Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-10-21
THE LIVING SKELETON.

/ remarked thaJ lDey QId not II tncy knew
it. AS she counted out the required
amount. she said when her husband was
alive, they frequently got along on half
fare, if they weren't dead headed alto
gether, " but," she added "tmes is diff
terent since poor George died"
The curiosity of the timd-looking pass
enger by her side was excited, aud he
ventured TO inquire what business her
husband followed when alive.
He was the 'Livin' Skeleton" she
answered, with a husky pride in her voice,
"and the best one that ever stood on two
legs, if do say it,"
WAS he born for it ?" asked the man
after pause.
Born for what ?"
For a skeleton -
"In course he was. 'Cut out for the
business at an enormous expense as the
show-bills say. He didn't bring enough
flesh into the world fora mosquito to start
a meat-shop with. His joints had to be
held together with stickin' plaster to pre-
vent his falIin' to pieces. His folks tho't
it impossible to keep the breath Of life in
such little heap of bones, but the kid
seemed to have presentment of the fu-
ture there was before him-appeared to
drop on what card he would be for
side show if he could only live so he
wouldn't Croak,' but held on like a
country mayor for a show license. His
mother used pair Of candle moulds as
pattern to cut out his pantaloons by until
he was IA years old an ordinary UNI
brella cover made him very com Portable
overcoat. | don't let on he was one Of
your George Washington tellers that
never told lie but if he did, it never
helped him any he was so thin every
body could see right through him. His
name was George, but they called him
slim jim around home. You have
heard of the slender young man who went
to the masquerade ball with his head
chllked to represent billiard cue p
George was that feller."
" How did you come to meet him ?"
asked the timid passenger.
" was going to tell ye. / had been in
the show business for some years, travel
in with my first husband, the Arabian
Giant rs he was called, and managin'
the show. He was considered the best
giant in the business when he was alive.
He stood seven feet ard a half il his
stockn's, and weighed 632 pounds. We
took in heap of money, but expenses,
like him, was heavy. He could eat as
much as a whole menagerie, and | had to
charter whole freight car to transport
him from place to place. No woman as
hasn't had a giant on her hands knows
what trouble he is. Yet | loved him,
and had the satisfaction of KNOWN he
was all my own. He was man I looked
up to n great DEAL" she continued, trying
to choke the rising sob, land when-he
died"
" He died, did he ?" broke in the timid
man, greatly Interested.
" Yes, he died, and right at the opening
of the State Fair, too. Somebody sent |
him keg of beer, and he drank it all
without removing the bung-hole from his
lips. 1t cost all we had taken in that |
season to bury him, had to buy so many
cemetery lots to get him in, that all the
real estate of that nature doubled in price
Immediately. If you could have seen the
uldertaker's bill you would have thought |
there had been battle in the neighbour
hood and that 'ere undertaken had the lob |
of buryin' the dead on both sides"
" Iou were going to tell me whore you
met your second husband the-the skel-
eon," timidly suggested her fellow tray
eler. .f.'.
Met him at the grave Of the giant"
said the show-woman, with an emotion
that did her credit. ~ was takn' the
last sad Look at me husband, preparatory
I the colin bein' lowered into the grave
by the derrick that had been erected for
that purpose, when ] chanced to look up,
and there stood the skeleton the other side
of the coffin. ] was prostroted with qii-f
at the loss of me husband and the bustin'
up Of the show, and here comes this walk
in shadow right across me path like a
beam Of lieht--though it was a very light
beam, am forced to say. /. flashed
across me in minute what card it'd
be to work the fairs, and what reduction
could make below previous expenses.
You know you kin Iun dozen livin'
skeletons for what it costs to keep one
giant
The timid man didn't know, but he
ventured to say, "Of course"
Il would have to get out new lot of
bills for him." continued the stout wom-
an ; " but l reflected that | might use
the giant cut to show how big he was be-
fore he fell away to living skeleton. -
This may seem little queer to you, spec
ulatin' in that way at my husbands
grave, but business is business, and its
all circus, anyhow"
The timid man answered her that it
appeared to him the most natural thing
in the world.
" We'll. the upshot of the matter was"
continued the stricken widow, " the skel-
etOn walked back to the hotel with me
and 1 secured him at once for the re-
mainder of the tenting season, at 81 a
week and found, though it was hard
work to find him sometimes, as he was
so thin. He could double himself up and
hide in one of my first husbands vest
pockets. One day he offered me his hand.
| told him it was too thin : but as he