The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-06
THE DAILY STAR
THE TWO ACROBATS.

Gus, and put stop to it. Perhaps it was
dangerous, and perhaps Government was
right to put stop to it. But | didn't
like it then, for it was my bread, and
meant five pounds week to me; and
when it was stopped, my profession was
ruined.
I don't like it now, for you see I've
made flesh, and am close on fifty; but
fifteen or twenty years ago, when | was
in my fesbings | could have shown you
such a figure and such muscles as you
wouldn't see every day. Me and my
brother were a wonderful pair, just the
same height and wonderfully alike. 1t
was bit of CANNON; but it took won
derfuliy ON the bills and our manager
said it would be utter madness to all
nounce ourselves as Benjamen and Thom-
as Kitchens; so we used to be in blue
letters all over London, "Des Freres
Provenceaux," and the people came to
see us from all parts.
We were engaged, you see, at the
Conduit Gardens, and did the trapeze
work. Now, dare say, you'll find plenty
of people who will say it was known long
before; but don't you believe 'em.
Pm the man who invented the trapeze-
at least I'm the boy-that is, | invented
it when was boy, on the swing in our
back garden, the one we made under the
apple treee, out of mothers clothes-line,
and rubbed it till it broke all to bits, and
let Tom down that heavy that he put out
his shoulders.
You see, it was from experimenting on
that swing, hanging by my legs, by
one hand, by two hands, and upside
down, that sowed the seeds of all those
wonderful trapeze exploits that have, as
we say ip the bills, thrilled expectant
audience in every nerve and fiber of their
frames
Tom turned very sulky after he put his
shoulder out, and he wouldn't try any
more tricks, till he grew jealous of seeing
me get so handy at them Che was queer
fellow, was Tom, and never could bear
for me to be ahead of him, even in taking
medicine), and then he set to work l
wasn't by, and worked so hard that he
got to shorten the rope, and to hang by
one foot, quite clever. | hadn't known
anything about it, he'd been so sly; so
that | was quite took aback one day,
when after figuring about in my boyish
fashion upon the rope, he snickered at me
Il bit, and then, to my great astonish-
ishment: "Get down." he says; and he
gets to, does all have done
before, and great deal more, too, till he
ends by hanging by one leg, when, crash!
the rope snapped, and down came poor
Tom on his head and shoulder with
most terrible bang.
Up got Tom aud flew at me like tiger
because I was laughing-and Iput it to
you, could help it?-and then we had a
regular stand up fight, which was not
ended until our Mary charged down
upon with a clothes prop, and caught
Tom by the throat with the big
prong, so as she held him against the
wall till he promised he wouldn't fight
any more. Tom didn't keep his promise,
for he was terrible boy for fighting, and
manys the up-and-down set-to we have
had together. Woe betide any boy,
though who touched me! 1t didn't mat
ter how big he was, Tom always took my
pa;t, and thrashed him.
From doing things on the rope, we took
to tumbling little on the ground, tying
our ourselves in knots, walking on our
hands; and shall never forget the day
when / first threw somersault without
touching the ground with my hands.
That day was marked one for me; first
because of the pride felt as | ran in the
field and spun over; second, because Tom
was so jealous that he took run and
Jump and came down on his back, max
ing it SO stiff and bad that he couldn't
move hardly for week.
At last, having done all this for our
own amusement as boys, we had to give
it up, for times got very bad at home.
Poor father, who had only been a jour
neyman painter, fell ill and died, and
mother moved to London, where, after
deal of trying, we boys got a job here and
a job there al rough painting, for, from
helping father at home, We were both
pretty handy with the brush.
Times, however, were very hard with
Us, when one day we heard of chance.
fhe Royal Conduit Gardens were being
done up in hurry, the lessee having
taken them, as it were, at the eleventh
hour; and being at high rent, of course
he wanted to get them open as soon as
possible. Redecoration was the
order of the day, and every man who
could handle brush was taken on, pain
ters being scarce in the spring.
Well, we went, and were soon busy at
work, painting arbors and arches, and
touching up orchestra and artificial sky
i'll the gardens were opened, when the
manager who was very civil fellow,
gave Tom and your humble servant
ticket for the opening day.
That was treat for us, for we were in
good spirits, having few shillings in our
pockets. We saw the theatricals, heard
the music, looked at that, and were thor
oughly enjoying ourselves until he joined
the circle about to witness the perfor-
mances of the Tantipalpiti family; and
there we stood for some time seeing them
walk on their hands, tie themselves in
knots, and do few clumsy somersaults.
Then Tom looked at me, aud | looked at
him, and we went away laughing together