The Red Cloud chief., 1884-08-01

auo6tioug sbou& the voyage snd the
m1naG0<6e1t q The balloon fhaS
e6oursd4y y sncbos and q rope In The
h6ndo 1t IT, nerosaut. WA swaying
16xily backwaed snd forward In the
evening I'll. e VA = good deal out OF
Wiad, and va = sleepy and innocent
upnstsr u he eyes Of the fsrmer. ma
with tho owneys permission. az ~
70 his house, where. - he sea4sne
could .shftch s., 70 his fena at
lhefore h thu secured Il he 49,
childrua agsd respcctvely 70
>meed him to lift them $3.50 -
kSeSSket" dat they mife - -.
ek6ea S5eet6r cushions." :
Whf,s fhR13tent;on OF tho acronaut
was1 Nod byo1pre curious questions
from aNnN6iorihxtAype this rash
father lifted Ma@nsrifng6 one by ons
into 6be q CTdInUeJ Johnny
proysA The .ouuce TOO saucfSS the
aerial camel, and Lrought Hin tS{As
efound; and thens ~uninUkfly ri
iHe baby. but the eldest hops Of the
family. was lifted out The relief Wa
FOO great for the monster. The volatile
(c%rea;ure's spirits rose at once; be jerk
| ed the batter out Of the farmers hands,
and. with q wild bound, mounted into
the air.
Vain was tho aeronaut's anchor!
1t caught for . moment in . fence, but
1t tore away and was of, dangling
~uselessly after the runaway balloon.
which SO swiftly and steadily arose tnat
in a.few minutes those two little Write
faces pesring over the edge of the car
grew indistinct, and those pi;eous cries
Of '~father!" and '.motber!' grew
fainter and fainter up in the aiL
When distance and twilight mists
had swallowed up voices End faces.
and nothing could be seen but the dark
and cruel shape, sailing triumphaDtly
away with precious Booty. like an
nerial privateer. the poor father sank
down, helpless and speechless; but he
motherAfrantic with grief. still stretch
cd her yearning arms toward the mex
orable heavens and called wildly up
into the unaHswering void.
The aeronaut ssroVe 10 console the
wretched parent. with tho assurance
that the balloon would descend within
thirty miles from the town, and that
ali might be. well with the children.
provided il did not come down in water
or deep woods.
favorable spot, there was but n
danger 10 be apprehended; no thought
that the elder child might step out,
leaving the younger in the balloon.
Then i; might rise again and continue
its journey.
"Ah. no." replied the mother,
s:Jennie would never stir from the car
without Johnny in her arms"
The balloon passed directly over the
market town. and the children. seeing
many people in the street, stretched
out their hands and cried loudly for
help.
But the villagers. though they saw
the bright little heads. heard no call.
Amazed at the strange %appariion,
they might also have thought the trans
lated little creatures small angel
navigators on some voyage of discovery.
some little cherubic venture of their
own. as, heading toward the rosy cloud
lands and purple islands of sunset
splendor. they sailed deeper into the
west aud faded away.
When the sunlight al went away and
tho great comet camo blazing out,
little johnny Was a~pprehcnsivo that tho
comet might como 20 near their airy
craft and set it on fire with u whisk Of
its dreadful tail.
But when his sister assured him that
the fiery dragon was "as much as
twenty miles away," and that Cod
wouldn't let him hurt them, he was |
Sranauilized.
So the two little baby wanderers.
alone In the wide heavens. unawed by |
darkness. immensely. and silence. in
the presence of millions OF Implying |
stars. lifted their littls clasped hands
and sobbed out their sorrowfui Our
Father" then that quaint littlo supple
,Ssasntary PRAYER:
y "Now / lay me down TO Sleep"
Doubtless divine loyed stopped to the
little ones and folded them in perfect
peace; for soon the younger, sitting on
the bottom of the ear, with his head
leaning against his sisters knee. slept
rs soundly as though he were lying in
his own little bed at home; while the
elder watched quietly through the long
hours. and tho car ficated gently on in
the still night air, till it began TO sway
and rock in the fresh morning wind.
Who can divine that simple little
child's thoughts. speculations, and wild
imaginings while watching through
those hours? She may have feared
coming into collision with a meteor-for
many were abroad that night-or per-
haps. being cast away on some DESC
late star-isiand, or more drosdful still,
floating and floating on. night and dag.
until they should both die Of cold and
hunger.
AT length a happy chance. or Prov
idencc. guided the little girls wander
highland TO a cord connected with the
vaiye; something told her to pull it.
At once the balloon began to sink.
slowly and gently. AS though let down
by tender hands; as though some
celestial pilot guided it through the
wild currents of air, not letting it drop
into the lake or river, or lofty wood,
or inpci,etrable swamp. whero this
strange upchiidiixe experience might
have been c:oset bg 3 death Of unspeak-
abie horror. bat caasicg il TO dcscead
as iuitiis rs a bird lights. on y spot
where human care and pity awaited II
llc hnu fts MI fSs hAStus VIZ -
moraing twilight had come, when the
little girl. looking OYER The edge of the
ear. saw tie dear Old earth coming
nearcr-"rising toward thcn." she
said. Bu. when the car stopped, to
her great diss mrointment.it was not on
the groand, bat caught fast in the top
most branches OF = tree
Farmer Burton. who lived in q lonely
house on the edge of his W pri-
vate prairie, was 3 famous sleeper
in general. baton his particular MORN
inc he awoke before the dawn, and. |
though he turned and turned again.
be could sleep no more So. At last ne
ssid to his good wife. whom he had
srina.r waEena IN ;uform her of his |