The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-01
DRIVEN TO DEATH.
.HY H. r. c.

Benjamin Duncan had at last retired
from the bakery business in favor of his
only son, Benjamin Duncan, Jr., step
he had long contemplated; but the
youthful Benjamin had previously man
ifested matrimonial tendencies so start
lingly peculiar to the steady-going, old
fashioned notions Of his respected par
ents, that it had induced the old man to
retain, under his own supervision, the
long-established and well-known bak-
cry until such signs of a change in his
sons affections had become sufficiently
apparent to deem his retirement pru-
dent. Several generations Of Duncans
had dispensed the staff of life, not to
mention other sundries, from these self
same portals wherein the youthful Ben
jamin was established.
Benjamin Duncan, Sr., from the
boards of his progenitors and his own
hard labor, had amassed a considerable
fortune, and as young Ben was his sole
descendant, it was an understood thing
that he would inherit all; consequently,
the youth considered himself a very i'm
portant member of society, and was
looked upon as such by all his acquaint-
ances. Ben was jolly, good-natured
country lai, up to all the "larks" the
village offered, with a vast idea of his
own experience, although he had never
wandered beyond the limits of his ma
tive village.
But to come to Ben's love affair-the
affair which had nearly proved fatal to
his prospects in the bakery business.
The youth had actually fallen in love
with-of all beings in the world-a cir
Gus rider Ia girl who jumped through
hoops and rode horse bareback round
the circus ring!
No wonder the pious old Methodist
baker and his wife, who had never at
tended anything more enHvening than
a prayer meeting, were appalled, and
horror stricken. They looked upon the
circus as an institution of the Evil One
all actors therein his minions.
Ben's Juvenile feet had never crossed
such a profane threshold at any time
when a circus company had visited bis
native village, and as this little village
was far from any great metropolis, the
advent of circus was a rarity. Ben
had but a faint recollection of the last
which had appeared in the village in his
boyhood. He dimly remembered the
gorgeous pageant which passed through
the streets with enlivening music, and
his own piteous screams and entreaties
to his inexorable parents who had
kept guard over him lest his feet should
find their way to the "tents of wicked
ness" But about a year previous to the
retirement of B. Duncan, Sr., from the
bakery, a circus company had again
pitched their tents in the remote little
village, preceded, as usual, by flaming
hand-bills, announcing, in gorgeous RED
letters, marvellous wonders to be seer
at "The Great World Renowned Circus,
etc. Ben, with all the rest of the vii
lage youths, stared with wild excitement
at the alluring advertisements, wei
knowing his parents objections, bu
thinking himself perfectly capable o
Judging for himself now. He wisely
kept silence while his parents piousl!
groaned over the prospect of such an ar
rival to disturb the quiet of their littl
village.
On the eventful day, Ben left the par
entail roof, with its odor of sanctity an,
hot bread, and made directly for tha
''institution of the Evil One" namely
the gaily decorated tents of the circus
He entered. Never in all his simpl
imagination had he dreamed of sue
splendor! The tinsel and gold, tn
tawdry display, everything, SCENE
genuine magnificence to him; the mu
sic, the feats of horsemanship, all quit
took poor country Ben's breath away
but to cap the climax and crown his da
with bliss untold, there rode into th
ring at last pretty little blonde i
fairy-like costume if so small a
amount of vesture might be called a COS
tume) Of gossamer-like material, wit
silver stars and fringes, standing i
white satin slippers on a milk-whit
steed! Ben watched her spell-boun
and with bated breath, as the novelist
say, as she f1oated lightly through th
uplifted hoops as the horse went roun
the ring in full career; descending, sh
danced on one foot and went throug
other wonderful performances. Be
could scarcely believe the bewitchin
creature to be real flesh and blood. II
left the tent when the performance ws
ended in a maze Of bewiljering excite
ment. He could not tear himself frol
the place which contained the fairy-lik
being who had so entranced him; /
fingered about the tents in everyone
way; was pushed about and sworn at b
the men of the company, but was heet
less Of all, needless even of his supp
(for the first time in his life); he stl
clung to the spot until his watching
were rewarded, for after the gossam
and silver fairy had Invested herself