River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-11-25

and take part in the procession at one
o'clock Two o'clock, you know, was
the afternoon performance. That was
over about four, and then, OF course,
there was to begin at half past seven.
All and nobody knows but them as
has been to it, what being about III the
cold wet weather is dressing ana I'M
dressing in canvas tent, with the
wind cutting through, and then mop
ping over the mud to get INTO the
damp ring, when you're ready 70 slilV-
| er as you slip about, II the weather
/ has been very mad. Wen you get
your part through, aud then, In nine
cases out of ten, what sort OF place
have YOU to go into2 Why one there
no rest for you on account OF It's being
busy night because OF the circus and
the house full. So p'r'aps you get an
hour or two sleep, p'r'aps not, accord
/ ing to circumstances.
/ As Tor me, you know, I'm one OF the
/ tent men, for though one leg shorter
/ than the other makes me limp good
/ deal, I'm strong, you know, and my
Job is TO see the tent up. You've no
4 ticed us strike il as fast as ever we can
as soon as the performance is nearly
over; dropping the outside, and taking
down the cloth curtains that divide
/ the sixpences from the shillings Well,
/ there's deal to do over that, | can
tell You, for looking at the weight of
the great tent, and its pole and ropes;
besides which it's most always wet, and
ever so much heavier than if it was
dry. | think sometimes as we have
the least rest of any one; but then we
take it in turns, and sleep in the wagon
going from town to town, and that's
very refreshing when once you get
used to it. At first, You know, it's de-
cidedly rheumatic, and makes You very
queer; but You soon get used to it,and
| can stand anything now in the shape
of wet and cold The women feel it
worse, poor things; but they seldom
grumble, and puts up with everything
most patient, no matter what it is; and
they have some hard times Of it when
the weather's bad.
You people come to see and to be
amused, and we've got to amuse you.
Fancy, then being the clown and com
ing on with bad touthache, or VIC
/
with rheumatic pains that every mo
ment's an agony. Just fancy all that,
in cold spring time, which is the time
YOU feel the cold most. But then you
can't fancy it, you people who always
have comfortable homes and fires III
IN. l can, though, ha and realize it,
too, for I've been through it all.
began life with my father in II circus as
used to go round III the fairs, Green
wich and Camberwell and the rest oil
m set up aside old Richardson's, we
used-between them and Jingles,
while Wombells used to be t'othel
end. Little bit of chap | was then,
IN tights. and bit of paint on each
chalked cheek, to make me look like d
crown and then | never knew what il
was to be afraid, while ne took me III
on one of the old piebald horses, and
held me on his shoulder, or under his
arm, or stood me on his head, or out al
full length upon his hand, and me all
the time with my little arms folded
and standing as stiff as rod.
DO anything he would with me,
never hinched. Used to like it anC
think it fun, feeling all the while al
old and deep as could be, while / quite
looked down on boys double my age
Then | was regularly drilled into the
life, you know, working hard every
day at the rehearsals-and very harC
work it is. I've done almost every
thing, from the horse to the trapeze
) I've turned somersaults over five
: horses, aud gone through the air like .
hai Il 4 Al Al
tight-rope, and have walked up a rope
I to place hundred feet high while
the fireworks have been fzzing anC
sputtering around me, for / always haC
, good nerve, and never felt afraid O
anything. while, though j never got &c
be regular crack at one thing, / was
, a sure card and useful man to {
manager; for, if | wasn't star,
never missed my tip. ! could always
{ be sure of an engagement and pretty
, good salary and what followed
Why, what always follows why j mus
, take fancy to one of our lady riders
ut Panganats' Classical Cirque Nation
al, and get married.
Now, You know, most people wher
they fall in love, do it by taking "A fancy
TO face. Well, that's natural p'raps,
but didn't, for took fancy to my
wiie's way of doing the scarf trick on
horseback. | dare say you know what
! mean-when they makes bit OF
muslin float over them, and all that
sort of thing. Well. it struck me one
day that a girl who was SO clever as
that, and always SO quiet at rehearsals,
and never stood any chatting, could be
clever ut other things, and said to
myself, that's settler, if she'll
have me I'll have she.n And the very
next night, when we were going
through the "Flyiug Indians piece
of two horses, you know, that we'd
done dozens of times before i'll quiet
business way--Id got to gallop after
her horse while she was pretending tC
dee from me, and me, of course. done
up in style, with feathers and so on
Then, when her horse was SO swift
couldn't ketch her, j make lots of dumt
motions aud shes my tomahawk at hel
horse, that begins TO halt and then
limp, when | close up and then pass
my arm around her aud bring her OF