American citizen., 1873-08-09
THE CIRCUS BOY.
BY SIDNEY DAYRE.

BY SIDNEY DAYRE.
"Oh dear! if I could only be little
circus riderr' sighed Johnny Gray
couldn't 1, papa?"
Papa laughed and mamma said, "What
a shame to have such notions put into a
childs headI' She spoke impatiently
for she had been very much provoked al
Johnny's having been allowed to go to
the circus. She had been spending the
day out, when Uncle James came to town
to take his two boys to the circus. John
ny was very anxious to go, and at dinner
begged his papa to let him. He knew
pretty well his mamma would not be will
ing, but papa said he might go. He be
came very much excited by what he saw
there, admiring the little boy all dressed
in gold and scarlet who rode around on
the beautiful horses, and thought he must
be one of the proudest and happiest boys
in the world. He wondered greatly, when
he got home, that his mother did not
seem anxious to secure such glorious
career for him.
"What a splendid life it must be-" he
said to himself, 'travcling round all the
time, visiting all the fine cities, and all
the folks clapping their hands and adj
miring himi Mother doesn't know much
about circuses, or I'm sure she'd be glad
to have me 60"
So he went to bed to think, not of the
love and care of his kind parents, of the
comforts of his home and all the blessings
which surrounded his life, but of the
glitter and magnificence of the circus, and
the happy life of those fortunate beings
who belonged to it.
He allowed his mind to dwell on these
things until he began seriously to think
of making an attempt to speak to some of
the circus men about it. 1t would be no
harm just to ask if they wanted a bov.
whether I'd better go" Then he thought
of his mother; how could he leave her,
and what would she think of it? Would
MT she think it great thing for him to
be earning his own living like a man? and
then, in case his circus should come round
this way again, how proud and glad she
would be to see him in such a grand pO-
sition, and how all the schoOlboys would
stare to see the wonderful things he could
dol Having worked himself up into
great excitement, foolish, foolish little
Johnny got out of his little bed and softly
erept out of the window into the warm
summer night.
He had never been in the street before
as late as nine O'Clock, and felt almost
afraid, but the sound of the circus music
reached him, and he ran toward it. A
few men were lOunging around the tent
in the bright moonlight, and johnny
walked about wondering if he might
chance to meet any OF the grand persons
who had so attracted him in the after
noon. He heard great shouting inside
he tent. snd would have given much to
know what was going on. Soon after it
stopped a boy was seen coming out of the
small tent which was at one end of the
arge one
"Halloo, Bill, you off ?" asked one of
he men standing near.
Yes, and glad to be out of it." said
he boy. Its hot enough in there to
'oast a body keeping still, let alone caper-
ng round like me-" and he walked to-
ward a baggage wagon containing some
straw, and threw himself upon it.
This boy looked to Johnny something
ike the one he had seen riding in the at
ernoon, but could it really be lie Jeune
the pride of the arena, as the |
howbils called him? He seemed bigger |
han Johnny had thought him, and not so |
lice looking; besides, the shabby clothes
le now had on were very different from
lis glory of spangles and velvet. But
ohnny was determined to find out some
hing, SO he timidly approached the wagon.
"What do you want?" said the boy, in
ather surly tone.
"Oh, don't want to disturb you," said
ohnny, in a tone of great respect; "was
you riding in there just now?"
Eyes"
"Don't it make you proud to hear all
ne people applauding you?"
NO; I've got over that long ago. It's
list the same crowd of shouting fools ev-
" day and every night of my life. I'm
ck of it"
"Why, don't you like to be a circus
oy ~ sa id Johnny, in great surprise.
"Not much, young 'un," wa. the reply;
it's too hard work and too little rest to
lit me. But do you want to be a circus
der9"
well, l thought would like it," said
Dhnny.
you're great fool, then, if you can
ct your grub for nothing. Amt you got
father and mothers"
"YeS."
"And are they good to you?'
YES" said Johnny, again, feeling a lit
E ashamed .
"Then, l can tell you, you had better
ay where you are well off. They got me
a work us, and that was a mean place
Rough, but l don't know as twas much !
orse than this"
why" said Johnny, in great surprise,
lon't YOU like to ride horses, and amt it
"a heap it's nice. To be riding every
~ and night in place so hot you can
lrdly breathe, and then, when you are I
red out and would like to go to bed, have
jolt along all night to the next town,
I'd then do the same tirescme things over 8
.ain." f
"Is it hard to learn to ride standing up a
I'd to jump through hoops?" t
"Well, pretty hard; but when there's !
hip held over you, and swearin' and a
ssin' if you make mistake, you're II
kelly to try pretty hard to learn fast But
you want berth, l dare say you could
t in here, for I'm getting too big, and S
cy want little fellow like you" p
"Oh," said Johnny, who was beginning ii
get over his desire for circus business, "
d now was only anxious to get out of it O
litelv and be off home, I'm sure I'm A
ry much obliged to you, but-well- ST
IL know-I couldn't go without asking
' father and mother-''
sOh, oh,' said Billy, with mischicv- Sc
$ twinkle in his eye, which Johnny a
uldnt see in the moonlight; you're ~
ming the virtuous dodge, are you? But "
MT you know that when circus men D.
ed chap pretty bad they don't wait to
< either him or his dad about it?
eyre bound to get him away. Hark! a!
hats that? l guess they're after you to
W." IL
There was little commotion near the
1t door which Johnny did not wait to
the reason Of Frightened out of his al
is, he ran toward home at the very top W