The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-05-23
A HIGH CALLING,
From Chambers 5ourna1.l

] y
pounds a week to me, and when i
was stopped my profession wa.
ruined.
1 don't like it now, for you SEE
I've made flesh, and am close on tC
ty; but fifteen OF twenty yeal.
ago, when I was in my feshings, ]
could have shown you such figure
and such muscles as YOU wouldn't
see every day. Ale and my brother
were a regular pair, just the same
height, and wonderfully alike. II
was n bit of CANNON, but it took
wonderfully in the bills; and ouI
manager said it would be utter mad
ness to announce ourselves as Ben
jaman and Thomas Kitchens; so we
used to be in blue letters all over
| London, LES Freres Provencaux; :
and the people came to see us from
all parts.
We were engaged, you see at the
| Royal COndOit Gardens, and did the
trapezs work. Now, l dare say
you'll find plenty Of people who will
say it was known long before; bat
don you relieve 'em. I'm the man
who invented the trapeze-at least,
I'm the. bOy-that is, / envented it
when was boy, ON the swing in
our back garden, the one We made
under the old appIe-tree, out of
mothers clothes line, and rubbed
till it broke all to bits, and let Tom
down that heavy that he put out his
shoulder.
You see, it was from experiment
ing on that swing, hanging by my
legs, by one hand. by two hands, and
upside down, that l sowed the seeds
of all those wonderful trapeze ex-
ploits that have, as we say in the
bills, thrilled expectant audiences
in everJ nerve and fibre of their
frames"
Tom turned very sulky after he
put his shoulder out, and he would
not try any more tricks, till he grew
jealous of seeing me get so handy at
them he was queer fellow was
Tom, ana never could bear for me to
be aheau of him, even in taking
medicine), and then he set to work
when 1 wasn't by ard worked so
hard that he got to shorten the rope,
and to hang by one foot quite clever.
1 hadn't Known anything about it,
he'd been 50 sly; so that Twas quite
took aback one day when, after fig
uring about in my boyish fashion
upon the ropes, he sniggered at me
and then to ny great astOnishment,
''get down." he says, and sets to,
and does all l have done before, and
a great deal more too, till he ends
by hanging by one leg, when crash!
the rope snapped and down came
poor Tom on his head and shoulder
with a terrible bang.
Up got Tom, and flew at me like
a tiger, because l was laughing
and I put it to you, could l help it?
and then we had a regular stand
up fight, which was not ended until
our Mary charged down upon us
with clothes-prOp, and cought Tom
by the throat with the big prong, so
as she held him against the wall till
he promised he wouldn't fight any
more. Tom didn't keep his promise,
for he was q terrible boy for fighting,
and many's up-and down set to we
have had together. 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 a little on the
ground, tying ourselves in knots,
walking on our hands; and I shall
never forget the day when l turned
the first somersault without touch
ing the ground with my hands. That
day was marked one for me; first,
because of the pride 1 felt as l ran
in the field and span over; second,
because Tom was so jealous that he
took run and jump, and cane down
on his back, making it SO stiff and
bad that he couldn't move hardly
for a 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 on
ly been a journeyman painter, fell
Ill and died; and mother moved to
London, where, after a deal of try
ing, we boys got job here and there
at rough painting, for, 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 a
chance The Royal CondOit Gar
dens were being done up in hurry,
the lessee having taken them, as it
were, at the eleventh hour; and be-
ing at high rent, of course he want
ed to get them open as soon rs pos
S. BILE. RedecOration was the order
of the day, and every man who could
handle brush was taken on, pain
ters being scarce in the spring.
Well, we went. and were soon
busily at work, painting arbors and
arches, and tOnching 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 ticket
for the opening day.
That was a treat for us, Tor we
were in good spirits, 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
witness the performances ofthe Tan
tipalpiti family, and there we stood
for some time, seeing them walk on
their hands, tie them in knots, and
do few clumsy somersaults. Then
Tom looked at me, and l looked at
him. and we went away laughing to-
gether at what we had seen.
"Whv," said Tom at last, stop
ping short snd giving himself tre-
mendous slap on the thigh, ''lt i
couldn't do that fy-over better than
any one there I'd eat my boots
at was poor, wasn't it?' said l.
s.Poorr' echoed Tom; it was
shameful"
We walked home that night IN 81
lcnce: but no sooner were IN our
B