Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-10-16
UP IN A BALLOON.
RI g. WALLACE BoYDEN.

a B4EBURY Nszos reporter one day
ha ahe Tp lP biz baoon
. And started off for The milky way"
But, alas for the vanity
or poor humanity,
Uones that are brightest soonest must die away;
Flowers that are fairest
e' Are also the rarest.
And yisions OF glory-how swiftly they fly away.
No sooner were the cords cut that bound
me balloon and its occupant fast to the ground,
Than up it flew through the regions OF space,
,Clsaving the air at terrible pace
I'm. up, up, past the moon II sped,
And The man in the moon he nodded his head,
And bent or the luckess reporter q frown,
AT which all his hopes in u jiffy went down.
Up, up, up, for million miles more.
When all ut once he espes fair shore
Glttering with sands Of gold dan, and re, red cold
Arched with bright rainbows overhead,
While myriads Of flowers their petals unfold.
Amazed, he lands on this beautlful spot,
Aud wonders what planet he's managed to drop
And thinks II the folks would ash eve as not
Its precisely the planet he'd like to stop In
Rut while he's bordering the matter Ger,
An elderly man who's been taking nap
In front Of the massi,c, golden door
OF porphyry castle, close by the shore,
WALKS up and gives him terrible rap
Across The head with bunch OF keys,
That brings him trembling down on his knees.
sin mercy, forbsar,"
lie cries in despair;
Wherever am in the regi0ns OF air,
Here on my knees protest and swear
twas untoward fate that brought me here;
Aud yet, IL you please,
Sir Kill ht Of the keys,
I've no objection TO stay year"
To the trembling reporter; I'D like, if yon please,
TO know who you are, what you are, whence you
Your name, occupation, birth. place and home.
IN here n
For this il where good people come when they die
Ali Others, a. no doubt you already know,
When they have the misfortune, to die, 60 below.
f.;'m reporter" the poor devil said,
Ouaking with fear from his heels to bis head
News was scarce in the world below,
And 30 thought To the moon ia go,
And pick up what items were lying round loose,
And sepd them down TO the DanburY Neaos"
The gentleman frowned when he heard this an
ever,
Assure YOU you're lying for here, you must know.
I've a list Of all calling- in your world below;
For some OF all sorts lind their way 10 this sphere
And we write their pursuits in the book have here
Here are merchants and butchers, ano bankers ana
bakers,
And curriers' and hatters, and tinkers and teachers
Ship-chandicrs and brewers, ana ono or 'wt
preachers;
Poor devils OF debtors, and also rich creditors;
But I can find neither reporters nor editors;
So you'll p ease excuse me for having TO doub'
And deciding to run this fine planet without You. :
In vain the reporter protested and swore
That reporters thick a. the sands on the shore
or the leaves on the trees when they first bud forth
And avowed they were deemed the salt OF the eartn
1t was no use talking; the gentleman rose,
Yawned once, CAPPED twice, then blew bis nose,
Then turned on his heel,
And made half-wheel,
Thus bringing the interview to o close,
And walked away from the qnill-driying chap,
TO finish In peace his MONDAY nap.
The reporter sighed pensive sigh,
And dropped u tear that was asO pensive;
And groaned To think that the glorious sky
Although go boundlers and extensive,
And altogether so pleasant place,
Was barred forever to his race.
He stood like the peri at the Gate"
Just 81 sad and discOnsolate,
And even forgot, amid eighs and groans,
To pocket few Of the precious stones
That lined his pathway wherever he trod,
And answered in place of the emerald sod.
Then in his balloon he straightway got,
And back to the earth in twinkling he shot;
But never yet, by night or by day,
Has this wrctched reporter been heard to say
A single word
OF what he heard
When he WIS up In the milky way
--Danbuyy Nescs.