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THE CHILD-THIEF.
'Twas one fourth day of July,
With a deep blue, far-off sky,
And some north-east vapor-castles, built symmetrical and high;
And two small clouds, just a mile
Right above us, seemed to smile,
As to say, “Come up, poor earthlings, here, and visit us a while.”
With a deep blue, far-off sky,
And some north-east vapor-castles, built symmetrical and high;
And two small clouds, just a mile
Right above us, seemed to smile,
As to say, “Come up, poor earthlings, here, and visit us a while.”
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And the air was still and clear;
You could see and you could hear
Every little thing that happened, if the same was far or near;
And a crowd was standing by,
With investigating eye,
To assist in my departure for the regions of the sky.
You could see and you could hear
Every little thing that happened, if the same was far or near;
And a crowd was standing by,
With investigating eye,
To assist in my departure for the regions of the sky.
I had filled my new balloon
Middle of the afternoon
(For it's never best to get off unprofessionally soon);
And she started like a queen
From the little village green,
And went up, and up, and upward, straight as ever you have seen!
Middle of the afternoon
(For it's never best to get off unprofessionally soon);
And she started like a queen
From the little village green,
And went up, and up, and upward, straight as ever you have seen!
'Twas a picture, I declare,
Rising through the summer fair,
Making for those pretty cloudlets, like two islands in the air;
And the earth began to seem
Like a distant, misty dream,
Full of farms and lakes and cities, and the river-silver-gleam;
Rising through the summer fair,
Making for those pretty cloudlets, like two islands in the air;
And the earth began to seem
Like a distant, misty dream,
Full of farms and lakes and cities, and the river-silver-gleam;
And at last a current-gale
Struck my stately silken sail,
And I voyaged off to eastward, over mountain, hill, and vale,
Till I couldn't but understand
That a down-trip must be planned;
Though I came by air, a-flying, I must travel back by land!
Struck my stately silken sail,
And I voyaged off to eastward, over mountain, hill, and vale,
Till I couldn't but understand
That a down-trip must be planned;
Though I came by air, a-flying, I must travel back by land!
Then I got myself in shape,
And I pulled the air-escape,
And my anchor through a forest 'gan to hitch and pull and scrape,
Till it caught an oaken knot
In a little forest lot,
And I found that I had landed in a very lonely spot.
And I pulled the air-escape,
And my anchor through a forest 'gan to hitch and pull and scrape,
Till it caught an oaken knot
In a little forest lot,
And I found that I had landed in a very lonely spot.
Just a cabin-hovel nigh,
Not a single person by;
'Twas the loneliest bit of forest a balloonist could espy;
And my nose wasn't over-fond
Of a little, stagnant pond,
And wherever glance could wander, rose the forest just beyond;
Not a single person by;
'Twas the loneliest bit of forest a balloonist could espy;
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Of a little, stagnant pond,
And wherever glance could wander, rose the forest just beyond;
But a handsome little girl,
With her blue eyes all awhirl,
And her trim head ornamented by full many a golden curl,
From the hut came running out,
With a little, bird-like shout,
And embraced and kissed me, 'fore I quite knew what she was about;
With her blue eyes all awhirl,
And her trim head ornamented by full many a golden curl,
From the hut came running out,
With a little, bird-like shout,
And embraced and kissed me, 'fore I quite knew what she was about;
“Oh, I knew you'd come,” she said,
“From the country overhead,
Where my mamma went to visit when they told me she was dead;
For I prayed by day and night,
And then hoped with all my might,
She would send some one to take me into happiness and light!
“From the country overhead,
Where my mamma went to visit when they told me she was dead;
For I prayed by day and night,
And then hoped with all my might,
She would send some one to take me into happiness and light!
“Since my uncle went away
To the ‘Independence Day,’
I have knelt here, and done nothing but just pray and pray and pray;
And I've been expecting you
All the afternoon, for true,
Though I didn't suppose you'd get here just before the prayer was through!”
To the ‘Independence Day,’
I have knelt here, and done nothing but just pray and pray and pray;
And I've been expecting you
All the afternoon, for true,
Though I didn't suppose you'd get here just before the prayer was through!”
Then she showed me marks to spare
Of hard blows and cruel fare,
And my love and pity clasped her, and I could not leave her there;
I stopped kissing her, to say,
“I'm not going to heaven to-day,
And I don't believe that you will; but I'll start you, anyway.”
Of hard blows and cruel fare,
And my love and pity clasped her, and I could not leave her there;
I stopped kissing her, to say,
“I'm not going to heaven to-day,
And I don't believe that you will; but I'll start you, anyway.”
And I drew her to me nigh,
And pulled up my anchor, spry,
And threw out some bags of ballast, and we sprang up toward the sky;
And she showed no sign of fright,
But went off to sleep all right,
And was sailing up in Dreamland, when we landed, just at night.
And pulled up my anchor, spry,
And threw out some bags of ballast, and we sprang up toward the sky;
And she showed no sign of fright,
But went off to sleep all right,
And was sailing up in Dreamland, when we landed, just at night.
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And I took a truthful plan,
When the kidnapping began,
And announced myself no angel, but a coarse and faulty man;
But she said she understood,
And she knew that I was good;
That her mother sent me for her, as she always knew she would.
When the kidnapping began,
And announced myself no angel, but a coarse and faulty man;
But she said she understood,
And she knew that I was good;
That her mother sent me for her, as she always knew she would.
And her uncle never knew
Where his little birdling flew,
Though I don't suppose he hunted more'n a century or two;
Didn't suspect that from above
I swooped down upon his dove,
And took off the little orphan that he hadn't the sense to love.
Where his little birdling flew,
Though I don't suppose he hunted more'n a century or two;
Didn't suspect that from above
I swooped down upon his dove,
And took off the little orphan that he hadn't the sense to love.
This sweet bit of ballast, she
Since has lived along with me,
And has loved me like a daughter, far as I could feel and see;
And if ever I can rise
Past the clouds, to Paradise,
It will be because that darling steers my soul into the skies.
Since has lived along with me,
And has loved me like a daughter, far as I could feel and see;
And if ever I can rise
Past the clouds, to Paradise,
It will be because that darling steers my soul into the skies.
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