Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-02-29
A HIGH CALLING.

to put stop TO It. But didn't IKE IL
then, for it was my bread, and meant five
pounds week to me; and when it was
stopped, my profession was ruined.
/ don't look like il now, for you see I've
made flesh, and am close on fifty; but
fifteen or twenty years ago, when l was
in my fieshings, could have shown you
such a figure and such muscles as you
wouldn't see every day. Ne and my
brother we're a regular pair, just the same
height, and wonderfully alike Ii was
bit Of CANNON bat took wonderfully IN
the bills and our manager said 1t would
be inter madness 10 announce ourselves
as Benia min and Thomas Kitchens so
we used to be In blue letters all over Lon
don, lies Freres Provencaux :" and the
people came TO see US from all parts.
We were engaged, you see, at the Royal
Conduit Gardens, and did the trapeze
work. Now, dare say you'll find plenty
of people who VIII say ii was known long
before but don't you believe 'em. I'm
the man who invented the trapeze--at
least, I'm the boy that is. / invented II
when | was a boy, on the swing IN our
back garden, the one we made under the
old appIe-tree, out Of mothers clothes
line, and rubbed il till it broke all to bits,
and lei Tom down that heavy that he put
out his shoulder.
You see il was from experimenting on
that swing, hanging by my logs, by one
hand, by two hands, and upsidedown,
that j sowed the seeds Of all those won
derful trapeze exploits that have, as we
say i'm the bills, thrilled expectant audi
ences in every nerve and fibre OF their
frames"
Tom turned very sulky after he put his
shoulder out. and he wouldn't try any
more tricks, till he grew jealous OF Sec
ing me yet SO handy at them The was
queer fellow, Tom, and never could bear
for me 10 be ahead of him, even in taking
incidence and then he sat to when !
wasn't by, and worked SO hard that
he got 10 shorten the rope, and to
hang by one foot, quite clever. / hadn't
known anything about it, he'd been so
sly; so that was quite took aback one
day when, after figuring about in my boy
ish fashion upon the rope, he snickered
at me bit, and then, to my great aston
ishmeat. "Get down" he says; and he
sets TO, does all have done before, and
great deal more too, till he ends by hang
ing by one leg, when, crash! the rope
snapped, and down came poor Tom on
his head and shoulders with a most terri
bic bang.
Up got Tom, and flew at me like
tiger, because | was laughing-and ] put
it to you, could help it?--and then we
had regular stand-up fight, which was
not ended until our Mary charged down
on us with a clothes-prop, and caught
Tom by the throat with the big prong, so
as che held him against the wall till he
promised he wouldn't fight any more.
Tom didn't keep his promise, for he was
terrible boy for fighting, and many's
the up-and-d down set-to we have had to-
gether Woe bctide any boy, though,
who touched me! 1t didn't matter how
big he was, Tom always took my part,
and thrashed him.
From doing things on the rope, we took
TO tumbling n little on the ground, tying
ourselves in knots, walking on our hands;
and shall never forget the day that /
first threw somersault without touching
the ground with my hands. That day
was a marked one for me; first, because
of the pride felt as / ran in the field
and spun over; second, because Tom was
so Jealous that he took a run and jump,
and came down on his back, making il SO
stiff and bad that lie couldn't move hardly
for o week
At last, having done all this for our
own amusement as boys, we had to give
it up, for times got very bad at home.
Poor father, who had only been Jour
neyman painter, fell i'll and died; and
mother moved TO London, where, after
deal Of trying, we boys got a job here and
a Job there IT rough ff,ainttirrr, fUT from
helping father at home we were both
pretty handy with the brush.
Times, however, were very hard with
us, when one day we heard of u chance.
The Royal Conduit Gardens were being
done up in u hurry, the lessee having
taken them, as il were. at the eleventh
hour; and being at high rent, of course
he wanted TO get them open as soon as
possible. Redecora,on was the order of
the day, and every man who could handle
brush was taken on, painters being
scarce In the spring.
Well, we went, and were soon busy at
work. painting arbors, and arches, and
touching up orchestra and artificial sky
till the Gardens were opened, when the
manager, who was "a very civil fellow,
gave Tom and your humble servant a
ticket for the opening day.
That was treat Tor US, for we were in
good spisit3, having "a few shillings In our
pockets. We saw the theatricals, heard
the music, looked at this, looked at that,
and were thoroughly enjoying ourselves,
until we joined the circle about TO wit.
ness the performances OF the Tantipalpti
family and there we stood for some
time seeing them walk on their hands, tic
themselves in knots, and do few clum-
sy somersauts. Then Tom looked at me,
and looked at him, and we went away
laughing together at what we had seen.
"Why," said Tom Of last stopping
short, and giving himself tremendous
slap ON the thigh, eff l couldn't do that
dy-over better than any one there, I'd eat
my boots"
at was poor, wasn't it ?" said
POOR echoed Tom {" it was shame
full"
We walked home that night in silence;
but no sooner were we in our room than
Tom whips off his coat and waistcoat, and
Kicks away his boots, and then goes
through half dozen of our old tricks
rather s,ifiiy, but better than anything
we had seen.
Have try, old boy" he said and l
had a try and the next day we nearly
frightened our landlady to death, and
sent her off searching for help to cut Tom
down, because he had hung himself from
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