— falling. 1 knew not where. 1
“Well, my lady,” thought I, you are thor- j closed my eyes in despair ard threw out my
oughly frightened and I am revenged, so, • arn s _ clutching wildly for some support,
down we’ll go.” . . Fortunately for me the attempt was not fu-
I quickiy pulled the cord communicating j pjj e My fingers closed over one of the ropee
with the safety-valve, expecting to descend connecting the car with the balloon and in a
like a shot. Imagine my consternation 1 moment more I was lying upon the floor of
when, instead of descending the tallcon flew ] {jje car panting, but safe and polling wildly
upward with unchanged velocity. Wbat upon the valve cord.
could be the matter? Great heavens! sup- J ‘•'When I had sufficiently recovered to he
pose my jest should prove a reality? I able to rise and loook out, I saw that we had
turned sick at the thought. Again I pulled descended so rapidly that in a few minutes
the cord but with the same success as before, more we would reach the earth. And oh!
I stared blankly before me in holpelessbewil ■ the joy of teirg upon terra firma again. As
derment. Was my foolish orav.k to end in a ; £Con as the car rested upon ihe earth, Flora
tragedy* Oh, heaven forbid! Presently 1 r.prarg out and went away among the crowd
roused myself and endeavored to think what with a dumb, scared lockupon her white face
to do. Grasping the cord I leaned far out that haunts me yet. I have never seen her
over the side of the car, and now I saw the since.
cause of the trouble. j “Boys,” concluded uncle Ralph, “if you
“The cord had somehow become entangled ever take a balloon ride, he sure that every-
in the network of small rope that encircled thing is in its proper place before yon start,
the balloon. Now what was to he done* T1 ere lies the greatest danger.”
Clearly there was but one course to he pur- J When uncle Ralph ceased speaking, a si-
sued—but what a dangerous one! leuce fell upen the whole party. As we sat
“I paused not an instant, tot I knew that there I thought how nice it would be to take
life depended upon mv promptness and nerve, a lallccn voyage, although uncle Ralph’s
It was already becoming very cold. Flora came so near ending in a tragedy. But how
lav back upon her seat gazing at me in mute could it be accomplished? Suddenly a bright
despair ^ thought struck me.
“Slowlv I began the perilous ascent up the i “Boys,” said I, “suppose we go on an aerial
side of the balloon. They say that when a , voyage It would be fine fun ”
- - - of his whole j “W ell, Ed, I for one would like it above all
CHAPTER II.
' After href kfast on the following morning,
all the family erme out on the lawn to bid us
fare-well, lhere were tut four to go, Wal
ter, Robert^ Zeke Taylor ard myself. Just
before starting, uncle Ralph handed Robert
a roll of bills, saying:
“Here, Robert, take this. You may need
it, for 1 cannot tell what scrapes you youngs
sters n ay get into before your return. Now,
hoys, be careful. Do nothing rash, but act
like sensible men and you will he all the more
apt to return heme safe.”
“You nean ter be anyways oneasy ’bout
them boys. Mr. Fairfield. They is under my
charge. I calcerlate I’m able ter take car#
uv ’em,” said Zeke sagely, shaking his head
as he mounted the car.
“God speed you and bring you safely
home again,” said aunt Margaret fervently.
And then we took our seats, and amid the
6houts of the children, the hysterical shriek
ing of Janet and Claudia for us to be careful
and the waving of handkerchiefs we wer#
off. Janet gazed after the ascending balloon
in breathless suspense, hut Claudia could not
stand it.
The balloon, like some proud, tropical bird
spreading its wings, rose majestically to the
height of about nine thousand feet; then
striking a northeasterly current of air, bore
off in that direction.
We at first felt too timorous to enjoy it,
but gradually this feeling wore away and
we became lost in wonder at the awful sublim
ity of the prospect, No one can conceive of
its grandeur until he has experienced it.
Just think of being thus suspended between
heaven and earth, and able to see hundreds
of miles in all directions. Spread out beneath
us were the valleys of the Tennessee, Cum
berland and Ohio rivers, everywhere clothed
in living green. Here and there immense
pine forests were dotted over the land with
their deep green tops gently waving in the
morning breeze. While interspersed among
these were spots of meadow land, on which,
just discernible in the distance, were herds
of cattle and sheep quietly grazing.
To the right were the great blue Al-
leghanies running northward, while far away
to the left on the verge of the horizon was
the “Father of Waters,” flowing calmly on
jnst as it did the day Ferdinand de Soto, its
discoverer, perished on its shores.
The deep green of the forests and meadow
lands was relieved by the rivers and creeks
winding through them like eo many threads
of silver. Above all the bright sunlight
flashing down upon the beautiful “dancing,
laughiDg waters,” completed a scene which I
will never forget to my dying day. There it
was, our own dear sunny Southland. Invol
untarily I repeated the lines:
“Oh, give me the land of the long-leafed
pine, , .
The lard of the holly, the cypress and vine.”
All that day we floated along in the same
direction. Zeke had made many voyages
before that be was familiar with every local
ity. He was now a ble to supply the place of
a guide book, so to speak, pointing out all
the principal rivers, cities and mountains over
which we passed during the day, and relat
ing amusing anecdotes of his former voy
ages all the while.
Thus the day passed pleasantly and havmg
had a fair wind we traveled so swiftly that
by nightfall we hed reached a point directly
over New York City. After it grew dark
- - ■” '“-->lan<
After it crew dark
only a dim shadowy outline of thehund could
be seen, and after the city became lighted
up we could scarcely see it at all. And now
myriads of stars came out the heavens above
us, and the thousands of street lamps in .New
Tork and the neighboring cities made just so
many below. Thus we seemed to he sus
pended between two heavens myriads of
stars above ard jnst so many below. The ef
fect was simply superb. .
“Hurrah, toys! ain't this jolly,” cried
Walter as he sarg away at the top of his
voice:
“Up in a balloon, toys, sailirg round the
moon, etc.”
• YVe are up in a tallcon, sure enough, and
pretty well up firing the stars, tut we have
not as vet succeeded in circamravigatmg the
mccn,” remarked Walter diyiy.
Seen after we went below and Turned
[CONCLUDED ON 8th PAGE.]