, 1877-10-12
An American Circus in Brittany.

To-day the Bretons are very much
what they were century ago-yes, more
than that-perhaps two or three CEN
turies ago. They are superstitious, big
oted and picturesque. They come to the
markets clad in skins in winter and in
sackcloth in summer. They cultivate the
soil in the rudest manner with wooden
plows, and are content in all the ways of
life to live as their fathers lived.
We often hear of the son standing in
the shoes of the father, and this may be
said literally of the Bretons. 1t often
happens that pair of leather shoes is
handed down from father to son. These
shoes last long time, for they are only
used on rare occasions, rude wooden
shoes, or saoots, being commonly worn.
Not one in ten Of the grown people can
read and write, and newspapers are a
luxury enjoyed only by the rich. The
people are simple-minded and Credulous,
but in money matters they are not too
simple to make exceedingly shrewd
bargains.
Now, in country like this, in town
like this quaint, old-fogyish Quimperle,
just fancy an American circus making its
appearance. Here, in the public square,
a tremendous yellow-and-red poster has
been displayed for week past, and
crowds of admiring peasants, more pic
turesque than tidy, have stood before it
in admiriug wonder from morning till
night. Its long trains of mottled horses,
its humped-backed camels and bulky
elephants, have been commented upon
until their minutest points are known to
every peasant within ten miles. A COM
motion was created one day by cynical
old one-eyed beggar declaring that the
prOprietOrs of the circus were emissaries
of the Prussian government, and from
that suspicion it came to be pretty gen
orally understood that the man who
drove the triumphal car in the painted
cavalcade was Prince Bismarck, although
the bill announced, in plain English, that
1t was the Anglo-Americsn circus that
was coming. The people didn't quite
take in the worA Anglo; but American
was plain to such of them as could read
French, on account of its similarity to
the same word in that language.
As the writer was known to be an
American, he was called on many times
to give explanations of the figures on
the bill; and any ignorance regarding
them would have thrown doubt at once
on his nationality. Was that like an
American elephant2 Does the Presi-
dent of the United States ride in coach
like thatl-pointing to the musicians
car. How many ostriches could good
sportsman shoot in a day in America5
Do all the people in America wear
feathers like that red Indian on the billi
All these questions, and many more,
were continually put and faithfully an
swered.
At last the circus came. Bright and
early on that wonderful morning all
Quimperle was up and dressed in its best
clothes to see the grand entry Of the
circus. Tramp, tramp, tramp into the
town from all quarters, the people came.
All the sa6Ots clattered in one direction
toward the great square, where busy
hands were putting up the tent. Every
town in Brittany has its distinctive colt,
or women's head. dress, and every variety
was here represented. The men came
with their huge pockets stuffed with
great buckwheat cakes, and women
brought loaves as big as the top of a
pail, by way of slight refreshment at
midday. Every man and woman who
had children brought them all, from the
carefully wrapped-up infant to the gawky
boys and girls who are always tumbling
over their own or somebody else's sdbots
And the beggars! 1t was "corn In
Egyp" for them. They came like bees