The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-10-10
The Circus Hoy.

put into n child's head - She spoke |
impetiently, for she had been very much |
provoked at JohnIy's having been al
lowed 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. Johnny was very
anxious to go, and Mt dinner begged his |
papa TO let him. He knew pretty well
his mamma would not be willing, but
papa said he might go. He became very
much excited by what he saw there, adj
miring the little boy all dressed i'll 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 glo-
rious career for him.
"What splendid life it must be,
he said to himself, travelling round all
the time, visiting all the fine cities, and
all the folks clapping their hands and
admiring him Mother doesn't know
much about circuses, or I'm sure she'd
be glad to have me go.
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 bless
ings which surrounded his life, but of
the glitter and magniticence of the cir
Gus, and the happy life of those fortu-
nate 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
boy. " If they did, could make up
my mind whether I'd better CO." Then
he thought of his mother how could he
leave her, and what would she think
of it? Wouldn't she think it great
thing for him to be earning his own liv-
ing like 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 grand position,
and how all the schoolboys would stare
to see the wonderful things he could do !!
Having worked himself up into Il great
excitement, foolish, foolish little Johnny
got out of his little bed and softly crept
out of the window into the warm sum-
mer night.
He had never been in the street be-
fore as late as nine o'clock, and felt al
most 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
afternoon. He heard great shouting
inside the tent, and 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 large one.
Halloo, Bill, you off?" asked one OF
the men standing near.
"Yes, and glad to be out of it," said
the boy. cts hot enough in there to
roast body keeping still, let alone
capering round like me; ;" and walked
toward baggage wagon containing
some straw, and threw pimself upon it,
This boy looked to Johnny something
like the one he had seen riding in the
afternoon, but could it realey be lie
jeune Ferdinand, the pride of the arena
as the showbills called him? He seemed
bigger than Johnny had thought him
and not so nice looking; besides, tn,
shabby clothes he now had on wer,
very different from his glory of spangle'
and velvet. But johnny was deter
mined to find out something, so he timid
ly approached the wagon.
"What do you want ?" said the boy
in rather surly tone.
ooh, / don't want to disturb you,
said Johnny, in tone of great respect ;
twas it you riding in there just now !?
eyes"
"Don't it make you proud to he ar al
the people applauding you ?"
"No; I've got over that long age
It's Just the same crowd of shoutin
fools every day and every night of IN
life. I'm sick of it.
"Why, don't you like to be a circu
boy?" said Johnny, in great surprise.
mot much, young 'un," was tn
reply it's too hard work and too lii
tie rest to suit me. But do you want t
be circus rider ?"
"Well, 1 thought / would like it,
said Johnny.
"You're great fool, then, if you ca
get your grub for nothing, Amt yo
got father and mother?
Yes"
And are they good to your
Yes" said Johnny, again, feeling
little ashamed.
"Then, / can tell you, you had be
ter stay where you are well off. The
got me at work'us, and that was
mean place enough, but / don't know {
twas much worse than this.
"Why," said Johnny, in great SUI
prise. "don't you like to ride horse
and amt it nice to travel everywhere
"a heap it's nice To be riding evel
day and night in place so hot you ca
hardly breathe, and then, when you a
tired out and would like TO go to be
have to Jolt along all night to the ne
town, and then do the same tiresor
things over again.
Is it hard to learn to ride standil
up. and to Jump through hoops ?"
"Well, pretty hard but when there
whip held over you, and swearin' al
cussin' if you make mistake, you
It'll - 49,, ,,rattv hard Tn learn foi