The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-12-20
DOLLS FROM THE SKIES.
A Holiday Stcry from the French-On
Family Made Happy.

Holiday Stcry from the French-One
Family Made Happy.
Bless me, if Christmas isn't here
again; and New Years right on its
heelsi Just the time for telling a little
story, a very simple one, which enacted
itself under my own eyes in Paris that
cruel winter of 1870.
Ali through the siege it fell to my
duty to 90 almost every night, some
times to the Northern Railroad station,
sometimes TO the Orleans, with the let
tiers and newspapers which the balloon
people undertook to deliver to our
friends outside. 1t was a long and te-
dious journey, especially in the snowy
and freezing weather of that hard win
ter. But had the rare good luck to
light upon a hackman who was willing
to drive me on these nocturnal eXcur-
sions.
This man, endowed by nature with
an execrable temper, was crosSed-grain-
ed, morose, peevish, and porcupinish to
the last degree His horse was little,
ugly beast, all bones; it had good
head, though, and legs of steel. A few
Jumps of sugar established me in Coco's
good graces, but il was much more
formidable task to get on the right side
of Coco's master.
One bitter cold night-it was nearly l
O'Clock in the morning-I saw on the
Boulevard Montmartre a hackman who
was evidently making his best speed
homeward. / hailed him:
"Take fare?"
"Where TOP"
"The Orleans Station. There will be
a good pour50ire drink money! for
YOU
"Orleans Station! You're joking
Not much"
but bark you here, my good fellow /!
Ii is to the show am taking you. A
balloon goes tonight; you will help in
flate it; YOU will see the cages of our
poor little carrier-pigeons who take our
letters and dispatches TO the country.
Have YOU ever seen all that?"
Balloon, pigeons, letters, the coun-
trv!n grumbled my gentleman to him.
self. "Come, it's a bargain; in with
you, bourgeois!"
Coachy followed with lively curiosity
all the preparations for the voyage; be
even lent a hand in the work. The as
censien, which was really superb, put
the finishing touch on his establishment
and delight.
Two or three times after that had
the luck to run across my man, who
took his late passenger without making
too much difficulty. The balloon peo-
pie got to know him; NJ. GODDARD thank
cd him again and again for his skillful
and active assistance.
Toward the end of December, about
. O'Clock in the morning, in woltish
cold, | was pushing toward the Orleans
station, when, by a happy chance, my
coachy recognized me and pulled up his
horse with a jerk.
I'VE are going to the balloon, ain t
we, bourgeois? l have two gentlemen
inside to leave four steps Off; if you like
TO come up here on the seat-we will
head for down there in a minGte.n
On the pretense that my hackman
had taken another passenger on the
way, the insider haggled over the fare.
and paid him but stability; he shrugged
his shoulders without saying q word. |
was greatly surprised AT this sudden
sweetness of temper, and to get at the
explanation of the phenomenon j stayed
on the seat with the old fellow. He
carefully covered my knees with the
robes.
Coco is brave horse" said |, by
way ofingratiating myself.
''Yes, sir; you're just right there
Twelve years he has been at the trade.
He has little to eat; he doesn't sleep OF
feathers, but he has blood in him, anC
if you knew how intelligent he is. Co
co would recognize every one OF th'
family
"Ah! You have children?"
1.-Two little girls, sir. A five-year
old, that is Jeanette; a good littl
club, fat and merry. The other is onl,
three; she is weaker, but so sweet-an'
she Is merry one, too. Before thu
siege they went with their mother 4
their grandparents, who live at Sain
Malo, and since then 1 haven't heard
word from them. The dear babies
what has become of them? The olde
one knew already all the songs of M,
regiment-for L, toe, bourgeois, I hay;;
been soldier. The little one used /,
come in at the chorus. At night, when
came TO dinner, Jeanette would saw
take care, Tony'-my name is Antoin