Connecticut western news., 1879-11-05
At the Circus,
A PICTU RE BY CHARLES DICKENS.


 We defy any one who has been to Astley's two or three times, and is con- sequently capable of appreciating the perseverance with which precisely the same jokes are repeated night after night, and season after season, not to be amused with one part of the perform ance at least-we mean the scenes in the circle. For ourself, we know that when the hoop, composed of jets of gas
 is let down, the curtain drawn up for
 the convenience of the half price on
 their ejectment from the ring, the orange
 peel cleared away, and the sawdust shaken, with mathematical precision, into complete circle, we feel as much enlivened as the youngest child present, and actually join in the laugh which follows the clowns shrill shout of
 "Here we arel" just for old acquaint-
 ance sake. Nor can we quite divest
 ourself of our old feeling of reverence for the riding-master, who follows the clown with long whip in his hand, and
 bows to the audience with graceful dig
 nlty. He is none of your second-rate r1d1ng-masters in nankeen dressing gowns, with brown frogs, but the reg
 ular gentleman-attendant on the prinoi- pal riders, who always wears military uniform with tablecloth inside the
 breast of the coat, in which costume he forcibly reminds one of 8 fowl trusged for roasting. He is-but why should we attempt to describe that of which no description can convey an adequate Idea? Everybods knows the man, and everybody remembers his polished boots, his graceful demeanor, stiff, as some misjudging persons have in their jealousy considered it, and the splendid head of black hair, parted high on the forehead, to impart to the countenance an appearance of deep thought and poetic melancholy. His soft and pleas ing voice, too, is in perfect unison with his noble bearing, as he humors the clown by indulging in little badinage and the striking recollection of his own dignity, with which he exclaims, "Nov. sir, if you please, inquire for Miss Wool ford, sir" can never be forgotten. The graceful air, too, with which he intro 'duces Miss Woolford into the arena and after assisting her to the saddle. fol lows her fairy courser round the circle, can never fail to create deep impress sion in the bosom of every female ser want present.
 When Miss Woolford, and the horss, and the orchestra all stop together to take breath, he urbanely takes part in some such dialogue as the following Commenced by the clown): 1T say, sir ?'-" We'll, sir2" Qt's always con- ducted in the politest manner.) "Did you ever happen to hear I was in the army, sir ?"-"No, sir. "-Oh, yes, sir T csn go through my exercise, sir" -" Indeed, sir !''-" Shall I do it now, sir 9"-" If you please, sir come, sir make haste" Ca cut with the long whip, and "Ha' done now-I don't like it." from the clown). Here the clown throws himself on the ground, and goes through variety of gymnastic con- doubling himself up, and un- tying himself again, and making him. self look very like a man in the most hopeless extreme of human agony, to the vociferous delight of the gallery, until he is interrupted by second cut | from the long whip, and a request to see "what Miss Woo1ford's stopping for Y' On which, to the inexpressible mlrth of the gallery, he exclaims, ssNow. Miss Woolford, what can come for to go, for to fetch, for to bring, for to carry, for to do, for you, ma'am ?" On the lady's announcing with a sweet smile that she wants the two flags, they are with sundry grimaces procured and handed up, the clown facetiously ob. serving after the performance of the lat ter cerimony-" -"He, he, ho I say, sir. Miss Woolford knows me she smiled It me-" Another cut from the whip, a burst from the orchestra, start from 'he horse, and round goes Miss Wool ord again on her graceful performance, o the delight of every member of the audience, young or old. The next pause 'tfords an opportunity for similar witti- 'isms, the only additional fun being hat of the clown making ludicrous yrlmaces at the riding-master every lime his back is turned; and finally quitting the circle by jumping over his 1ead, having previously directed his at- ention another way.