The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-02-25
THE ~CANVASMAN'S aTORY.

NOthlhR takes Ike q circus and OlrH
takes better than anyboGy'B ! can tell
you. am only an understrapper now,
You Know, but tho guvnor did tho right
thing ny me, and, OF course, | do the
right thing by him. You SEQ, We al.
ways mako a good fuss in tho shape Of
wen billing the places We aie going TO,
Tor 1t doesn't do TO bo stingy in that
way, aud the guynot has some spicy If.
falrs Of rampajou8 horBe8, and wonder.
iul jumping, md all in colors TO catch
tho eye while for tho shop windo Il
tboro's come Autographs OF tho per.
forming horse, or the holephaut, or the
gutth-pcrcha brothers tiol in n human
Knot, while every one who exhibits has
TICKET Tor FREQ admission.
But it's n queer life, sir, ind one not
10 BIO enyied-only, you see, ono must
1--we aud when there's n wife and some
littlo uns, why thoy must 1.-Two too and
having been in the profession all my
ne Why, it don't seem M if ] could
do anything out.
There, now then, thom's two Of mine
coming in the ring now. First ono'B
II, md t'Other'B .. "The Pigmy
Twisters, We caIl EN- in the bill, and
they don't do amiss for thor size. Pitch
a somorset caay, either ono of thcm,
There they go, you SOC and after
another year o. two's cddication they'll
DO a great help 10 tho family, besides
having II profession Of their own TO
make ON independent when thoy won't
stop in the nest any longer. All they've
got TO do IL TO keep oleur of their
fathers accident hip joint put
out, rs did, ard then the country doc
tor TO say ii was n strain, and mover try
to put ii in until it was too lato-get in
for an accident like that through trend
ing on II pieco of orNnge-peel, and slip
ping when running for u jump, why it's
n doer up for life, as with mo.
But it il n qleor Iifo, sir. No roat, no
comfort, no peace Mt all. Hotel always,
and nay, now horo'B to-day: Long dis.
TANGO TO cOlno md We had to atart early
TO get here in good time then there
was to droaB and take part in the pro.
Cossion Mt ms o'clock. Two O'Clock,
You know, was tho first performance.
That was over about four md thon,
OF course, there wGs beginning again at
hnlf-pNst seven. All and nobody
knows but thom na has been Mt il, what
being about in tho cold, wet weather
is-drcsaing md undressing in n canvas
tent, with the vino cutting through,
and then hopping over tho mud TO got
in the damp ring, when you're ready to
Bhlvor M you slip about, if tho weather
has been worry bnd. Well, you get
your part through, and then, niuo cases
out OF ten, what sort OF II place have
yon to go into2 Why, one where there's
no rost for You on account of it's being
n busy night because Of tho circus, and
the house full. SO, p'ranps You got IN
hour or two's sleep, p'raps not, accord.
ing to circumstances.
Az for nae, you know, I'm ono of the
toni men for though one leg shorter
than the other makes mo limp II good
deal, I'm strong, you know, and my Job
IL to zee the tent up. You've noticed
us strike 1T as fnst IA ever we can M
soon IA tho performance il noarly over.
Well, there's u deal to do over that, |
cnn tell you Tor look at tho weight of
the great tent, and it's poles and ropes
bohIdos which it IL most always wet, and
so ever No much heavier than if il was
dry. ] think sometimes IA we have
least rost of any one, but thon we take
1t in turns, and sloep in the wagon go
ing from town to town, and that's yory
refreshing whom onoo you get used W
it. AT frat, you know, its decidedly
rheumatic, and makes you very queer
but you soou got used to it and | can
stand anything now in tho shape OF wet
and cold. Tho IN feel it worst,
poor things but they seldom grumble,
and puts up with everything most pa.
ticnl-no matter what it il and they
have aOmo hard times of il when tho
wcnther's bad.
Tho people como TO 300 and DO
amused, aud We have got to muse YOU.
Fancy, then, bong tho clown, and com
ing on with a bad t~oothache, or IA violent
cold IN tho chest, or rackod so with
rheumatic palna at every moments
agony. just fancy all that, in n cold
spring time, which is the timow h you
foel the cold most. But there, you
oant fancy it, you people who always
have comfortable homea and fire in EN-.
can. though, nh aud realize it, too,
Tor Two been through il nil. 1 begun
life with my father in II circus.
Little altp of II chap ! was then, in
tights, and n bit Of paint on each chalk
OIL cheek, to make me look like a clown;
and then | mover knew what it was TO DO
afraid, while he took me IN on ono OF
tho old piobald horses, and held me on
hls shoulder, or under his arm. or stood
me on his head, or ont Mt full length
upon his hand, aud me all the time with
my little arms folded, and standing as
still rs a rod.
DO anything he would with mo-. |
never hinched. Used to like it, and
think 1t fine fun, feeling all tho while
rs old aud deep RS could be, while |
quite looked down on boys double my
age. Then ! was regularly drilled into
life, you know, working hard every day
ut the rehearsal'-and very hard work
IL ia. I've done almost everything from
inc house work to The trapeze, Two
tnthed Bummersots over five horses, |
hnu gone through tho air like n ball nj
most. got well on with the tight ron
and have walked right M n rome TO a
plaoe = hundred feet high, while the
fireworks have been fixing and splut-
terins round me, Tor | always had good
nerve, aud never felt afraid of any.
ihing while, though ! never got to DO
irregular crack at any ono thing, | was
sure card, and n useful mau 10 a man.
ager, Tor, II | warn't \ star, I never
missed my tip. ] could always be sure
OF an engagement, and a pretty good
salary and what followedP Why, what
always f~ollows-why, / mus. take n
fancy to one of our lady riders n, Pan
Fanals' Classical Cirque National, and
get married.
Now; you know most people, when
they fall IN love, do it by taking a fancy