Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-10-09
VOLUME XXVI.
Poetry.
UP IN 4 BALLOON.
BY G. WALLACE BoYDEN.

BY G. WALLACE BoYDEN.
4 DANBURY Ne1Cs reporter one day
Concluded he'd take trip up 10 the moon;
SO lie furnished himself with big balloon,
And started of for the milky way
But. alas for the vanity
OF poor humanity,
Hopes that are brightest soonest must die away;
Flowers that are falrest,
Are also the rarest,
And visions of glory-hoW swiftly they fly away.
No sooner were the cords cut that bound
The balloon ana Its occupant fast to the ground,
Than up it few through the regions Of space,
CIeaying the air al terrible pace;
Up up, up, past the moon it sped,
And he man in the moon he nodded his head,
And bent on the luckless reporter a frown,
AT which all his hopes IN jiny went down
Up up up for a million miles more,
When all at once he espies fair shore
Glitterng with sands of gold and red
Giistening with rivers Of silver am and gold
While myriads of flowers their petals unfold.
Amazed, he lands on this beautiful spot,
And wonders what planet he's managed to drop
And thinks If the folks would a. tieve as not,
It's precisely the planet he'd like to stop n
But while he's pondering the matter DER,
An elderly who's been taking nap
In front Of the massive, golden door
OF porphyry castle, close by the shore,
Walks up and gives him a terrible rap
Across the head with a bunch of keys,
That brings him trembling down on his knees.
In mercy, forbear,"
lie cries i'll despair;
"Wher, .r am in the regions of air,
Here on my knees protest aud swear
Twas 4atoward fate that brought me here;
And yet, if you please,
Sir knight OF the keys,
I've no objection to stay year"
Pray, who may you be?" said he OF the keys
To the trembling reporter; I'D like, if you please,
To know who you are, what you are, whence you
come;
Your name, occupation. birth place and home.
You'll perceive were particular up here in the sky
For this Is where good people come when they die
All Others no doubt you already know,
When they have the misfortune to die, go below. ,
''I'm reporter, the poor devil said,
Quahing with fear from his heels TO his head
News scarce in the world below,
And 80 thought TO the moon I'd go,
And pick up what items were lying round loose,
And send them down to the Danbury NeVS."
The gentleman frowned when he heard this an
swcr,
And, opening book which he held, said, Il can
sir
Assure you you're lying, for here, You must know,
I've a list of all callings in your world Glow;
For some Of all sorts find their way TO lis sphere,
And write their pursuits in the book have here.
Here are merchants and butchers, and bankers and
bakers,
And tailorz and sailors, and even shoemakers;
And curriers' and haters and thinkers and teachers
Shp-chandlers and brewers, and ono or two
preachers;
Poor devils Of debtors and also rich creditors;
Bus can find neither reporters nor editors
50 you'n p-ease excuse for having TO doubt
YOU.
And deciding to this fine planet without you.
In vain the reporter protested and swore
That reporters thick the sands the shore,
or the leaves the trees when they first bud forth
And avowed they were deemed the salt of the earth.
Ii Mas no use talking; the gentleman rose,
AaTued once, gaped twice, then blew his nose,
Then turned on his heel,
And made half-wheel,
Thus bringing the interview to a close,
And walked away from the quill driving chap,
To finish n peace his noon day nap.
The reporter sighed pensive sigh,
And dropped a tear that was also pensiye;
And groaned to think that the glorious sky
Although so boundless and extensive,
And altogether so pleasant place,
Was barred forever TO his race.
lie stood like the Peri at the Gate
just rs sad and disconsolate,
And even forgot, amid sighs and grOsns,
10 pocket few of the precious stones
That lined his pathway wherever he trod,
Aud answered in place of the emerald sod.
Then in his balloon he straightway got,
And back to the earth in twinkng he shot:
But never yet, by night or by day,
Has this wretChed reporter been heard to say
single word
OF what he heard
When be was up in the milky way.
-DuH6aFy N65cs.