The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-01-20
The Babes i'm the Woods.
A TRUE STORY.

Just seventeen years ago there sud-
denly burst upon the western world 8
magnificent stranger from foreign
parts, With all his travelling glories on.
1t wa5 the grand comet of 1858, on the
grand tour Of the universe.
We remember that comet-summer,
not so much for its great astronomic-
al event as for two incidents that
more nearly touched our human SYM
pRthies which will grovel in poor
earthly affairs, even in sight of the
august celestial phenomena.
One pleasant Saturday afternoon
during the comets appearance, an
seronaut,. after prosperous voyage,
descended upon farm in the neigh
borhood of a large market town in
one Of the Western States. He was
soon surrounded by curious group of
the farmers family and laborers, all
asking eager questions about the voy-
age and management of the balloon.
That, secured by an anchor and a rope
in the hand Of the aeronaut, its car
but foot or two above the ground,
was swaying lazily backward and for
ward in the evening air. 1t was a
good deal out of wind, and was q
sleepy and innocent monster in the
eyes of the farmer, who, with the
owners permission, led it up to his
house, where, as be said he could
hitch it to his fence. But before he
thus secured it, his three children,
aged respectively ten, eight and three,
begged him to lift them "into that
big basket" that they might 'tsit on
fhOao nratfu rod orohionc -
While the attention of the aerOnaut
was diverted by more curious ques-
tioners from a neighboring farm, this
rash father lifted his darlings one by
one in the car. Chubby little Johnny
proved the "Ounce 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, spirits arose
at once, he jerked his halter
out of the farmers hand, and with 8
wild bound mounted into tire air !
Vain was the aerOnaut's anchor. Ii
caught for a moment in a fence, but
it tore away, and was of, dangling
uselessly after the runaway balloon,
which so swiftly and steadily rose
that in few minutes those two little
white faces peering over the edge OF
the car grew indistiuct, and those pit.
eous cries of "Papa r' "Msmma !'i
grew fainter and fainter up in the air,
When distance and twilight mists
had swallowed up voices and faces
and nothing could be seen but dark,
cruel shapes, sailing triumphantly
away with its precious booty, like ar
aerial priYateer, the poor father sanE
down helpless and speechless; but the
mother, frantic with grief, still stretch.
ed her hands toward the inexorablC
heavens, and called wildly up into
the unanswersble void.
The aeronaut vainly strove to con.
sole the Wretched parents with the
assurances that the balloon would de.
scend within thirty miles of thu
town, and that all might be well witt
the children, provided it did not coml
down in deep woods. In the event o
its descending in favorable spot, b,
thought the elder child would steI
out and leave the younger in the bal
loon. Then it might again rise ant
lcontinue its voyage.
"Ah, no." replied the mother, "Jen
ME would never stir from the ca
without Johnny in her arms!'
The balloon passed directly owe
the market town, and the children
seeing 9 great number of people il
the streets, stretched out their hand
and cried loudly for help. But th
villagers though they saw the brigh
. little hands heard no call.
Amazed st the strange apparitiOn
they might almost have thought tn
translated little creatures smalRange
navigators on some voyage OF discOy
cry, some little eherubic venture G
their own, as heading toward the ros
cloud lands and purple islands OF sun
set splendor, they sailed deeper an
( deeper into the west and faded away
Some company they had, poor Httl
/ sky waits Something comforte
them and allayed their wild terrors-
; something whispered to them tina
below the night and clouds was home
that above was God; that Whereye
they might drift or clash, living G
. dead, they would still be in His dC
, main and under His care-thl
though borne away among the star
they could not be lost, for His loy
e would follow them.
when the sunlight all went AVA
and the greateomet came blazing on