The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-07-10

AN IMPOSSIBLE BOY.
HE was quite young. Seven short
years only had rolled away since the
country press announced the fact that
SON was born to his parents. The 18th
day of May was circus day in the part
OF the country in which he dwelt. In
the young lads native town there lived
a minister of the gospel, and if the rev.
erend party took . worldly pride in any
especial matter, it was in keeping q
good horse. He had on this particular
occasion piece of horsefesi that was
exceedingly high-strung and wide-
awake, although his looks gave the lie
to this statement. As he appeared to
the casual observer, standing in his
stall, munching his fodder, it would
take half dozen stern-wheel hornets
or steam calliope to infuse anything
like animation into the brute. Thus
did be appear to the boy. The boys
heart inclined to the circus, his soul
yearned with all the strength that
seven long years could inspire. But
the soul of his parents yearned in the
other direction. Then it was that the
boy resolved to sunder the cords of pa
rental authority and make the trip to
Waterbury, twelve miles, independent
of home authority. He was up en- the
MOI ming of circus day, at the hour
when birds are catching worms, and
fearing that he should catch some
thing even less agreeable than worms
if discovered, he stole away barefooted
from the house to the parsonage where
dwelt the ecclesiastical horseman. He
routed up the man of sermons in q
manner most hetero1ox, and thus he
spoke: Say, mister, will yer lem me
take yer ho3sp' "Let you take my
horseP Why, my little lad, what are
you thinking about? What do you
wish to do with him2' "Just want
ter ride around a little SPELL" "But,
my boy, that horse is q very spirited
animal, and it would be impossible for
you to hold him. He would run aid
throw you of, perhaps kill YOU"
Huh!' said the boy, in q tone of un-
utterab,e disgust; "that yer old COW
run and throw me off? What do yer
take me fur, anyhow?' But, notwith-
standing the boys confidence, the man
of hymns was unmOvable.
day told him that he must be extreme
ly movable or his absence would be
discovered and. no circus for him. The
farmers along the road that morning
saw diminutive boy, with a pair Of
shoes grasped in his hand, rapidly less
ening the space between there and the
city. He reached Waterbury Just as
the street parade was closing up the
line of march ut the big tent on the
meadows. His stomach was empty as
a toy balloon, but his heart was full;
his legs were weary, but his head was
refreshed as his eyes gloated over the
red and yellow wagons, the wonder
fully dressed men and the prancing
horses. Here were horses worth talk
ing about. How he would enjoy mount
ing one of those fiery, capering steeds,
and 60 rearing and plunging by the in
significant little parson with his sleepy
old nag, and astonish him with the
ease and fearlessness of his own horse
manship. His heart jumped at the
thought. He even wondered how it
was that he ever could have stopped so
low as to want to ride the parsons
horse. He felt ashamed to think of it.
The last of the caravan had passed
behind the folds of canvas and was in
visible to the boyish eyes. But there
was still amply sufficient to interest
and keep his thoughts from the awful
/ ho~n.%L L:a ,
"annex" tent, with its extravagant
paintings of impossible wonders, KEPT
him in a speeches. attitude till q street
boy ventured to nudge his elbow into
the famished locality already alluded
to, with the question, ''Haow's 'taters
up your way?" Although unsopsisti
Gated and green as to the way Of
town lads, our boy was shrewd enough
to see that his interrogation cared little
about the rural markets. Then, too,
the nudge in the stomach produced 8
decidedly unpleasant sensation. Those
boys were deadly enemies from thai
moment. Our boy surveyed the othel
for a full minute, his dander rising
higher and higher every second. The
thought that he, who but q few short
minutes before was galloping over the
hills and valleys on fiery untamed
steed, in his mind, should be so famil.
iarly and royalty used, and by boy
with freckles and ragged trousers al
that! It was awful! The next min.
ute two chubby, red hands were buried
in q shock of frouzy ha' r, and the head
of freckled urchin was jouncing and
bobbing tremendously. The second
minute revealed squirming mass Of
boys and q cloud of dust; then, with
the sudGenness of thought, the boy o.
frouzes and freckles made q dive fol-
freedom and escaped. The sophisti
Gated lad would have reasoned that hi
had gone for his big brother, ant
would have made himself scarce a.
well, out our boy arose covered will
dust and glory, and felt as though HI
could lick anything that Waterbury had
to show.
After the battle his stomach gave an
admonitory twinge, and his thoughts
would turn toward the parental larder,
but the ticket-sellers soon began to ex.
patiate upon the advantages arising
from purchasing tickets in the street
instead of getting them at the wagon,
and for the first time it occurred to oul
boy that he had no ticket and no way
of procuring one. He was well nigh
appalled, at the prospect. What if he
should not be able, after all, to see
the coveted circus! He could not &c
back to his country home until he had
at least had one more look at those
glorious horses behind the walls Of
canvas. No, that was not to be thought
of; he would steal in with the crowd
and no one would notice him. He fell
into line Just behind an old lady that
seemed to him the biggest woman he
| had ever seen. and in apite of the