The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-09-19

school girls, like all women, present
and prospective, have no choice in the
matter of company" whether for life,
the theater, the opera or the circus.
Yours Truly once gathered courage
enough to indict missive to her ideal
young man, inviting him to go with
her to hear a lecture, but an inventory
of the contents OF her pocket book re-
yealed the fact that she hadn't cash
enough to buy two tickets, and what
Young lady of the period could humili-
ate herself so much as to ask young
man to accompany her and then allow
him to foot the bills? Dick had money.
He always has. Father thinks young
man can't get along independently
without it. Wish the old gentleman
could be a girl just one week. He'd
learn something about the situation
then.
Yours Truly accepted the invitation
of the "nice young man" with his hair
parted in the middle as a Hobkins' choice.
Dick might have gone with her, but,
like all brothers, he has ''girl" OF his
own.
The patent medicine man was the
first attraction. Hehas become 80 COM
pletely inflated with the gas he is con-
tinually disseminating in the torchlight
that his unkempt hair looks like mon
ster hay stack in hurricane. Around
his stand are numerous small boys who
sometimes make the night even more
hideous than he can make it with their
unearthly yells.
1t wasn't a very good night for the
circus. The excitement had somewhat
abated; but the "female gymnast with
the iron jaws'' was what Yours Truly
wanted to see, and she saw her.
The tumblings, horse riding feats,
stale jokes Of the clowns, who have
never gotten up anything new since
Yours Truly's mother was a school girl,
jumping through hoops and over ban
ners, and the tricks ofwell trained horses
have been so often seen and described that
comment is unnecessary, further than
to remark that for a very reasonable
compensation Yours Truly would write
them up q set Of new and marvellous wit
cisms. But the "female gymnast." s"
Here she is. With marvellous agility
and strength she ascends a rope and
takes her seat upon a trapeze. Hun
dreds Of men who think it immOdest i'll
women to appear in public as lecturers
in becoming garbs, gazed, admired and
applauded this iron-jawed woman in
tights, as perched in the air above our
heads she exhibited wonderful feats of
artistic strength, skill and daring quite
equal to that Of the largest and strong
est men. But o, horrors! think of a
woman in such position! Surely it is
time for women who will not perform
such feats to assert their rights. Yet
Yours Truly is not prudish. She does
not see why it is not as proper for wom-
en- to thus exhibit their forms as it is
for men, and yet both shock her sensi-
bilities, and she believes they always
will.
Prominent among the spectators were
scores OF fallen women, and o, how
golgeously were they arrayed, notwith-
standing "they toll not neither do they
spin" Yours Truly stole q furtive
glance at the meek young man besid,
her, and would you believe it, dear NEW
NORTHWEST, he was engaged in mysteri
Gus telegraphy with pair Of voluptuou
eyes that beamed and glared upon hin
like the eyes Of cat when after
mouse. Yours Truly suddenly expresse,
a wish to go home. OF course she ha,
to accept the escort Of "the nice youn,
man." for it would never do for youn,
lady to be on the street after circu
hours tCihiOtt a protector! The meel
, young man was deferential and cour
teous. Yours Truly was as frigid as ice
and as she wended her way home besid
the fallen man in the quiet starlight
she unused and pondered much upol
why it was that he was her fitting es
cort to places of amusement, while til
fallen woman, whom he had arrange
to visit, would have horrif1ed her friend
IL she had deigned to touch or speak t
her.
Until Portland shall be rid Of the pres
ence Of fallen men and fallen women le
no other fellow, except her brother, eve
; offer again to attend circus with
YOURS TRULY.