Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-07-22
WHOLE NO. 1915.
A Talk With A Circus Wonder.

4 circus company has entered train,
ready to go to the next large town. Ike
and Dolly, ten-yesr-old boy ard his
little sister, run up and mount the cars,
hoping to catch sight of tie
wonderful performers; eagerly watch
ing them, the children forget them
selves, the train starts and they are
carried Off:
The conductor led Ike and Dolly into
the passenger car where the members
OF the troupe were, and-oh, joy!-the
knife.Swallower made room for Ike to
sit down beside him. rs looked as
tonishingly like an ordinary mana
big, 'burly fellow, with good -natured,
face, weather. r.beaten, like sailors.
Ike was amazed to see that knife and
! snake swallowing had Let affected his
appearance. any more than education
had effected the pigs. Zach, his chum,
had confided to Ike that the man was
made of gutta-percha inside; that was
why the knives and snakes didn't hurt
him; and Ike was devoured by curios-
ity to know whether this was really so,
but he was afraid it would not be polite
to ask.
The Fat Woman who could not sit on
an ordinary seat, but had one which
was constructed expressly for her, mo.
toned to Dolly to come aRa sit on her
footstool. Dolly felt q little shy of
this mountain of flesh, with features
that were scarcely distinguishable, and
a eruff voice that reminded her Of the
big bears in the story of " Golden
halr." But, as the car was full, and
&c nLo
obeyed.
Have you lost your ma, dear ?"
said the gruff voice, in q very kindly
tone.
"Weve lost Barbara, and she'll be
so worried, and the pea -porridge is get
ting cold, and-oh dear I" and poor
Dolly broke down, utterly overcome
by her misfortunes.
Ls! is the lopsy. .popsy going to
cry? Don't there's deary. You IL
get back to Barbara all safe, aud Just
think what privilege it is to travel
with such a show as this-Moral and
Intellectual, National and Transatlau-
tic!-though they amt genooyne, child ;
don't lyon believe word of it! Not
one OF 'em 3 genooyne but me an the
Mites. Me an the Mites is genooyne!
Genooyne" was too large q word
for Dolly's comprehension but, by the
Fat WOman's mysterious air and tone,
she knew that she was telling her some.
thing very important.
" No bigger than common folks, the
Giant amt, before he's built up and
stuffed out, the Fat Woman went on, :,
in very low tone, and with careful
glance around, to see that she could
not be overheard.
DO you mean that he isn't q truly
giant? " asked Dolly, with crushing
sense Of bewilderment and disappoint-
ment.
y No more than you are. And a. for
the Bearded Woman, she takes il off
and puts it in her pocket when nobody's
round. The Two-headed Girl, the
greatest scientific wonder of the age,
they call her on the bills--why she's
two girls. They're dreadful slim, and
they manage to stick 'em into one dress.
The Talking Girsfe-why, it's q man
behind the scenes that talks; ventrilo-
quism, you know! The man that swsl-
lows knives and snskes-that trick is
very we'll done, and folks is easy to take
IN, and he is so quick that you can't
see where the knives 60 TO, if you're
watching ever so close. Swallow 'em
child! Of course he don't. He couldn't
swallow 'em no more'n you could"
"Oh, dear! 1 hope you won't tell
Ike. He would be SO disappointed, >
said Dolly, feeling keenly the hollow
ness of tie world.
:" But me and the Mites is genooyne!
There an'e grain Of humbug about
me, and the little teenty.tonty dears is
just ~ the Lord made 'em!-TSt. Mich.
olas.