American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-08-15
A Sh.wman's Gratitude.

IT MUST have been in or about the year
1880 that peripatetic circus company
pitched their tent in the village of Staun-
ton, in the Valley of Virginia, for the
profit to be reaped from the patronage of
country gentry and plantation hands, and
gave such entertainment OF light fantastic
equestrianism, athletic contortion and
ground-and-lofty tumbling as has not yet
lost its periodical zest for rural neighbor-
hoods. The small village inn and every
other receptacle for transitory guests IN
the place were taxed to give temporary
domicilc to the small army of show-peo-
Pile; but one there was OF the Cavalcade
who, instead of billeting with his com
rades, took the first opportunity to slip
away from both tent and village and
follow a road winding afar among retired
plantations.
This was mere boy, haggard and pre-
cociously rueful of glance and figure,
escaping from IA bondage in which fire.
quent stripes had not been wanting to
make him something lower than horse
in nightly feats of the arena. Things had
come to such pitch in his maltreated
young life that he preferred future OF
beggary on foot to the last-countered
tinsel of the beggar on horseback,
Birmingham plantation hebegan his
door for !. GLASS of wafer The sigbt nj /,
white how ON The tramp was a novelty
for that part of the country in those
patriarchial days, and hence the whole
household, with the planter ut their head,
were attracted to the scene. Upon being
kindly questioned by old Mr. Birmingham
the fugitive Smike of the circus frankly
revealed his story and situation. and that
with a piteous earnestness of speech and
manner which might have extorted sym
patby from the toughest phase of human
nature. His response was an offer of
immediate refuge and protection in the
good old, hearty, hospitable style. and
the whimper with which he accepted did
him no harm in the estimation of his new
friends
Henceforth the runaway of the ring
was privileged inmate OF The fine house
for a wear enioying every kindness that
benevolence could devise: but atskhe end
of that period. when another circus was
tented in neighboring Staunton, and he
went there with the throng to see, the in
fiuence of the old habit proved stronger
in his nature than the newer ambition
and the boy being naturally of sawdust
to the sawdust returned, not, however
without something gained for the refine
ment of his whole future life, in senti-
ment of ardent gratitude to his benc-
factors and an ardor to excel in his
natural lot for the honor of that benefi-
cent emotion. Only a circus rider was
he again, to be sure, but the something
of a better sphere of life with which he
went back to horses and clowns was
something potential to make him rise
above the creatures OF meaner expert
ence-
BY skill as performer, sobrlety OF
private character, and a shrewdness not
the less effectual Tor its honesty. his
progress through the remaining years of
his minority was a continual ascent, and
in his twenty-first year he had attained
the dlgnItles OF manager and proprietor.
Many times in these prosperous days he
brought his thriving circus to Staunton,
and always improved the opportunity to
present himself at the hospitable door
WheIe simple grass OF water nau Deen
the lens through winch MS frlendless
DoynOod hau caught It's nrst view OF the
worlds clearer face. The same welcome
was there still; the same disposition + in
bless youl" sounded in it all. The desc
lation of war supplanted the tent of the
Snowman with that of the soldier in the
once happy valley at last, and Sheridan
rode to slaughter where erst the peace
full vaulter through hoops had urged his
spangled steed IN the merry round of the
ring
While the circus still gathered golden
gain IN distant uninvaded States, nre and
sword ragged in tempests around the
home of the Britinghams, until smoke
blackened chimneys marked the place
where that home had been, and the
churchyard closed upon the aged eyes
most mOurnful for the desOlation. Not
until the spring of 1870 could the circus
man, now well advanced in years him
sell, near aught OF the surviving family
that, upon the destruction OF their home
stead and the death of their chief, had
wandered away from the old plantation
AT the time mentioned, when the now
mammoth equestrian enterprise was Civ
ing entertainments In Kansas, poorly
dressed, morrow -cheekeu man appiieo iol
some unskiiied employment about the
tents:
-FOUR name, SAID the rlch snowman
rs Dri'ihShah.
hnere couiu oe pu. oIe answer, reiuct
ahtiy given;
res
WIN strange Iooh lhe rleh proPrie,o
sIasPeo ootn hinus VI inc o'her III HE
OWL
men, saiu ne, you are tne son o
tne pest man nat ever hved, ana thani
Goa that you nave come 10 snare IN al
that your father has mortgage upoI
for eternity Take my tie 1T, my peoole
my horses, my bank book, and thel
you IL nave Just the interest," Oh the on
unpaid deot OF my me
,ha Ia of fJ; anJ io nv
- ,arra.,aJ,,aa 70 "a. nc, ,.s
Uarfa,.t1p, sr,hIi,,,a VI i ;5,n, W me =
IL. s. Gnu Jus. S"o y
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