The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-20
BABES IN THE CLOUDS.

BABES IN THE CLOUDS.
Just ten years ago there suddenly
burst upon tine Western world a magnfi.
cent stranger from foreign parts, with all
his ''traveling glories on 1t was the
great comet Of 1853 on the grand tour Of
the universe. =. !! ri
1t seemed strage that petty human life
could go on as usual, with its eating and
drinking. toiling, trafficking, and pleasur.
ing, while that claiming minister: on his
bilion.leagued circuit, was preaching the
wonders of infinite immensely and power
and the nothingness Of earth. The comet
no longer runs his kindling race, like
Vich-Alpine's henchman, with his fiery
cross, announcing war and disaster.
''Herald of battle, fate and fear''
He is on his own business, not ours.
Under the tail Of this particular comet
doubtless many tale Of love was told
in the light Of his swift splcndors many
tender look exchanged. The astronomer
CODY swept the starry field with his
glass, unawed by the irregular night.
guard patrolling the heavens, and the
robber and murderer disdained the awful
witness. He left US as he found US -
joined to our mortal idols. wise in our own
conceit, weak and worldly and wicked,
but no castaways Of the universe after all
We remember that comet summer, not
so much for its great astronomical event
as for a singular incident that nearly
touched our human sympathies. which
will grovel in poor earthly affairs. even
within sight Of the most august celestial
phenomena.
One pleasant Saturday afternoon dur.
ing the comets appearance an aeronaut.
after prosperous voyage, descended up
on farm in the neis hborhood of large
market town in one Of the Western
States. He was soon surrounded by a
curious group Of the farmers family 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 hand Of the aeronaut,
its car being foot or two above the ground
was swaying laziiy backward and for.
ward in the evening air. 1t was a good
deal out of wind and was sleepy and in.
nocent monster in the eyes of the farm.
er who. with the owners permission, led
1t up to the house where, as he said, he
could hitch it to the fence. But before
ne had thus secured it, the three child
rem, aged respectively ten, eight. and
three, begged him to lift them ''into
that big basket" that they might :'sit on
those pretty red cushions
While the attention of the eronaut
was divirted by more curious qucstioners
from a neighboring farm, this rash faith.
er lifted his darlings one by one in the car.
Chubby little Johnny proved the .'ouncc
too much'' for The aerial 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 too great for the monster.
The volatile creatures spirit rose al
once; he jerked the halter out of the
fathers hand and with wild bound,
mounted into the air! Vain was the aero.
naut's anchor. 1t caught for moment
in fence; but it tore away and was OFT
dangling uselessly after the runaway
balloon, which so swiftly and steadily
rose that in a few minutes those two it,
tie white faces, peering over the edge of
the car, grew inlistinct. and those pi.
teous cries Of "Pa2a!' "Mamma!"
grew faint and fainter up in the air.
When distance and twilight mists had
swallowed up voices and faces, and moth
ing could be seen but the dark. cruel
shape, sailing triumphantly away with
its precious booty, like an aerial priva.
teer, the poor father sank down helpless
and speechless but the mother, frantic
with grief, sill stretched her yearning arms
toward the memorable heavens and called
wildly into the unanswering void.
The @ronaut strove to console the
wretched parents with assurance that the
balloon would descend within thirty miles
Of the town, and that all mi ght be we'll
with the children, provided that it did
not come down in the water or in deep
woods. In the event Of Its descending in
favorable spot, he thought that
the older child might step out. leav.
ing the younger in the balloon. Then it
might again arise and continue its voy-
age.
''Ah, no. replied the mother; "Jenpy
would never stir from the car without
Johnny in her arms
The balloon passed directly over the
market town and the children seeing
many people in the streets, stretched out
their heads and called loudly for help.
But the villagers, though they saw the
bright little heads, heard no calls.
Amazed at the strange appari ton
they might have thought the translated
little creatures small angel navigators, on
some voyage of discovery, some little
cherublc venture of their own as, head
ing toward the rosy ;cloudlands and pur-
pie islands of sunset spendor, they sailed
deeper into the West and faded away.
Some company they had, poor little
sk.v-waifs Something comforted them