Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-03-22

his animal spirits, bounded upon the stage,
and ran and licked the hand of his little, laugh
ing mistress Then the performance began.
. The small Juanita, with suppressed mrth,
went to the tripod and came back with pack
of cards
"Will some lady or gentleman shuttle these
cards and select one she said, in sweet,
chids voice.
She held them out TO respectable old citi-
zen with gray hair, who smiled, rose, took
them, shufiicd thom, and gave them back to
her.
"Hoye you selected card-in your mind,
sirf' said the girl.
Yes my dear" said the old citizen pleased
with the innocent face.
She went through the pack of cards exam
ned them ono 10y one, and said
"rhc card you selected was the queen Of
hearts, was it not sir -
1T was but how could you know that =
A good-natured laugh from the portly old
citizen was echoed by the frank laughter of
the girl.
oh it's very easy" she said, but can't
tell you how do it. Alcofrbus can do it al
most as well -Alcofribus!"
At the summons, Mcofrbus, who had been
irisking about and turning the most ridicu-
lous somursauts, apparently for his private
amusement bounded toward his mistress
Down, sir she said, raising her hand.
suddenly all the fun disappeared from the de-
D.. AMOR oi NcofriLus. He uttered lamenta-
hi, howl. las head dropped, he rolled over on
his back, and, with legs extended upward
stihly. lay motionless as though dead. The
girl went and took pistol from the tripod.
cooked it. and fired it within an inch of the
/ dogs head He did not move Il muscle
Poor fellow can he be dead Z" said the
child poor, poor Alcofribus. But, if any
/ thing can revive him. it will be his fayorite
amusement -Alcofribus, shall we have u
! game of cards =
Alcofribus started AS though an electric
shock had passed through him. and in an in
slant was frsking around his young mistress.
| She pattcd him ON the head, spread out the
cards in a row, and said:
II will thank you. Alcofribus if You will be
| good enough to bring ne the ace of da-
mouds.'
Acofribus surveyed the row of cards with
earnest attention. slowly moving his he nd from
left to right and running his eyes along the
line. lie then leaped upon II card, and
brought it in his mouth to his mistress. who
held it UP before the audience. 1t was the
ace Of diamonds (Applausc
If you will whisper to me the name of n
card. " the girl next said to young lady seat
cd on the front bench, he will select that.
/ too
The young lady, Mushing at the publicity
/ Of the appeal nevertheless rose and whisper
cd. The king of hearts, to the girl who
| leaned over. smiled. and again turned to Al
cofnbus.
What card did thi, young lady select, Al
! ,ofribus:"
The dog went straight and brought the
/ king Of hearts in his mouth. As it was held
up the audience burst into applause
Ihoreupuu Juanta COurtosied. restored the
o 4. 1
panion and the dog and the Sehor Hernandez
came forward and bowed gravely.
Il shall now have the honor. he said, "of
exhibiting some tricks of legerdemain for the
amusement Of the audience beg my friends,
/ the ladies and gentlemen present, to observe
! that | use the term tricks since | have no
desire whatever to represent them in any 9TH
| ,r light. | shall deceive you. my frinds, but
the deception will be quite innocent. 1t is n
| friendly challenge | give, matching my skill
| against your penetration. viii some gentle
! man lend me his watch =
/ Is was some time since. NIricks of leger-
| demain, common now. were almost unknown
| then. The Sehor Hernandez pounded the
| borrowed watch in a mortar, emptied the de
! bris into a blunderbuss taken from the tripod
! fired it of, and the watch, wholly uninjured
] was seen where the face of the clock had
| been whence il was taken and restored to its
| owner Then the sehur borrowed stiff
| black-beaver hat, and, holding it at arm ;
| length, drew from it in succession cabbage
| a nosegay dozen eggs. glass goblet, and
an endless roll Of ribbon. He then threw the
] hat upon the floor. crushed il with his foot
tossed it behind the tripod, and, following it,
came back, holding it out uninjured to its
owner in the audience. dozen similar
| tricks followed then the senior bowed, and
gathered up the debris around him, throwing
/ the whole behind the tripod. He then retired
and. preceded 10y clicking sound, the little
Juanita bounded upon the stage, courtesying
and smiling.
Behind came Master Juan and Alcofribus.
The youth took the guitar leaning against the
tripod. and presented Alcofribus with a min
| ature instrument resembling it. Then Juan.
assuming lover-like attitude, began to play
and sing a Spanish air Alcofribus, standing
on his hiud-egs and gaspng his guitar in
| his front paws, initiated him and Juanita,
with suppressed laughter, began to dance the
| "cGchuca." Her dancing was excellent. The
sharp click Of the steel plates on her heels,
mingled with the clatter of the castanets be
| tween her slender fingers She kept perfect
time to the music, and danced with all the
| Joy and dJaHGOH of childhood 1t was easy
TO see that the happy face, the pretty little
head leaning first toward one white shoulder,
then toward the other the Circling arms, the
twinkling ankles in their white stockings,
pleased the audience. When Juanta ran
backward on tptoe, stopped made low
courtesy, and vanished, Il round of applause
came. When Acofribus exactly initiated her,
pressed one paw upon his breast, and also dis
appeared with Juan, the applause redoubled.
In the midst of it the Sehor Hernandez re-
appeared. and began his feats of skill-such
as are now familiar. He threw aloft twen-
! q, ,nu,1 popnpp-l -loll paupht IL ubpu his aN.
tended arm, raised his arm quickly, and the
cannou-ball running down TO his shoulder,
passed around the base of his neck and down
the other arm to his hand. Similar tricks
followed, and the performer then began his
feats on the ropes depending from the ceiling
now known as feats ON the trapeze. The
strength and skill exhibited were remarkable
The performer wound up by hanging by one
foot from near the ceiling, falling and light
ing upon his feet, after which he retired annie
applause, and there was an intermission, the
audience passing the interval in highly favor
able comments upon the performance
When the drop-curtain, which had beeI
lowered again rose, the Sehor Hernandez anC
his dminutve counterpart Juan were seeI
standing side by side in the middle of tn,
stage. Behind them were the two carpenter
horses" with the plank resembling q doc
lying across them. On this light platform
were the twenty one-hundred- pound weight
ranged in a double row
The Senor Hernandez, still holding the DO,
by the hand, advanced and bowed
Il shall now exhibit, ladies and gentlemen,
he said what | venture to style feat o
real strength. 1t is possible that the tricks o
legerdemain which have preceded it may pro
duce the impression that this is of simila
character Such is not the fact. Thes
, weights are solid, and procured from you
townsmen. Messrs. McGinnis Il Co. Is Mr.
McGinnis in the audience -
, Yes, said voice.
'Will you be good enough to examine thes
weights, and inform the audience if they ar
solid Z"
, "FwinP
Mr. MeGnnis mounted the platform by tn
, steps ON one side, and tested the weights ON
. | after the other searcely moving them in Ii