Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-11-20

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 slefp 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
l can stand anything now in the shane
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 ts amuse you.
Fancy, then, being the clown and COM
ing on with bad tocthache, or VIC.
lent cold in the chest, or racked so
with rheumatic pains that every no.
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
IN. 1 can, though, ha and realize it,
too, for I've been through it oil. /
began life with my father in circus az
used to go round in the fairs, Green.
wich and Camberwell, and the rest ot
m; set up aside old Richardson's, we
used-between them and Jingle's,
while Wombell's used to be t'0ther
end. Little bit of chap was then,
in tights, and bit of paint on each
chalked cheek, to make me look like q
crown; aud 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 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 and
think it fun, feeling all the while az
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 ut the rehearsals- very bard
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 a
ball almost. I got we'll on with the
tight'rope, and have walked up rope
to place a hundred feet high while
the fireworks have been fixing and
sputtering around me, for always had
good nerve, and never felt afraid oi
anything. while, though I never got to
be regular crack at one thing, was
a sure card and a useful man to q
manager; for, if wasn't star, ]
never missed my tip. I could always
be sure OF an engagement aud . pretty
good salary; and what followed
Why, what always follows! why I 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 fancy to my
wife's way Of doing the scarf trick on
horseback. ! dare say you know what
L mean-when they makes bit of
muslin float over them, and all that
sort of thing. Well, it struck me ono
day that 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 I said to
myself, "tbat's settler; if she'll
have me I'll have she." 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 a quiet,
business way-1'd got to gallop after
her horse while she was pretending to
fee from me, and me, of course, done
up in style, with feathers and SO on.
Then, when her horse was 30 swift
couldn't ketch her, I make lots of dumb
motions and SHES my tomahawk at her
horse, that begins to halt and then
limp, when I close up and then pass
my arm around her and bring her on
to my horse, she pretending to resist
and, as she stands going around
backwards, she hangs away as hold
her.
| Well, being a pretty thing if vel
done, the people we're very attentive
One night, after I'd made up my mind
when we'd got to the point where Pd
killed her horse; when the music wa'
playing so that no one else could heal
what said, I says: Mary, dear, -
her name on the bill was Mademolsell|
Marioni-'' Mary, deal" says, ''mak'
} that real"
"What Z" she says.
"Let's make this real, says; and
J then out loud, "On horse"
"Don't talk nonsense" she says
"Put your arm a little more arouni
my waist-I'm slipping"
81 was just going to, darling,
said. "You shan't slip. I'll suppor
you"
All this time of course she was hang
ing away from me, as if in q rage 0
} fear; and when I said ''I'll suppor
you," she half laughed, and said
"You won't like to- eat 30 much"
"Try me-" said. "I'm in earnest
| and mean it. Mind your balance"
"Don't, please" she says then, ant
: quite started to hear how pitifull,
sho spoke.
/ swell, WON'T" says, "dear, onl!
let us make it real"
} "Well," she says, saucily, "I vii
, make it real" and she hung away from
: me fiercer than ever, just like wilt
Indian maid, while the people clappet
again.
/ And she did make it real, for foun.
the tongue to say SO much, that th
: piece was acted real right through
! and when at last it came to her coninl
round and resting her arm on m,
shoulder, and me with my arm arount
her waist, holding her right up, and al
, the time aourishing my bow in th
+ other, while the horse went as hard q
: he could, I felt so happy and satisfie,
/ with one or two words that had neve
: been said to me before, that finishe,
the piece of with what mean to sa
was a real touch of nature. Idrew he
, O little closer to me, and kissed lel
, regularly bringing down the house.
: AS we went off, there WIS Mary
father, who did the sword trick an
! the rings. Fo-to-L.No was his nam
) on the bill, because he was a Chimes
. in the profession, though We alway
9 called him by his proper name, Badge
8 Dodd. Well, there was Mary's fatheI
|. waiting with shawl and her gooshes
and he says to me, very fierce, "You'r
8 nation tirst, Tom French, 1 never &C
d that last bit in the Flying Indians afor,
: "No more didn't ], old man, say,
Q slapping him on the shoulder "b,
j. we're going to make it real"
. The old man and I had it over tn,
= night-over some stout and oysters
r and Mary was there, looking as blusl
It ing and as sweet as girl could look