The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-11-13
From "All the Year Round"
THE BABIES IN TIE CLOUDS.
AN AMERICAN TRUE STORY.

One pleasant Saturday afternoon during
the comets appearance, ten years ago, an
pronaut, after n prosperous voyage. de-
scended upon farm In the nelghbOrhoOd
of large market town, In one OF the west
crn States. He was soon surrounded by q
curious group of the farmers family aud
laborers, all asking eager questions about
the voyage anu tho management Of tho
rope In the hand of the 9r0naut, Its car
swaying lazily backward and forward III
the evening air. Ii was n good deal out OF
wind, AMI was sleepy and Innocent mon
the owners permission, led 1t up to his
house. where, as he said, he could "hltch
Il" to the fence. But before he thus secllr.
ed It, his three children, aged respectively
ten, eight. and three. begged him to llft
them into 'tl,at big basket" that they might
sit OIL "those pretty red cushions" While
tho attention of the nronaut was diverted
by more curious questioners from neigh
boring farm, this rash father lifted his dar-
lings one BY one Into the car. Chubby little
Johnny proved the source too much"
for the erial camel. and brought him to
ground; and then unlucklly, not the baby,
but the eldest hope of the family, was llfl-
ed out. The relief was too great for the
monster. The volatile creatures spirits
rose ut once; he jerked his halter out Of
the farmers hand, and with bound mount
ed Into the air! Vain was tho mronauts
anchor. 1t caught for moment In fence,
but 1t tore away, and was of. dangling
uselessly after the runaway balloon, which
sn s,,tNlx, onI staoIilx voea that N n
minutes those two little white faces peer
tinct, anu those piteous cries Of "Papa!'
Mammal" grew faint aud fainter up In
the air.
When distance and twilight mists had
swallowed up voices and faces, and no
thing could be seen but that dark cruel
shape, sailing trlumphantly away with Its
precious booty like an arlal priyateer.
the poor father sunk down helpless aud
grief, still stretched her yearnlng arms to-
wards the inexorable heavens aud called
wildly mp into the unanswering void.
The RrOnaut strove to console the wretch
cd parents with assurances that the bal
loon would descend within thirty miles OF
the town. and that all might be well with
tut ~ hot NO's~
down In water or In deep woods. In the
event of It's descending In favorable spot.
there was but one danger to be apprehend-
ed; he thought that the elder child might
step out, leaving the younger In the bal
loon. Then, 1t might again rise, and con-
tinue Its voyage.
"Ah, no, replied the mother, "Jennle
would never stir nom the car without
johnnie In her arms!"
The balloon passed directly over the
market town, and the children seeing many
people In tho strcets, stretched out their
hands and cried loudly for help. But the
villagers, though they saw the bright
little heads, heard no call.
Amazed at the strange apparition, they
might almost have thought the translated
little creatures small angel nxvigators on
some voyage Of discovery some nttlo che
rubic venture Of their own, -, heading to-
ward the rosy cloud-lands and purple is-
lands Of sunset splendor, they sailed deep.
er and deeper Into the west, and faded
Il oVeys