Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-06-14
THE BABES IN THE CLOUDS.
A True American Story.
lFrom All the Year Round.l

From All the Year Round
One pleasant Sunday afternoon
during the comets appearance, ten
years ago, an aeronaut, after pros
porous voyage, descended upon q
farm in the neighborhood of large
market town in one of the Western
States. He was soon surrounded by
a curious group of the farmers fami-
ly and laborers, all asking eager
questions about the voyage and the
management of the balloon. That,
secured by an anchor and a rope in
the hands of the aeronaut, its car but
a foot or two above the ground, was
swaying backward and forward in
the evening air. 1t was good deal
out of wind, and was 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 the
fence. But before he thus secured it,
his three children, aged respectively
10, 8 and 3, begged him to lift them
''into that big basket"that they might
sit on "those pretty red cushions"
While the attention Of the aeronaut
was diverted by more curious ques-
TONERS from neighboring farm, this
rash father lifted his darlings, one by
one, into the car. Chubby little
Johnny proved the "ounce too much"
for the aerial camel, and brought him
to the ground; aud then, unluckily,
not the baby, but the eldest hope of
the family was lifted out. The relief
was too great for the monster. The
volatile creatures spirits rose at once,
he jerked the halter out of the farm
er's hand, and with bound mounted
into the air Vain was the aero
naut's anchor. 1t caught for a mo-
ment in fence, but it tore away and
was of, dangling uselessly after the
runaway balloon, which so swiftly
and steadily rose that, in few min
utcs, those two little white faces
peering over the edge of the car
grew indistinct, and those piteous
cries of "Papar Mamma !" grew
fainter and up in the air.
When distance and twilight mists
had swallowed up voices and faces,
and nothing could be seen but that
dark, cruel shape, sailing away with
it's precious booty, like an aerial pri-
vateer, the poor father sank down
helpless and speechless, but the moth
err, frantic with grief, still stretched
her yearning arms toward the inexo-
rable heavens, and called wildly up
into the unanswering void.
The aeronaut strove to console the
wretched parents with assurances
that the balloon would descend with
in thirty miles of the town and that
all might be we'll with the children,
provided it did not come down in
deep water or in woods. In the
event Of its descending in favorable
spot, there was but one danger to be
appreLended he thought that the
elder child might step out, leaving
the younger in the balloon. Then 1t
might rise and continue it's voyage.
"Ah, no." replied the mother,
"Jennie would never stir from the
car without Johnny in her armsw
The balloon passed directly over
the market town, and the children
seeing many people in the streets,
stretched out their hands and called
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
navigators on some voyage Of discov-
cry, some little cherubic adventure
of their own, as, heading toward the
rosy cloudlands and purple islands of
sunset splendor, they sailed deeper
into the west, and faded away.
When the sunlight all went away,
and the great comet came blazing
out, little Johnny was apprehensive
that the comet might come too near
the airy craft, and set it on fire with
whisk of its dreadful tail. But
when his sister assured him that the
fiery dragon was as much as twenty
miles away and that God wouldn't
let him hurt them, be was tranquil
lied, but soon afterwards said, Il
wish he would come little nearer,
so | could warm myself am so
cold!'
Then Jennie took off her apron,
and wrapped it about the child, say
ing tenderly:
This is all sister has to make You
warm. darling, but she'll hug you
close in her arms, and will say our
prayers and you shall go to sleep
Why, how can | say my prayers
before | have my supper asked lit
tie Johnny.
Sister hasn't any supper for you
or herself but we must pray all the
harder, solemnly responded Jennie.
So the two baby wanderers, alone
in the wide heavens, unawed by
darkness, immensely and silence, by
the presence of the great comet, and
the millions of IMPLYING stars, lifted
their little clasped hands and sobbed
out their sorowful Our Father and
then that quaint little supplement
tary prayer:
| snow lay me down to sleep,
1 pray the Lord my soul to keep,