Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-02-14
But then there would have been

/, held butssts.ups under their ch1ns to se(
" ietflertht,y liked butter or not; they
ST pped for peep Of their silly littll
IA es in the cle8r waters of the fountain
land meanwhile Mrs. Stork had beer
N king up her mind to great things =
ST bad SO atcbed up the little whit
bu kdle and serenely sailed off through
th bright lmmer sky.
WY habs my baby why, that wick
ed wicked creatures got my baby =
W. the agonized cry that rose from tn,
gsrNen.
/ IIMother Stork heard, she did moi
heaA On slle flew with her burden
lne7lr rehtigng once till she came to hel
honie>nest on top of high barn in q
viilIge every 30 many miles away.
/ A fcr the 'thNe young storks, they
verb very ii lch 4nttered, indeed, at the
sIgh ~ such an y irsx pected guest. ThS
Erss ming theys diif wss 70 hop out d
the pest as inst q they could, and hav
ing Arranged Themselves gracefully on
one 2Ag in ssmi circle they eazed SOL
enni b down atsheir mamma's big prize
willie that dslighted lady. wishing to
show off all its beauties and accomplish
mems, began pecking again at the scar
let ribbons.
For the third time that day the baby
crieoI She c.ied with such will that
the Village sexton forgot to play his
usual hymn- q thing he had not done
10 thf course afsixty years
Now, you taust know that they were
an very good pious people who lived In
that Village. And ever since The church
had tieen built, as regularly as O'Clock
came Fornd, come rain. come shine, the
sextoh, had climbed the tower stairs
and here on The little bsIussra1e had
playeF hynip In Gods praise. ApG
on thi psrtic rIar alssrslnssp the .aGxtnl
was Sst in the ses ri raising the OLE
brnss tsumpegfso bis lirs whan for tn,
third jsme that day, lhs oaoy cried.
The lzezion h,ss old 72S % waa rathe
deaf, f4nt he hhAtd Hefl !, ne was old anc
be wa rather blind, tut be saw her-th,
little hite hlnfsIe, crying away among
the stolrks. Hth precious trumpet drop
ped ffdm his fissg-s- H sriEed the rope
OF the Harm tel isssa,nd hin and puff.
| ed vii Il all bis 4ayist
Well 1.-THE peokle came running ont al
their hE3uses Ia terror The cry OF fire
was sp $esding DO aud down the street
Men hlfrried oli of the barns with lad
ders anld pals of water Some OF the
women; appeared armed with brooms.
thoush what tlldyiwere going to do will,
! them lm sure I{dof't know. Not see-
ing any fire they looked bewildered
| "WhPFe's the fire, sexton ?'' thev
shoutesl wildly,
II 8 vorse iilAn fre," WAS the ar,
swer from the t9Paf, the tower. TIE
storks Iave got 4 ehild in the nest over
yonder- Quick quick, or they'll be OF
with it again I"
Ladders were baatily bound together
to make them loager. Two or three
men were softly creeping up to the barn
roof, when Mrs. Stork, getting a hint
of what was going on, picked up the
baby. ard away she went over all their
heads The fire engine had arrived on
the scene Some men seized the hose
and senta heavy stream of water full
against the extended wings of the nis-
chievous, bird. But what was q liia,s
sprinkiilg, more or ltes, to MsjanaA
Stork
On she sailed, rather siowly at first.
enjoyingthe fun of bringing the peas
abts out into the fields and woods in
pursuit, then faster, till she looked like
small black speek in the sky to the
excited people watching below, and at
last she vas out of sight
By and by she began to near city
There were great many houses and
spires and chimneys. Outside the town,
in aD open meadow, q large number of
people werecollected together. In their
midst was q big colored mass of-some-
thing the stGk did not know What
but will mention that it was balloon
| Presently the balloon was loosed from
it's mourings and with sound ascend
ed grandIy into the air. A thousand
psirs of e, es were watching it and a
thousand mouths were praising its
graceful motion, when the thousand pairs
Of eyes fell upon the stork-and the
balloon WAS forgotten. The people were
wild with excitement. Cries of horror
spd lameptiDg were heard on every side.
A huntsman fired few shots, though
without much effect
keep close to this balloon. Mother
Stork. Keep close to the balloon and
you'll be all SAFE" whispered the wise
| bird to herself.
Attached to the balloon there was a
boat, in which were seated man and a
WON an.
"A child child ~ exclaimed the wo-
man, discerning the baby as the stork
drew near. "Oh, you dear little thing I"
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 a rapid rate. go lapid that the
stork had hard work to Keep up. for she
had travelled many 2 mile already, and
was growing short of breath. Still there
was the sound of those dissgreeable lead
Ell balls haunting her ears, and she
pressed on as long ~ she could.
Baby grew somewhat uneasy, how
ever. The piDchers that had been pinch
ing her up SO tightly certainly were
l0osing their hold.
Baby felt herself going going
"Ah! !" said the woman 10 the pal
loou, giving a deep sigh Of relief. II
thought we should have to lose her af
ter all. cal! myselfa pretty lucky wo-
man, now. to find baby in the clouds ~
"Wife," said the man, passing his flu
gers over the little white bundle, tine
fog is 80 thick l can't see very we'll and
by the feeling of so Eluah Ane lace and
ribbon should ssy 1t was the child of
rich parents If so, our fortune is made.
We have only to advertise it in the pa
pers."
"Right!" was the answer. "They'll
pay auy sum for the sake of getting 1t
back. 1 shouldn't wonder If we got
enough to build new house and live In
ease all the rest of our days. That is, if
it's" she stopped in dismay as new
thought struck -"living 1t don't move:
It's go still, I'm afraid it's dead. THEY'LL
never give us anything for 9 dead baby.
Do you suppose the poor thing can have
died of fright ?"
"Oh, toss it little! ~ suggested the
man.
$50 the baby was tossed and rocked
back and forth in the woman's arms,
and being hugged very hard, it gave a
faint cry.
Its crying! it's crying!' was the
joyful exclamation, ard the happy man.
feeling sure now that their fortune was
made, was ready to get back to the earth
as soon as might 30.
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 church
es and trees and houses. There was q
river, too, unpleahantly near.
Is it law of nature that all balloons
shall come down in the middle At q fiv-
er2 It would seelh SO almost, and this
| r. vnV