Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-11-24
TOMMY'S BALLOON.
By PBUDY.

By PBUDY.
There never was anything half SO won-
derful. Tommy sat on the parlor floor, and
held it fast with his fat, dimpled hands,
and drew his fingers softly over the smooth,
round sides, and was almost afraid to
breathe. lest it should float away from him.
Uncle Jim had just brought it from the
city. He bought it on Clark street bridge,
where man stood with dozen of theR
attached to little strings, and tossing up
and down in the sir. like beautiful, great.
red soap bubbles. When Tommy got tired
of holding it in his arms. and tried to lay
If on the floor, up it went to the white
ceiling, and hung there, all shiny and
glistening in the lamp light Tommy
pulled it softly down by the string, and
then for loug time he played with
it, until mamma came with the little
white nightgown and took him awav mp
stairs to bed. 1t was funny then that 70
couldn't ley his balloon away anywhere, but
only let go of the string. and let it go up
to the ceiling, right over his bed. He
watched it as long as he could see, while
mamma carried the lamp down the long
hall, and when she went down the stairs,
the very last bit of light that came in over
the top of the door shone straight on the
balloon Tommy meant to keep awake, 80
as to See it again when mamma came up
TO bed. but by and by he shut his eyes a
little, Just to rest them, and then he forgot
all about the balloon until morning, aud
there was the sun peeping in at the balloon.
and the balloon peeping out at the sun,
and looking more like a great, red soap
bubble than ever.
They had milk toast for breakfast, but
Tommy hadn't any appetite; and before
he rest were half through eating. he was
out on the gravel walk in the front yard.
looking up at his red balloon, with his
round face fairly solemn with eocitement.
He only let it 90 very little way, at first.
but after awhile he let out the slender, silk
thread, and it fioated about just above the
top of the silver maple by the gate. Tom
my sat down to watch it. He played he
was in the balloon himself, going right mp
to Sc the man in tia moon. BE couldn't
it Emust be up there somewhere. Then
he thought he would ask Uncle
Jim TO put longer string to the bal
loon; he wanted to see how 1t would look
away up among the lovely, little, pink
-iA.a- si@s .-@-~ aa~.ins about tho east
SO he pulled it down and held IL fast in
his chubby arms and started for the house.
He started, but he didn't get there; for
be stubbed his poor, little foot against the
wheel to the baby's wagon, aud down
went the bright little face ON the gravel
walk, aud out went the little fat arms in
the air. aud, o dear il almost makes me
cry to think of it, away went the beautiful,
round. red, shining balloon, straight up
toward the pink and white clouds in the
east.
Tommy picked himself up quick enough,
and then looked around for the balloon; but
of course that did not wait to be picked up
it was above the top of the silver maple.
Tommy screamed, first for mamma then
for Uncle Jim and they both came rum
ming out. So did Susy aud Robert, and SO
did Biddy the cook; but if eli the Grand
Army of the Republic had beon there. it
wouldn't have done any good. The long
est ladder in the world would not have
reached half way to the sky, end SO the
balloon foated airily away, while Tommy
walled and so5bed, and his mamma tried
to comfort him, and Uncle Jim promised
to buy him another balloon.
They all went in at last, and Tommy sat
down on the grass and watched his balloon
till it was only tiny speck IL the distance,
and then he went mournfully in to his man.
ma. He laid his head on her lap, and asked
her in a sorrowful little voice, where she
supposed his dear red balloon would 90 to?
Would it go away up to heaven, and would
the little angels have it to play with2
aud would he find it when he went there to
live?
So his mamma laid down her work and
took the little boy on her lap, and told him
this story-and it might have been true
'Once there was little boy that lived all
alone with his grandmother in little, old
dingy brown house. The little boy was
lame, so he never could run and play. and
he was poor. SO ho had no nice things to
amuse him; but every day when his grand
mother was at work, he limped out under
the tree in the little narrow yard, and lay
there looking up at the SKY. He liked to
watch the clouds sailing over, and fancy
they were ships and castles, and sometimes
beautiful white angels. One day he saw
away up in the sky, q little dark spsck, and
as it came nearer and nearer, il dropped
lower and lower, until it shone like great
red star in the sunshine. The little boy sat
up and watched it eagerly. Nearer and
nearer il caps-past the steeple of the
church, past the chimney Of the factory,
right over the roof of the academy, al
most touching is by this time. He stood
up, leaning on lis cruthes, and saw It COM
ing, always little lower. right across the
old, bare common, and over his grand
mothers yard. He limped step or two
towards it, caught at the trailing thread of
silk that hung from it, and sat down, ell
trembling with delight, with the strange,
beautiful thing in his hands. He did not
know tnatit was q oalioon tnat uttie poy
had lost. aud that had come down because
the gas had slowly escaped from it; he
s # SLOWLY t. " os, Us nretv % ra.nd shspe