The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-02-13

getting out Of the scrapc. He conclud.
thst he would blow monster bubble,
and see II it would not lift him from his
warm bath.
i Pretty soon there arose on the surface
Of the water handsome bubble, and in
two minutes its sides touched the rim Of
the tub
] Tom was now in great glee. and he
| blew SO hard that the bubble took the
shape Of big balloon. and he felt him.
self rising from the water. Placing his
| tongue at the end Of the stem, SO that
the air should not escape, Tom took
several long breaths preparatory to q
final blow. At last he began to puff away
again. and in moment he was holding
on to the stem OF his pipe with one
hand, while with other he guided him
| self out of the window.
He saw his mother look up at him as
he sailed into space. and for moment
his heart sickencd, and he was filled
| with regret; but as he saw rivers. lakes.
| housetops, trees, the butcher and chill
drcn. all fading and melting into one
mass. he felt proud of himself and for
got every thing else.
Away, upward and onward. went the
pretty bubble and the silly child: nor
did he care which way or how high he
| went, and he doubtless would have been
going on to this day, but from the fact
| that he struck cloud with such force
that the bubble bounded about like
| rubber ball.
| 1t Jared him SO much that he wished
| himself in the backyard Of the house
playing with his cat Peppers" but,
after awhile, he came to the edge Of
the cloud, and then up he shot like .
| rocket.
just as he was beginning to feel hap
py. new trouble appeared; the sun was
setting, and its golden rays reflected SO
strongly on the bubble that it blinded
him: added to this, came sorry feel
ing that he had not minded his poor
mamma. and he began to cry; in trying
to wipe his eyes, he struck the bubble,
which bust with terrible noise. Hor-
rOr filled his breast: oh, what should he
do up in the heavens? lie shouted
for his mother, but that was useless;
she was miles below, and could not hear
or even see her Eighty child. Of a sud-
den he wondered why he was not fall
ing to the ground-his eyes now began
to dry--so he looked below him. and to
his delight discovered that his tears
had been turned to bubbles, and that he
was covered with them.
Tom had aged considerably within an
hour, and was now on the alert for any
thing new that might happen, SO he be-
gan to study out the means of escape
from his terrible condition.
Bubbles brought me up" said Tom,
aloud; IF there were no bubbles, l
would go down." SO he commenced to
burst the bubbles about him, one by one,
and gradually began to descend to the
earth, and when he pricked the last
bubble he shouted with all his might
for JOY, and cried Justify for his mother.
Torn bounded hastily toward the back
door 0f his house: but finding it locked,
commenced knocking and pounding it
with ali his might and screaming:
Mother, mother. I've come home"
Yes, yes, my dear boy said his
mother. ..You have been dreaming,
Tommy; turn over on your side; there's
kiss for YOU"
Tom gave a sigh, murmured some-
thing about ''mince-pie," and glad 1t
amt true then went to sleep again.
Frank L. Robinson, in Santa Claus.