The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-01-19

to make them longer. Two or three
men were softly creeping up to the barn
roof, when Mrs. Stork. getting hint oi
of what was going on, picked up the
baby, and away she went over all theil
heads. The fire-engine had arrived on
the scene. Some of the men seized the
hose and sent a heavy stream of water
full against the extended wings of the
misehievous bird. But what was little
sprinkling, more or less, to Madame
StOrk? ef
On she sailed, rather slowly at first.
enjoying the fun of bringing the peas
ants out into the fields and woods in
pursuit, then faster, till she looked q
small black speck in the sky to the ex-
cited people watching below, and at last
| she was out of sight.
BY and by she began to near city.
There were great many houses and
spires and chimneys. Outside of the
town, in an open meadow, a large num-
ber of people were collected together.
In their midst was a big colored mass
of-something-t stork didn't know
what. and the baby didn't know what;
but will mention to you that it was a
balloon.
Presently the balloon was lOosed from
its moorings, and with a bound ascend
ed grsndly into the air. A thousand
pairs of eyes were watching it. and q
thousand mouths were praising its grace
full motion, when the thousand pairs of
eyes fell upon the stork-and the bal
loon was forgotten. The people were
wild with excitement. Cries of horror
and lamenting were heard on every side.
A huntsman fired a flew shots, though
without much effect. ~ ~.
keep close TO the balloon, Mother
Stork. Keep close to the balloon and
you'll be safe" whispered the wise bird
to herself. -t''t
Attached to the balloon there was a
boat, in which were seated man and q
woman.
GA child! a child!" exclaimed the
woman, discerning the baby as the stork
drew near. "Oh, you dear little thing!"
she cried, talking first to the baby,~and
then to her husband, ''Oh, do let us try
to save it,
The wind was driving the balloon
along at rapid rate; so rapid that the
stork had hard work to keep up, for she
had travelled many a mile already, and
was growing short OF breath. Still there
was the sound of those disagreeable lead
en- balls haunting her ears, and she
pressed on as long as she could.
Baby grew somewhat uneasy, how
ever. The pincers that had been pinch
ing her up SO tightly, certainly were
loosening their hold.
Baby felt herself going-goins-
"Ah!' said the woman in the balloon,
giving a deep sigh of relief; 81 thought
we should have to lose her after ALL /
to find a baby in the clouds!"
"Wife," said the man, passing his
fingers over the little white bundle, ''the
fog is so thick l can't see very well, but
by the feeling of SO much fine lace and
ribbon should say it was the child of
rich parents. If so, our fortune is made
We have only to advertise it in the pa
per.
''Rghtr' was the answer. 'sThey'n
pay any sum for the sake of getting it
back. / shouldn't wonder if we got
enough to build a new house and live in
ease all the rest of our days. That is,
if it's" she stopped in dismay as a
new thought struck her-''living. 1t
don't move. It's SO still I'm afraid it's
dead. They'll never give us anything
for dead baby. Do you suppose the
poor thing can have died of fright?''
''Oh, toss it a littler' suggested the
man.
So the baby was tossed and rocked
back and forth in the wOman's arms,
and being hugged cery hard, it gave a
faint cry.
.'It's crying! it's cryingr' was the joy
fnl exclamation: and the happy pair,
feeling sure now that their fortune was
made, were ready to get back to the
earth as soon as might be.
The gas was allowed to escape. The
air became gradually purer. Little by
little, tiny black points began to be visi-
BILE through the thick clouds, and little
by little, these tiny black points turned
into substantial mountains and churches
and trees and houses. There was q
river, too, unplesanatly near.
Is it a law of nature that all balloons
shall come down in the middle of a river?
1t would seem so almost, and this one
was no exception to the general rule.
There was tremendous ''splashr' and
the man and woman, in such gay spirits
only ten minutes before, were founder
ing about in the water, clinging to the
overturned boat.
But the baby was very comfortable,
floating down stream on her pillow, as
if had been an Indian canoe. 1t was
very amusing. There were various
pleasant sights at hand: some lambkins
as white as snow playing together; an
old gray-bearded goat teasing u frisky
young one: long patches. of forget-me-
nots along the bank, and whole troop
of silverbacked fishes constantly darting
up out of the water.
On she floated serenely among the
pleasant sights, until, suddenly, strong
arm drew the little Write bundle very
carefully out of the river.
'Bless my stars? said a great coarse
mans voice, slowly; ''blcss my stars!
It's no more a baby than am! It's only
some little girls big gca,ying-1ou" "-Wide
AfCdEe