Year: 1870

There never was anything half so won-


dsrfuL Tommy safbp the parlor floor, and


held it fast with his fat, dimpled hands,


and drew his iDgerssoftl over the smooth,


round sides, and was almost afraid to


breathe. lest it should float away from him.
Uncle Jim had Just brought II from the


city. He bought it on Clark street bridge,


where o man stood with dozen of thera,


attached to little strings, and tossing up


and down in the sir, like beautiful, great,


red soap bubbles. When Tommy got tired


of holding it in his arms. and tried to lay


it on the floor, up it went to the white


ceiling, and hung there, all shiny and
glistening in the lamp light. Tommy


pulled it softly down by the string, and
then for q loug time he played with


1t, until mamma came with the little


white nightgown and took him awav MP


stairs to bed. 1t wss funny then that Re


couldn't lay his balloon away anywhere, bot


only let go Of the string, and let it go up


to the ceiling, right over his bed. He


watched it as long as he could see, while


mamma carried the lamp down the long


ball, and when she went down the stairs,


the very last bit of light that came in over


tho top Of the door shone straight on the


balloon. Tommy meant to keep awake, so


as to see it again when mamma came up


to bed. but by and by he shut his eyes a


little, just to rest them, and then he forgot
all about the balloon until morning. aud
there wss the sun peeping in at the balloon,
and the balloon peeping out at the sun,
and looking more like great, red soap
bubble than ever.


They had milk toast for breakfast, but
Tommy hadn't any appetite; and before


he rest were half through eating. he was
out on the gravel walk in the front yard,
looking up at his red balloon, with his
round face fairly solemn with excitement.
He only let it go very little way, at first,
but after awhile he let out the slender, silk
thread, and it hoated about just above the
top of the silver maple by the gate. Tom
my sat down to watch it. He played he
was in the balloon himself, going right up
to so, the man in the moon. He couldn't
see the moon anywhere, but he felt sure
it smust be up there somewhere. Then
he thought he would ask Uncle
Jim to put q longer string to the bal
loon; he wanted to see how 1t would look
away up among the lovely, little, pink
clouds that were floating about the east
So he pulled it down and held it fast in
his chubby arms and started for the house.
He started, but he didn't get there; for
he stubbed his poor, little foot against the
wheel to the baby's wagon, and down
went the bright little face on the gravel
walk, aud out went the little fat arms in
the air, aud, o dear it almost makes me
cry to think of it, away went the beautiful,
round, red, shining balloon, straight up
toward the pink and white clouds in the
east.


Tommy picked himself up quick enough,
and then looked around for the balloon; but
of course that did not wait to be picked up
it was above the top of the silver maple.
Tommy screamed, first for mamma then
fol Uncle Jim and they both came run
ming out So did Susy and Robert, sndso
did Biddy the cook; but if all the Grand
Army of the Republic had been there, it
wouldn't have done any good. The long
est ladder in the world would not have
reached half way to the sky, and so the
balloon foeted airily away, while Tommy
walled and so5bed. and his mamma tried
to comfort him, and Uncle Jim promised
to buy him another balloon.


They all went in at last, and Tommy sat
down on the grass and watched his balloon
till it was only a tiny speck in the distance,
and then he went mourntully in 10 his man.
ma He laid his head on her lap, and asked





his dear red balloon would 90 to2
Would it go away up to heaven, and would
he little angels have it to play with2
md would he find it when he went there to
i've?


So his namma laid down her work and
ook the little boy on her lap, and told him
his story-aud it might have been true


"Onee there was little boy that lived all
llone with his grandmother in little, old
iingy brown house. The little boy was
anne, so he never could run aad play. and
he was poor so no had no nice things to
muse him; but every day when his grand
mother was at work, he hmped out under
he tree in the little narrow yard, and lay
here looking mp at the sky. He liked to
Fatch the clouds sailing over, and fancy
hey were ships and castles. and sometimes
white angels One day he saw
.way up in the sky, little dark speck, and
IS it came nearer and nearer, it dropped
over and lower, until it shone like great
ed star in the sunshine. The little boy sat
I'D aud watched it eagerly. Nearer and
nearer it came-past the steeple Of the
church, past the chimney Of the factory,
light over the roof of the academy, al
most touching it by this time. He stood
I'D, leaning on his cruthes, and saw It COM
ng, always little lower. right across the
I'D, bare common, and over his grand
nothe@ Yard. He limped q step or two
owards it, caught at the trailing thread of
,ilk that hung from it, and sat down, all
rembling with delight, with the strange,
1eaatiful thingin his hands He did not
Know that it was balloon that little boy
lad lost, and that had come down because
he gas had slowly escaped from it; he
hought it was something God had sent
lin straight out of heaven. And he took
great deal of comfort with it, and kept
{ till it slowly lost its pretty, round shape,
md even then he loved il.


That was a nice story" said Tommy.
I'm glad I know what came of my
,loon."