News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1895-12-12

when | noticed that it began to grow
darker. Suddenly everything became
as dark as midnight. | could not
see an inch before my face and there
was a sound of rushing torrents in
my ears. l was greatly frightened
and could not refrain from crying
out in alarm. | felt a soft touch on
my arm and the siivery voice of my
guide reassuring me.
"Do not be alarmed. This will be
over in a minute and you will be well
rewarded for this little fright" she
softly whispered.
Before she had quite finished speak
ing the darkness vanished and We
found ourselves in the most beautiful
world we could dream of. The air
was soft and balmy and heavy with
the fragrance of many flowers.
CHOW do you regret coming?"
asked my roguish little companion,
with a merry laugh.
"No, indeed, | do not regret COM
ing, but | must be dreaming" | re-
piled, scarcely daring to breathe for
fear it would all vanish. The sound
of my own voice startled me, for it
was not my own ordinary voice, but
one as soft and sweet as my strange
companion.
She laughed at my surprise, and,
handing me tiny mirror, told me to
look and seeif knew myself. l looked
as she bade me, and instead of my
own image | beheld a figure which in
stinctively | knew to be mine, only
that it was as near like my little COM
panion's as possible. | was dumb
with amazement.
81 have given you that appearance
that we may get along with less diff
Guilty here in Cloudland," she said.
"You will understand better as we
proceed on our way"
We had by this time reached what
at first seemed to be mass of down,
but which my guide told me was
cloud ship. We were transferred in
the same mysterious manner to the
cloud ship and were soon speeding
along at a much more rapid rate
than before. When | was sufficiently
composed looked around and soon
discerned that there were many SINH
lar coming and going in all direc-
tons, and upon closer inspection |
discovered that they all carried pas
sengers similar in appearance to our
selves.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself"
| exclaimed nv companion.
Il cannot express my apprecia-
tion," | answered, "but beg you
will pardon me if l again ask you
who you are and where we are"
Certainly; am not offended. This
is Cloudland and they call me Ora
here. You must be content with that
explanation and endeavor to enjoy
what no other mortal has ever seen"
she replied, smiling.
[ asked no more, but sat in silence,
gazing upon the beautiful scene be-
fore me and thoroughly enjoying the
delightful motion OF our downy boat.
For some time we Travelled along,
drinking in the glories of this grand
spectacle and quite content to lie
still and be satisfied with it ALL
Presently | heard the faintest sound
of music and as we glided along the
strains became sWeeter and more dis
tinct.
"Where does the music come FROM"
| asked, thoroughly enchanted, for l
had never heard such exquisite melody.
THAT" she answered, sis caused
by the twinkling of the stars, which
are the homes of the people of Cloud
land. We will come to them present
ly and you can see what pleasant
homes we have"
And to be sure we did. The stars
were beautiful silver castles floating
in the air. They we're covered with
little bells and the constant motion
of the castles sets them jingling.
Each star castle seemed to havea dis
tinct tone to its bells, and as they
twinkled the different tones of the
bells so blended as to make the most
beautiful melody.
We had not time to stop, but as
we rode along | saw that they were
all inhabited by the same fairylike
people had seen everywhere on our
journey. Everyone seemed happy
and | saw not one plain or homely
face among them all. Certainly this
was a land of perfection. No one
work in CIoudland, Ora informed me;
the main object of all seemed to be
to amuse themselves.
We travled through the avenues OF
Cloudland and presently came in
view of a magnificent star castle
many times larger than any we had
yet seen. This was what we mortals
call the moon and was the palace OF
the queen. 1t was similar in form to
the star castles, but mnch larger and
was made of gold.
"We have come to the end of our
Journey" said Ora. This is the
palace of our dear Queen Sylvia, and
there is to be a grand fete to cele-
brate her release from captivity.
81 must tell you the story for it
will interest you, ] know. Her | us
band, the king, was banished from
our kingdom for crime committed
by his visible selt and went to rule
over the dominion of the sun. For
revenge he came unawarcs and cap.
tured our queen and carried her
away to his own dominion, where she
was very unhaDDv. There has re