Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-06-05
The Smell Of tha Sawanat..

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Girls, the racy contributor to the Gineih.
natti Times, ventiiates s.sawdrist' ID F5llayIs
We chanccd to be In a SMALL town in wis.
eonsln once when Dan Rice's Circus came
there to exhibit. We always goto keaf Dat
when convenient, and ne did not miss that
opportunity. BY our side, On the T5agh hem
lock board-which formed one of the liIxx.
urious seats so glowingly described Ia tbn
bills-Swas a gfa Bearded old man who bore
crutch and cane, which. were apparently. in
dispensible companions BE watched the
Performance With Uncommon interest. nm.
plauding redaeRtly Finally, when the ts-s15 an
dience was conrnlsed with laughter at one of
Dams witticisms, the old fellow turned ayvav
ms head and burst into tears. We INQUIRED
the cause of his emotion.
Slr, said he, drying his eyes With faded
pocket handkerchief, bearing the faint I'M :
JPresslon OF a circus fiderduring the tNo horse
act, @ you see before you dccayed circus man.
inlrty years of my ny !i::aa were spent in the
ring began as property boy. and was
adyanccdrto the responsibility Of a orbom
then became a bareback rider. closiS,, NV
career, when unable to perform on horseback,
as a clown
fiteen: years ago left, the ring forever,
and n to>nislit is the first time have looked
upon 1T since. Engrossed as 1 have been,
VITA the care of a farm up among the open-
lnggs, thought / had forgotten it all: hut the
smell OF the sawdust is too much for me
The canvass, the lights, the music and the
app!iaudIng crowd bring the old DAYS back
again, and L find myself blubberinG Ike n
young kid after his first fall from the pa6.D
We afterwards learned that the, old fellow
actually applied to Dan Rice for an opportu>
nity to go with the show, quite forgetful of
ms 1nrm among. the oak openings and the
claims OF an extensive aud growing family.
being totally overcome by the old familiar
''smeH of sa&duSt"
The weakness of the cid clown is a ne
cuilarlty of all who have spent any consider
aDie portion OF their time in what NAV be
termed theshew business. They icanuot get
the smell OF the sawdust out of their nostrils.
we are led to these reflections by obsery-
ing that the Ravcls, With the storiSinal and
only Gabriel.at the head, are playing an en-
gngement at the National Theatre. Years
ago that wonderful troupe of artistes played
a series OF farewell engagements through the
country and they have been playing farewell
engagements periodically ever since. They
are continually, leaving the stage forever, and
forever coming back to it again 1t NAV be
urged that the thing pays. 1t undoubtedly
does, but the Ravels have got money enough
to smooth their declining years. enough to
permit them to pass their remaining days in
luxurious ease, either in this country, or in
their native land. We believe it is not mon
ey but-'the smell of the sawdust,,' metaphors
ieally speaking that brings them back again
to Surprise us anew, with the same old panto
mines and capers. ~
Forrest, ''the greatest tragcdiaa of the age"
as the posters, which are carefully arranged
under his own eye, Invariably say, leaves the
stage for good, occasionally, only TO be again
tempted within the magic circle of footlights.
It is said that extravagant sums of money are
the onl y inducements, but don't the "smell
OF sawdpsti linger in his nostrils? Don't he
long for the flashing lights, the music and the
aPPlauding multitude, even as the clown wept
for the old day of The ring2
It is long before the war horse forgets the
old familiar notes of the bugle call the old
soldier would fight his battles over again with
something better than his crutch if he caught
a snuff Of the powder, and it is not strange
that the actor on life's mimic stage is liable
while life endures, to succumb to the "smell
of the sawdust.''