The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-04-25
The First Circus.

Reader, Of course you have been to a
circus, If not, you have missed gala
feature in your life, leaving vacuum for
which there is no substitute to supply in
the future. Who of us do not remember
the first show Of this kind that we attend
ed2 II is as vivid as though it but hap
pened yesterday. How we went early,
took seat, high one, close up against
the brass band, and where we could occa-
sionally peep into the dressing room. How
we longed, sighed and fairly yearned for
the performance to commence, which
longing deeply increased as our stock Of
peanuts gradually waned from our trowsers
pocket Even the ''supes" putting the
centre pole lights in trim, was beautiful
sight, and the men who occasionally walked
across the ring, were objects of real curiosi-
ty. How each futter in the tapping can.
vass, occasioned comment aud speculative
thoughts, accompanied by a prodigious
amount of wondering as to how the great
tabernacle was put up, and who invented
shows, all eliminating in general wish
that we were the vender of the great huge
sticks Of candy across the arena, that we
might travel with the circus, and be a
prominent part of so great portion of the
world Of wonders Then when the band
played very high and fast, and the ring
filled with horses, men and ladies, all
dressed in spanglcs, brighter than anything
We had ever dreamed of-then it was that
our eyes grew like goose eggs. and our
hearts jumped and danced merrily to each
and every trot Of the horses, and we forgot
our existence and lived in world celes-
tial. The men were all giants, with mus.
cles Of iron, and the ladies, well they were
angels-:of the prcttiest stamp picked out
of Heaven to ride circus horses. The
clown too, he couldn't move his little fin
ger without provoking laugh, and when
he jumped himself into the ring and said
"here We are again" we almost died from
an over pressure Of fun, occasioned by that
very funny remark.
The trapeze, the barrel feat, the mon
strous balls, cannon balls each weighing 40
Tbs, tossed up and caught by a man, on
his head, shoulders, back, anywhere-that
was the most formidable display of strength
and graceful art ever exhibited on earth.
We can see that Hercules get-grcat mas
sive man weighing perhaps half ton,
There wasn't poor acrobatic feat per-
formed, and we so much envied that little
fellow who stood on his Pap's head on one
foot, the other leg ut right angles, resem-
bling weather cock. And how short the
performance was too-too short by at least
three hours. Presently around came the
man, good, kind, pleasing, winning man,
who told us about another show to succeed
the one about to close-in the same ring
would last one hour--better than the
first one, aud all for aquarter OF course
we staid for circus No. 2, and as green in
our memory as a pea pod, were our sad
reflections 20 minutes later. A man never
goes to but one first circus. He may go
on and on until he gets too old and stiff
to climb the treachcrous gradatory seats
peculiar to such exhibitions, but he IN never
awaken to the genuine ripe enthusiasm
which inflated his heart at the beginning
of his early career of show going. There
is but one first time to go to circus.