St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-12-16
flor the Children.
A Private Circus.

There's going to be "A circus here,
and I'm going to it that is, if father
will let me. Some people think it's
wrong to go to circus, but | don't.
Mr.. Travers says that the mind of man
and boy requires circuses i'll mOdera-
ton, and that the wicked boys in Sun
day school books who steal their en-
ployers' money to buy circus tickets
wouldn't steal it if their employers, or
their fathers or uncles, would give
them circus tickets once i'll while.
Pm sure | wouldn't want to go to II
circus every night in the week. All
should want would be to go two or
three evenings, and Wednesday and
Saturday afternoons. There was once
boy who was awfully fond of going
to the circus, and his employer, who
was very good man, said he'd cure
him. SO he said to the boy: "ThOm-
as, my son, Pm going to hire you to go
to the circus every night. I'll pay you
three dollars week, and give you
your board and lodging, if you'll go
every night except Sunday; but if you
don't go, then you won't get any board
and lodging or any money" And the
boy said, "Oh, you can just bet I'll go!"
and he thought everything was lovely :;
but after two weeks he got so sick of
the circus that he would have given
anything to be let stay away. Finally
he gOtSo wretched that he deceived
his good employer, and stole money
from him to buy schOOl-bOoks with,
and ran away and went to school. The
older he grew the more he looked back
with horror upon that awful period
when he went to the circus every night.
Mr.. Travers says it finally had such
an effect upon him that he worked hard
all day and read books all night just to
keep it out of his mind. The result
was before he knew it he became Il
very learned and Il very rich man. OF
course it was very wrong for the boy
to steal money to stay away from the
circus with, but the story teaches us
that if we go to the circus too much,
we shall get tired of it, which is a very
solemn thing.
We had private circus at our house
last night-at least that's what father
called it, and he seemed to enjoy it. 1t
happened in this way. | went into
the back parlOr one evening, because
| wanted to see Mr.. Travers. He and
Sue always sit there. 1t was growing
quite dark when | went in, and going
toward the sofa, happened to walk
against a rocking chair that was rock
ing all by itself, which, come to think
of it, was an awfully curious thing, and
Pm going to ask somebody about it. |
didn't mind walking into the chair, for
it didn't hurt me much, only | kicked
it over, and it hit Sue, and she said,
ooh my, get me something quick ~
and then tainted away. Mr.. Travers
was dreadfully frightened, and said,
"Run, Jimmy, and get the cologne, or
the bay-rum, or something" So | ran
up to Sues room, and felt round in the
dark for her bottle of cologne that she
always keeps on her bureau. | found
a bottle after minute or two, and ran
down and gave it to Mr.. Travers, and
he bathed Sues face as well as he could
in the dark, and she came to and said,
Goodness gracious, do you want to
put my eyes out 7"
Just then the frOnt-dOOr bell rang,
and Mr.. Bradford (our new minister)
and his wife and three daughters and
his son came in. Sue jumped up and
ran into the front parlor to light the
gas, and Mr.. Travers came to help her.
They just got it lit when the visitors
came in, and father and mother came
down stairs to meet them. Mr.. Brad
ford looked as if he had seen Il ghost
and his wife and daughters said, "Oh
my !" and father said, "What on earth y
and mother Just burst out laughing
and said, "Susan, you and Mr.. Travers
seem to have had an accident with the
inkstand."
You never saw such "A sight us those
poor young people were. | had made
mistake, and brought down bottle
of liquid blacking-the same that
blacked the baby with that time. Mr.
Travers had put it all over Sues face
so that she was jet black, all but a lit
tie of one cheek and the end of hel
nose, and then he had rubbed his hands
on his own face until he was like al
Ethiopian leopard, only he cOul(
change his spots if he used sOaI
enough.
You couldn't have any idea how an
CRY Sue was with me-.just as if it wal
my fault, when all / did was to go VI
stairs for her, and get bottle to bring
her to with and it would have beer
all right if she hadn't left the blackinl
bottle on her bureau and | don't cal
that tidy, if she is IA girl. Mr.. Traver
wasn't a bit angry but he came up t.
my room and washed his face, anC
laughed all the time. And Sue go
awfully angry with him, and said she
would never speak to him again afte
disgracing her in that heartless way
| 1 I