Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-10-07
CHILDREN IN THE CLOUDS.
A True Story from ''All the Year ROund.''

appearance, some ten years ago, an aeronaut,
after prosperous voyage, descended upon
large farm in the neighborhood OF a large
farm market town in one of the Western
States. He was soon surrounded by curl
Gus group of the farmers family and labor
ers, all asking eager questions about the voy-
age and the management OF the balloon.
That, secured by an anchor and rope IN the
| hands of an aerOnaut, its Car but loot or
two above the ground, was swaylng laZlly
backward and forward in the evening air. 1t
was a good deal out OF wind, and was sleepy
and innocent monster in the eyes Of the farm
er, who, with the owners permission, 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 respective
ly, 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 di-
verted by more curious questioners from
neighb0ring farm, this rash father lifted the
darlings one by one into the car. Chubby
| little Johnny proved the ounce too much for
the aerial camel, aud 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 mon
ster. The volatile creatures spirits rose at
| once, he jerkcd the halter out OF the farmers
hand, and with bound mounted into the air.
Vain was the aeronant's anchor. 1t caught
for a moment in the fence but tore away and
was off dangling uselessly after the runaway
balloon, which so swiftly and steadily rose
that in a few minutes those two little faces
peering over the edge Of the Car grew indis-
tinct, and those piteous cries Of ''Papa. :"
'sMamma.' grew fainter up in the air.
When GiStarpa nd t,Eilirht n,icfu had cwal.
lowed up voices and faces, and nothing could
be seen but that dark, cruel shape, sailing tri-
umphant]y away with its precious booty, like
an aerial priyateer, the poor father sank down
helpless and speechless, but the mother, fran
tic with grief, still stretches her yearning
arms toward the heavens, and called wildly
up into the unanswering void.
The aeronaut strOve TO console the wretch
ed parents with assurances that the balloon
would descend within thirty miles Of the
town, and that all might be well with the
children, provided it did Mt come down in deep
water or in the woods. In the event Of its
descending in favorable spot, there was but
one danger to be apprehended: he thought
the younger in the balloon. Then it might
rise and continue its voyage.
'Ah, no." replied the mother, Jennie
would never stir from the car without John
ny in her arms
The balloon passed directly over the mar
ket town, and the children seeing many peo
pie 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.
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 !
a whisk of it's dreadful TAIL But when his |
sister assured him that the fiery dragon was
as much as twenty miles away, and that God |
wouldn't lei him hurt them, he was tranquil |
lzed, but he soon after said Il wish he !
would come 4 little nearer, 50 | could warm /
myself am so cold"
Then Jennie took off her apron and wrap |
ped it about the child, saying tenderly:
''This is all sister has to make you warm,
darling, but she'll hug you close in her arms,
and we will say our prayers and you shall go !
to Sleep"
'Why, how can say my prayers before |
have my supper" asked little Johnny.
''Sister hasn't any supper for you or her
self, but we must pray all the harder" sol !
cmnly responded Jennie.
So the two baby wanderers alone in the
wide heavens, unawed by darkness, immensi-
ty and silence by the presence of the comet,
and the millions Of Implying stars, lifted
their little clasped hands and sobbed out their
sorrowful ''Our Father" andthen that quaint
little supplementary prayer:
s'Now lay me down to sleep,
pray the Lord my soul to keep:
If should die before I wake,
pray the Lord my soul to take
There! God heard that easy; for we are
close to him up here" said innocent little
Johnny.
Doubtless Divine Love stopped to the little
ones, and folded them in perfect peace, for
soon the younger, sitting on the bottom of
The car with his head leaning on his sisters
knee, slept as soundly rs though he were ly-
ng in his own little bed at home while the
elder watched quietly through the long, long
hours, and the car tloated gently on the still
1ight air, till it began to sway and rock on
he fresh morning wind.
At length kind providence guided tue lit
lc girls wandering hand to cord connect
ng the valve Something told her to pull it.
At once the balloon began to sink, slowly and I
gently, as though let down by gentle hands, {
,r as though some celestial pilot guided it I
through the wild currents of air, not letting it
lrop into lakes and rivers, leafy wood or i'm {
swamp, where this strange, un-
;hildlike experience might have been closed I
~ death of unspeakable horror but caus- |
ng it to descend as a bird alights on spot {
where care and human pity awaited it. I
The sun had not yet risen, but the morning
wilight had come, when the little girl, look
ng over the edge Of the car, saw the dear old
,arth coming nearer-''rising toward them,"
he said. But when the car stopped, to her /
,reat disappointment, it was not on the t
,round, but caught fast in the topmost branch a
If tree. Yet she saw that they were near