River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-01-10
The Dolls who Went by Balloon.

Bless me, if Christmas isn't here again ;
and New Years right on its heels! Just
the time for telling little story, very
simple one, which enacted itself under
my own eyes in Paris that cruel winter
of 1870.
All through the siege it fell to my duty
to go almost every night, sometimes to the
Northern Railroad station, sometimes TO
the Orleans, with the letters and newspa-
pers which the balloon people undertook
to deliver to our friends outside. 1t was
long and tedious journey. especially in
the snowy and freezing weather of that
hard winter But had the rare good
luck to light upon hackman who was
willing to drive me on these nocturnal
excursions.
This man, endowed by nature with an
execrable temper, was cross grained, mo-
rose, 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 lew Jumps
of sugar established me in Coco's good
graces; but it was @ much more formida-
bic task to get on the right side of Coco's
master.
One bitter cold night--it was nearly
one o'clock in the morning. saw on the
Boulevard Montmartre hackman who
was evidently making his best speed
homeward. l hailed him:
"Take fare2n
"Where to?'
"The Orleans station. There will be
a good pogr5orie" drink money "for
you"
"0rleans station. You're joking! Not
much"
"But bark you here, my good fellow! J
1t is to the show / am taking you. A
balloon goes tonight; you will help IN
fate it: you will see the cages of the poor
little carrier pigeons who take our letters
and dispatches to the country. Have
you ever seen all that?"
Balloon pigeons-letters- the coun-
try" grumbled my gentleman to himself
Come, it's bargain; in with you, bour-
geois sly
Coachy followed with lively curiosity
all the preparations for the voyage; he
even lent hand in the work. The as
cension, which was really superb, put the
finishing touch on his astonlshment and
eight
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 people got to
know HIM; NJ GODDARD thanked him again
and again for his skillful and active as
sistance.
Toward the end of December, about
two O'Clock in the morning, in a woltish
cold. was pushing toward the Orleans
station, when, by happy chance, my
coachy recognized me and pulled up his
horse with jerk.
"We are gong to the balloon, amt we,
bourgeois? have two gentlemen inside
to leave four steps off; if you like to come
ND I. ere on the seat, we will head for
down there in minute
On the pretext that my hackman had
taken another passenger on the way, the
insiders haggled over the fare and paid
him but stability; he shrugged his shout
ders without saying word. was great
" surprised at this sudden sweetness OF
temper, and to get at the explanation Oh
the phenomenon stayed on the seat with
the old fellow. He carefully covered my
knees with the robes. 'sCoco is a brave
horse said ], by way of ingratiating my
self.
"Yes, sir; you're Just right there.
Twelve wears he has been at the trade
He has little to eat; he doesn't sleep on
feathers, but he has blood in him, and
If von knew how intelligent he is Coco
would recognize every one of the fami-
Ivy
And you have children
aTwo little girls, sir. A ve-year-old,
that is Jeanette; a good little club, fat
and merry. The other is only three; she
is weaker but so sweet-and she is q mer-
nv one. too. Before the siege they went
with their mother to their grandparents,
who live at Saint Malo, and since then /
haven't heard word from them. The
dear babies, what has become of them
The older one knew already the songs of
nv regiment /, too, bourgeois, / have
been soldier. TIE little one used to
come in at the chorus AT night, when
/ came TO dinner, Jeanette would say
Take care, Tonv'-my name Is Antonio
-, the soup is hot, and, you are going 70
burn your mouth Then the little che
would say: Papa Tony's going to burn