Connecticut western news., 1872-09-20
Tom Hartley got His Wish.

eu 70 DS a6tlT. All tue DcyS 1u the DOW0 were, I'm sure. For several days, large printed bills, with pictures of lions and tigers, had covered the fences here and there, sll around; and these were to tell that grand circus was coming. Beside the wild animals, which were in great cages, there were three elephants; then there were ponies, with monkeys to ride them, and trained horses, and the fun niest looking fellow of clown. Alto gether, there was a great deal to see, and it's no wonder the boys were half crazy over it; I'm sure l should have been myself.
 Well, very soon the music was heard, and how delightfully."- it sounded that bright, sunshiny morning! "There! there! they're coming" cried ever so many of the boys at once, and in a moment they saw the cloud of dust away down the road.
 "I wonder if the lions ever get out?" said little Bob Emmett, as they all stood watching.
 "I guess we'd all run if they should, :" said Dick Upton.
 "Pooh! run! I wouldn't," said Tom Hartley. "I'd just like to see them rum ming around loose-wouldn't it be jollyp'
 ''I guess you'd be scared if the eleph- ant should step on you," said Bob.
 "Scared !-now what do you think I'd do? I'd just push his foot away, and I'd give him Q great kick; and I guess he wouldn't step on me again" Now, Tom always talked in this grand way, and the boys thought he must be very brave. It's true he futtered a red shirt among the geese, and when the old gander flew at him Tom ran screeching like loon. Then another time he roar ed Justify because he thought 0 COW chased him.
 Well, pretty soon the circus came, and while the performance was going on a monkey was brought and put on the wish I could ride him." said Tom Hart ley.
 "Wouldn't you be scaredP" said Jack Wilson.
 "Scared-pooh! I shouldn't be scared if he jumped as high as the top of the tent. The higher he jumped the better I'd like it."
 Just at that minute "Hector" kicked up his hind legs and threw the monkey across the tent. But the monkey pick. ed himself up and ran after ''Hector'' caught him by the tail. Then he com. menced striking him with a stick. It didn't hurt the horse at all, but he pre- tended that it did, and so he ran around the ring as fast as he could go. Bct it happened that he stopped just under the platform where the boys were, and as the clown came up, Bob Upton threw peice of melon rind at his head, and Jack Wilson reached down with a long stick he had. and poked the cap of his head. Then the boys all shouted and stamped their feet, and screamed out all manner of rude things again. The clown looked very angry; he pick Ad up his cap, but no sooner had Ee put it on his head agaln, than Tom Hartley reached down with his stick to poke it of. But Tom's suck was not long enough, l and in reaching down, over Tom went. He fell to the ground and hurt himself good deal, but he hadn't tune to think | of that, for quick as wink, the clown | picked him up and put him on "Hector's'' back.
 "Oh! Oh! Oh!" roared Tom, as the Town cracked his whip, and "Hector'' commenced running around the ring at m awful gallop. Tom thought he should die; he tried to hold on, but he scream cd so loul "Hector' was frightened, 1 and ran great deal faster than ever he did with the monkey. The clown put up the bars, and "Hector" gave a great jump and went over them. It almost took the breath out of Tom. I really l think then the clown might have taken him off. But he didn't; he clapped his hands and "Hector" understood what he was to do; so he kicked up his hind legs and Tom went-not exactly sky high, Dut over the horses head and almost across the tent.
 Of course it hurt Tom great deal more than ever it did the monkey, fol tue monkey was such little fellow, and then he always knew when "Hector' was going to throw him, and could give a jump. But there lay pool Tom on the ground, screaming louder than ever he dld in his life before.
 Then the clown took up long iror rod that had hook on the end of it, an6 went up to Tom. ''Oh, see," erred the boys, he's going to lick him."
 The clown came up to where Tom lay sprawling on the ground, and he stoop ed dow1 and looked at him, as thougt he saw some very curious thing that ht never had seen before. He looked 1T such funny way, that it made every body ln the circus laugh. Then tn, clown put the hook right through tho waistband of Toms trowsers and hel6 him up.
 All the people shouted and laughed again, for Tom looked just like crat stuck on the end of poker. And SC the clown carried him over, and lifted him up to the platform.
 Poor Tom! For my own part, fel very sorry for him; but after that h. never was heard to say that he should like to ride on circus horse, and ht never again was known to teaze th, clown.-Rural Nea0 Yor1ur.
 A FISH WITH FOUR HANDS. MT Foord, member of the Australian Eclip SC Expedition, recently described befor, the Royal Society most extraordinar,