[Footnote A: The three great dainties of the Russian peasant.] [Footnote B: One third of a penny; one hundred kopecks equal one rouble.] [Footnote C: The Easter greeting, and reply.] [Footnote D: The Russian word is "tchervontzi"--gold pieces worth five dollars each.] PARLOR BALLOONING. BY L. HOPKINS. [Illustration] There goes the toy balloon man! Here, take this ten-cent piece; run after him as hard as ever you can, and bring me one of those over-grown ripe-cherry-looking things, and I will show you a few queer tricks the toy balloon can do, which, I'll venture to say, the inventor of toy balloons himself never thought of. Ah! I see you have picked out a fine plump one. Now for a bit of paper--any kind will do. This, torn from an old newspaper at random, will serve the purpose admirably. Now, I crumple it up at one corner, and tie it to Mr. Balloon's half yard or so of tail, and turn him loose in the room. He rises slowly for a little, and then as slowly settles down to the floor. That won't do. I want to see him exactly balanced between floor and ceiling; so, of course, the paper must be of exactly the same weight as the balloon itself. We soon can accomplish that. See! I tear off a bit more. Top heavy yet? He rises higher this time, and settles down more slowly to the floor. Tear again. Whew! I took off too much that time. He rises to the ceiling, bumping his head against it a few times, and finally remains there in a sullen manner as if determined he will have no more of our nonsense. [Illustration] I recapture him, and this time I add to the weight of his tail, by dividing in two the last bit which I tore off, and twisting it around the string. Now, then, sir, you may go! See! he rises slowly, slowly, until about midway between floor and ceiling, where he stops and turns slowly about, as if making up his mind what to do next. [Illustration]