Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-11-26

| 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 in the
cold wet weather is dressing and I'M
dressing IN canvas tent, with the
wind cutting through, and then hop
ping over the mud to get into the
damp ring, when you're ready to shiv-
er as you slip about, If the weather
has been very mad. Well you get
your part through, and then, in nine
cases out of ten, what sort of a place
have you to go into? Why one there's
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 OF two sleep, p'r'aps not, accord
ing to circumstances.
As for me, you know, I'm one of the
tent men, for though one leg shorter
than the other makes me limp q good
deal, I'm strong, you know, and my
Job is to see the tent up. You've no
ticed us strike it 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, I can
tell you, for looking at the weight of
the great tent, and it's pole and ropes;
besides which it's most always wet, and
ever so much heavier tuan If it was
dry. I 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 toothache, or vio-
lent cold IN the chest, or racked so
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 in
m. [ can. though, ha and realize it,
too, for I've been through it all. I
began life with my father in a circus as
used to go round in the fairs, Green
wich and Camherwell, and the rest of
m i; set up aside old Richardson's, we
used-between them and Jingle's,
while Wombel's used to be t'other
end. Little bit Of a chap [ was then,
In tights, and bit Of paint on each
chalked cheek, to make me look like
crown: and then [ never knew what it
was to be afraid, while he took me up
on one of the old piebald horses, and
held me OH his shoulder, or under his
arm, or stood me on his head, or out at
full length upon his hand, and ne all
the time with my little arms folded,
and standing as stiff as rod.
Do anything he would with me, I
never hinched. Used to like it and
think it fun, feeling all the while as
old and deep as could be, while I 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 hard
work it is. I've done almost every.
thing, from the horse to the trapeze
I've turned somersaults over five
horses, and gone through the air like
ball almost. [ got well on with the
tight-rope, and have walked up rope
to place hundred feet high while
the fireworks have been fixing and
sputtering around me, for | always had
good nerve, and never felt afraid of
anything, while, though I never got to
be a regular crack at one thing, [ was
a sure card and useful man to
manager for, it I wasn't star, I
never missed my tip. [ could always
be sure Of an engagement and pretty
good salary; and what followed
Why, what always follows why must
take fancy to one of our lady riders
at Panganats' Classical Cirque Nation
al, and get married.
Now, you know, most people when
they fall in love, do it by taking fancy
to face. Well, that's natural p'raps,
but [ didn't, for I took a fancy to my
wife's way Of doing the scarf trick on
horseback. I 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 at other things, and [ said to
myself, that's a settler; if she'll
have me I'll have shen And the very
next night, when we were going
through the "Flying Indians"-a piece
Of two horses, you know, that we'd
done dozens of times before in quiet,
business wav-I'd got to gallop after
her horse while she was pretending to
flee 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, make lots of dumb
motions and shes my tomahawk at her
horse, that begins to halt and then
limp, when [ close up and then pass
my arm around her and bring her on
to my horse, she pretending to resist