The true northerner., 1875-03-05

L begun life, with my father, in a circus.
Little slip of chap L was then, in
tights, and bit of paint on each chalked
cheek, to make me look like a clown ;
and then / never knew what it was to be
afraid, while he took me up on one of the
old piebald horses, and held me on 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 rs still
| rs a rod.
Do anything he would with me, l
never finched. Used to like it, and
think it fine fun, feeling all the while as
old and deep as could be, while L quite
looked down on boys double my age.
Then 1 was regularly drilled into life,
you know, working hard every day mt the
rehearsals-and very hard work it is.
I've done almost everything from the
horse work to the trapeze. I've turned
summersets over five horses, and gone
through the air like ball almost. / got
well on with the tight rope, and have
walked right up a rope to place hun
dred feet high, while the fireworks have
been fzzing and sputtering round me,
for | always had a good nerve, and never
felt afraid of anything while, though L
never got to be regular crack at any
one thing, was sure card, and a use
full man to a manager, for, if warn't a
star, never missed my tip. / could
always be sure of an engagement, and
pretty good salary and what followed
Why, what always follows-why, must
take fancy to one of our lady riders at
Panganais' Classical Cirque National, 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'r'aps !;
but l didn't, for took fancy to my
wife's way of doing the scarf trick on
horseback. dare say you know what l
mean-when they make bit of muslin
float over them, and all that sort of thing.
Well, it struck me one day as the girl
who was so clever at that and was always
quiet at rehearsing, and never stood any
chatting, could be clever at other things !;
and | said to myself, "That's settler !;
she'll have me I'll have She" And
very next night, when we were going
through the Flying Indians-a piece ON
two horses, you know, that we'd done
NlOAtnS VI llllcS DtlOlC III AiNllCb JUDI
ness way-Td got TO gallop after her
horse while she was pretending to flee
from me, and me of course done up in
style with feathers and SO on. Then
when her horse was SO swift | could not
ketch her, makes lot of dumb mo-
tions, and SHE'D my tomahawk at her
horse, which begins to halt and then
limp, when | close up and pass my arm
around her and bring her onto my horse,
she pretending to resist, and rs she
stands going around backwards, she
hangs away as hold her.
Well, being very pretty thing, if it
is well done, people was all very atten-
tive that night-the one that came after
I'd made up my mind-and we'd got to
the part where I'd killed her horse, and
it was lying in the middle of the ring,
when, the music playing SO that no one
could hear what | said, says
&" Mary dear her name on the bill
was Mademoiselle Marioni - g Mary
dear, L says, make it real.
Whatl" says she.
"Let's make it real, says and then,
out loud, "On, horse !"
"Don't talk nonsense" she says
"Put your arm little more round my
waist ; I'm slipping -
81 was just going TO, darling" | says,
You shant slip I'll support you"
All this time of course she was hang
ing away from me, as if in a rage of fear
but when l said, "Tll support you,
she half laughed, and said
d" You wouldn't like to eat so much.
"Try me" said; 4" Tn in earnest, and
l mean it. Mind your balance.
Don't please, she says, then, and /
quite started to hear how pitifully she
spoke.
"well, won't DEAR" says "only
let's make it real" "
"Well," she says saucily, ct will
make it real.
And she hung away from me fiercer
than ever, just like Wild Indian maid,
while the people clapped again. And
she did make it real, for / found the
tongue to say so much that the piece was
acted real right through, and when at
last it came TO her coming round and
resting her arms on my shoulders, and
me with my arm round her waist hold
ing her right up, and all the time -four
ishing my bow in the other, while the
horse went as hard as he could, felt so
happy and so satisfied with one word
that had never been said to me before,
that / finished the piece with what
/ mean TO say was n real touch of
nature. L drew her little closer to me
and kissed her, regularly bringing down
the house.
AS we went OFF, there was Ma1y's
father, who did the sword trick and the
rings Fo-to Limo his name was in the
bill, because he was Chinese in the
profession, though we always called him
by his proper name, Bodger Dodd.
Well-there was Mary's father waiting
with a shawl and her galoshes, and he
says to me very fierce
"You're nation fast, Tom French. /
never see that last bit in the Flying In
dians afore."
"No more didn't /, old man" / says,
slapping him on the shoulder; "but
we're a-going to make it read. T"
The old man and L had it over that
night over some oysters, and Mary was
there, looking as blushing and as sweet
as girl could look; and month after,
s,;r MO ,,,oIa ~ rao1 ,va,.xy much 20 ot,r