Harper's Young People, June 15, 1880 An Illustrated Weekly

Charley spends his summer dreaming of the great balloon that has rolled into town with the circus. When his mother falls ill and the trip is cancelled, the boy wanders to the creek, mourning his missed adventure. His big brother Harry spots the huge, colorful balloon descending toward the farm and calls Charley to see it. The sight of the massive yellow dome and the men in its basket rekindles the boy’s longing for the sky.

Soon a kindly professor, a dashing circus performer, and an artist step out of the basket and invite Charley to join them. Though his mother hesitates, the professor assures her that many children have floated safely before. With rope in hand, Charley climbs aboard, and the balloon lifts them above the fields, shrinking the world below to a patchwork of tiny houses and trees. The gentle rise gives the boy a first taste of the freedom he has imagined for so long.