CHAPTER II.
1847-1854 MISS MITCHELL'S COMET--EXTRACTS FROM DIARY--THE COMET Miss Mitchell spent every clear evening on the house-top "sweeping" the heavens.
No matter how many guests there might be in the parlor, Miss Mitchell would slip out, don her regimentals as she called them, and, lantern in hand, mount to the roof.
On the evening of Oct.

1, 1847, there was a party of invited guests at the Mitchell home.

As usual, Maria slipped out, ran up to the telescope, and soon returned to the parlor and told her father that she thought she saw a comet.

Mr.Mitchell hurried upstairs, stationed himself at the telescope, and as soon as he looked at the object pointed out by his daughter declared it to be a comet.

Miss Mitchell, with her usual caution, advised him to say nothing about it until they had observed it long enough to be tolerably sure.