Middletown transcript., 1868-12-26
4upul ar GALES.
THE BABES IN THE CLOUDS,
A TR UE STORY.

just ten years ago there suddenly burst
upon the Western World, magnificent
stranger from foreign parts, with all his
travelling glories on" 1t was the great
comet of 1858, on the grand tour of the
universe.
We remember that comet summer, not
so much for its great astronomical event,
as for two singular incidents that more
nearly touched our human sympathies,
which will grovcl in poor earthly affairs,
even within sight of the most august celes-
tial phenomena.
One pleasant Saturday afternoon during
the comets appearance, an eronaut, after
a prosperous voyage, descended upon a
farm in the neighhorhood of large mar
ket town in one of the western states. He
was soon surrounded by curious troop of
the farmers famil and laborers, all ask
ing eager questions about the voyage and
the management Of the balloon, that, Sc
cured by an anchor and rope in the hand
of the eronaut, with it's car but foot or
two above the ground, was swaying iazily
backward and forward in the evening air
1t was good dea out of wind, and was a
sleepy and innocent monster in the eyes
of the farmer, who. with the owners per-
mission, 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 lift them Unto that
big basket" that they might "sit on those
pretty red cushion s."
While the attention of the eronaut was
diverted by more curious questioners from
a ncighboring far m, this rash father lifted
his darlings one by one into the car
Chubby little johnny proved the "ounce
too much" for the @rial camel, and brought
him to the ground; and then, unluckily
not the baby, but the eldest hope of the
family was lifted out. The relief was toe
great for the monster. The volatile crea.
ture's spirits rose at once; he jerked hi,
halter out of the farmers hand, and with
a wild bound mounted into the air. Vair
was the eronaut s anchor. It caught 6
moment in fence, but it tore away, and
was off, dangling uselessly after the runa
way balloon, which so swiftly and steadily
rose that in few. minutes those two littlt
white faces peering over the edge of tn,
car grew indstinct, and those piteous erie
of "papa r' and q mamma ~ grew faint anc
fainter up in the air.
When distance and twilight mists ba,
swallowed up voices and faces. and moth
ing could be seen but the dark cruel shap
sailing triumphantly away with its preciou
booty, like an arial privateer, the poo
father sank down helpless and speechless
| I,,A &c -.
e stretched out yearning arms towards tn
inexorable heavens, and called wildly IL
into the unanswering void.
The eronaut strove to console the wretch
ed parents with assurance that the balloo
would descend within thirty miles of tn
town, and that all might be we'll with tn
children, provided it did not come dow
e in the water or deep woods. In the ever
Of its decending in favorable spot. it WI
thought that the older child might ste
ont, leaving the younger in the balloo,
Then il might again rise and continue i
/. voyage.
"Ah, no." replied the mother. 'Jenu
would never stir from the car witho,
Johnny in her arms"
The balloon passed directly over Il
market town, and the children, seeing mi
ny people in tht streets, stretched out the
k hands and called loudly for help. But Il
villagers, though they saw the bright lit
heads, heard nd call
Amazed at this strange apparation. tn,
might have thought the translated lit
creatures small angel navigators on son
voyage Of discovery, some little cherut
;. venture of their own, as beading towar
G the rosy cloudlands and purple islands
es sunset splendor. they sailed deeper al
~ deeper into the West, and faded away.
ne Some company they had. the poor litt
i'd sky-waifs. Something comforted them al
allayed their wild terrors VIII
pered them that below the night and clou