Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-02-21
In I'm "a RalIeen.


passed by on the other side. and was
walking leisurely homeward, when my
attention was arrested by mysterious
inclosure, in the centre of which swayed
TO and fro a magnificent balloon, which
made regular half-hour trips to point
Just a quarter of mile above the solid
earth. Then hesitated. To 90 up in
a ballooen was the one great desire of
nv bOyhood. | had done almost every
thing else, and this last experience
would be delightful. When quite young
was kicked over fence by wild colt,
who returned my caresses with a very
impressive pair ofheels. have several
times been almost blown 10 pieces with
gunpowder, that never falling fascina-
ton TO every one in his teens. | have
aimed a gun at a bird, and missing him,
sent the ball within three inches of a
mans bead. ] have been on the water
in a small sailing boat, and then tipped
over. In a word, have done thou
sand delightful things, all of which
gave my father and mother sleepless
nights, and made them feel that | was
sure 10 die an untimely death. But
here was chance TO add a new expert
ence TO my life; and as saw the i'm
mense castle in the air swinging to and
fro, all my boyishness came back, and
in less time than it takes 10 tell it, was
inside of the inclosure, and in a few
minutes more in the car of the balloon,
with Professor Allen, the accomplished
aeronaut.
The signal was given, and we began
to rise. When we were about hun
dred feet up, l would again have given
all L possessed TO be safely on earth
again. Instinctively l clutched the
ropes; but it did no good, for ropes and
everything else were all going up
together. Pretty soon l grew more
courageous, and then thoroughly en-
joyed myself. 1t was very cloudy, but
L got a good view of the whole town.
The tops of the houses were far below
me, and the church steeples seemed
slender as reeds. just then the Profess
sOr engaged my attention with some of
his exploits, and when next looked
could see nothing. We were in the
middle of a cloud, and the men, the
house, the town were wholly hidden
from view.
''HOw far up are we, Professor?"
''Only about quarter of a mile," he
answered.
A quarter of a mile straight upl What
if the balloon should burst through its
lacings. In what shape should | ap-
pear after dropping twelve hundred feet
or more: This pleasant thought would
intrude itself. Only twelve hundred
vertical feet. Well, that is not very
much, and yet, if should fall, think
the coroner's jury would have no diff
Guilty in discovering the cause of my
death.
1t was a very queer experience. l
looked up; nothing 10 be seen. looked
around; nothing to be seen. 1 seemed
te myself to be as near nowhere as |
ever hope TO get. The mist drifted by
me in friendly sort of way, as if to re-
assure me, and as though it wanted to
say, "My dear fellow, the Almighty is
up here just as he is down there. We
clouds roll and surge and dash our
fragile spray in obedience to the same
will that governs the more solid ocean.
The hand that holds you in its hollow
when you walk the earth, is underneath
you when you have the clouds for your
companions"
So, by degrees, grew accustomed to
my new position, and sat quietly enjoy
ing not the scenery, but the situation,
while the Professor told me of his ex-
plOits in France in the service of the
army, during the recent siege of Paris.
Away up beyond the reach of hostile
bullets, glass and notebook in hand, he
used to watch the movements Of the
Germans. How provoking it must have
been to see little black speck among
the clouds, and know that at every pa
rade pair of sharp eyes were looking
through a powerful telescope, while a
''chiel taken notes" would report to the
enemy what not even the most daring
spy or sharpshooter could discover
Well, after while, desiring to see
the faces of mortals once more, indi-
Gated my desire to return to the planet.
Slowly we descended; and just, as on
board vessel you find your way
through the fog until the headland,
which at the first seemed only a ghost,
assumes tangible and familiar shape, so,
as L watched, the steeples and tops of
houses came into view far below me,
and in five minutes more L jumped out
of the basket, and was conscious of a
certain sense of relief when felt good
Mother Earth under my feet.
The Professor gave me a paper, certi-
flying TO the fact of my exploit, and as
suring my friends that for the last thirty
minutes had been far above the planet;
and | rushed home.
| had no sooner told my story at the
table than my plucky little wife said,
well, if you can go up in balloon, so
can IL
"You? Up in balloon?" My eyes
were wide open.
''Yes, j, and up in balloonl Why
not? After dinner shall take a trip to
the moon, or as near to that very re-
spectacle orb as | can get"
[ suppose she would regard me as
fit subject for the lunatic asylum when
told her what bad done; but found
she only envied me my exalted position,
and determined to go as much higher as
circumstances would permit. Such is
life, and such is woman.
L tried to reason with her, but who
ever got the better of his wife in an ar
gument? She had two reasons for to
every one against.
"If che viii shs wi / Won may depend ont:
fshe won't she won't, and there's the end ont
Those two lines are the battle of free