The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-12-03
THE ACROBAT.

les. that's my name; the patent
self-acting acrobat: it is painted on my
back. unless the children have pulled
the paper off. They have? Well, it is
lucky know the name. l learned it
when stood on Newark toy-stand,
waiting for some one to come and buy
me; my spring was all right then, and
/ kept turning somersaultS all day.
Didn't get tired?" Not bit; so
long as the spring was right it never
hurt me. And now it's broken, and
they say can't be mended, though
don't know why. After Jamie was
sick last year, the doctor said he had
no spring in him and must 90 to the
sea-shore to get well. I wished 1 might
60. too, but they didn't take me; moth
ing went but the creeping doll, and her
spring was right enough. You've been
sick, too. and all the children tell you
their troubles; do you think could be
mended like Jamie-is his spring like
minep No! thought not. His spring
would come back with air and water,
you say. That just settles the matter
in my mind; know they wouldn't do
me any good, for I've had both; once
when the boys threw me out of the
nursery window, and 1 hung by one leg
from the old pear-tree; and once when
there was moving, and fell out of
the basket into a mud-puddle and
wasn't found for two days. NY tum-
bling days are over; but I hope they
won't throw me away; perhaps they
won't, for little Alice that died used to
laugh at me SO much.
have given great deal of pleas
ure? Thank you, ma'am; I wish l
could tumble this once for you. l know
you'd enjoy the performance. It's very
pleasant now to think what good time
l have helped people to have; took
great pleasure in being pleasant. But
the best time have to think about is
my last day on the toy-stand; may 1
tell you about it? Thank you, mas am.
My owner was toy-dealer, who had
a very nice stand on leading street in
Newark. came to him in a package
from New York, about the middle of
December, and began to tumble as soon
as l was wound up next morning, for I
was the latest novelty, and he calcu-
lated that / ought to bring him run of
custom. l felt there was great re-
SDOuS1UulIy upOu luCs XOI L ucdTu ulIu
tell his wife that had cost good deal;
but he hoped I would bring him the
worth of his money, even if I was not
sold. So, in the morning, when he had
put the whole stand in nice order, and
all the dolls, and gum-balls, and boxes
of blocks, and tin wagons were all set
in array, was put on the shelf just
above, and began to tumble my very
best.
We hadn't much company that morn
ing, and in the afternoon it rained; but
the next day was bright and clear, and
the two-headed vocalist gave q matinee
just beyond, and, of course. all the chill
dren and grown people stopped to look
at me. 1t sounds very vain, doesn't it?
but it does me good to think about all I
helped to do that day, and should not
have done it if the people had not
stopped TO look at me.
It was one of these late hard-times
winters, and my master, finding trade
poor, had a chestnut-roaster as well as
. toy-stand, and the boy who turned
the handle for him was-well, very
poor and in rags, and very seldom with
q clean face, but such q bright pair Of
eyes-their glance was like the sparkle
in mud-puddle. He was greatly
tickled with me. you may believe, and
/ don't think he would have attended
to the nuts well If it hadn't been that
they wanted his bit of money at home
svores. thot dov than usnal As Il Was