The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-11-09

Playing Circus.
Hdrptf'T Young Peope.
The circus came through our town three
weeks ago, and me and Tom McGinnis
vent to 1t. We didn't go together, for !
went with father, and Tom helped the cir.
Gus men 10 water the horses, and they let
him in for nothing Father said that cir.
cusses were dreadlIlly demoral' zipg, unless
they were filled with wild beas,e, and that
the reason why he took me to this particu-
ar circus was that there was elephants in
II, and the elephant was scripture animal,
jimmy, it can not help but improve
your mind 10 see him. l agreed with
father. II my mind had 10 be improved,
thought going 10 the clrcus would be good
way 10 do it.
We had just an elegant time, rode on
tho elephant, but 1t wasn't much fun, for
they wouldn't let ms drive him. The
trapeZe was better than anything else,
though the Central African chariot races
and the queen OF the arena,iwho rode on
one foot, was gorgeous. The trapezs per-
Torrance was done by the Pategonian
brothers, and you'd think every minute
they were going 10 break their necks.
Father said it was most revolving sight,
and do sit down and keep still Jimmy or l
can't gee what's going on. l think
father had pretty good time, and i'm
proved his mind good deal, Tor he was
Just as nice as could be, and gave me
whole pint Of peanuts.
Mr.. Trayers says that the Patagonian
brothers live on their traptzSs, and never
come down to the ground except when
performance Is going to begin. They hook
their legs around 1t at night, and sleep
hanging with heads down, just like the
hats, aud they take their meals and study
their lessons sitting onthe bar, without any.
thing 10 lean against. dent believe 1t;
for how could tuey get their food brought
up to them? aud its rid c1lous 10 suppose
that they have TO study lessons. Itgrieves
me very much 10 say so, but am begin.
ming to thin k that Mr., Travers doesn't
always tell the truth. What did he mean
by telling Sue the other night that he loved
cats, and that her cat was perfectly beauti-
Eul, and then when she went into the other
room he slung the cat out Of the window,
clear over into the asnRragus bed, and said
get out J GU brute? We cannot be loo care.
full about always telling the un:b, and
never doing anything wrong.
Tom and 1 talked about the circus all
the next day, and we agreed we'd have 8
circus II cur own, and travel all over the
country and make heaps oil money. We
said We wouldn't let any OF the other boys
belong to 1t but we would do everything
ourselves except tho elephants. So we be-
gan to practice IN Mr.. McGinnis' barn ev-
cry afternoon at;er school. / was the
queen OF the arena, and dressed up in one
Of Sues skir,R, and won't she be mad when
she finds | cut the bottom eft ofit!-only
certainly meant 10 get her new one
with the very tirst money l made. wore
an old umbrella under the skirt, which
made it stick ont beautifully, and know
should have looked splendid standing on
MIR. MCGinnis' old horse, only he was 30
slippery | couldn't Stand on him without
alllrg oil and sticking all the umbrella ribs
mic me.
Tom and I were the Madagascar broth.
era, and were going TO do everything that
the PA,agoniau brothers did. We prac.
iced standing on each others head hours
at time, and did it pretty well, only
Tom slipped once when he was standing on
my head, and set down on 1t 60 hard that
ion't much belltve that my hair will ever
grow any more. The barn floor was most
70 nald 10 practice On, go last Saturday
Tom said we'd 70 into the parlor where
mere was soft carpet, and we'd put some
pillows on the floor besides. All Tome
folks had gone GU, and there wasn't any
body in the house except the girl in the
-llcnen. So We went In the par!or, ana
gut about deem pillows and feather
bed on the floor. Il was elegant fun turn
w someisaults backward from the top Of
the table; but l s~y it ought 10 be spelled
summersets, though Sue says the othtr
Aay Is right.
We tried balancing things on our feet
Shile We laid on our backs on the Il Dor.
Tom balanced the musical box for ever so
org b,f re it fell: but don't think |. was
lnrt much, fIr nothing except two or three
little Wheels were smashed. And balanc-
ID the water pitcher, and shouldn't have
lroken 1t II Tom hadn't spoke to me at the
wrong minute. We were getting tired,
Shen l thought how nice it would be to do
he lrapeze performance on the chandeliers.
rnsre IVES one in the front parlor and ONE
II the back parlor, and l meant to swing
N enc OF them and let so and catch the
dher. l swung beautifully on the from,
Jarlor chandelier, when, lst as l was go.
ing TO let go Of il, down it came with al
awful crash, and that parlor was Just files
.i;h broken glass, and gas began TO smell
lreadiully.
As it wa1 about supper time, and Toms
folks were expected home, thought ]
would say goodbye to Tom, and not prac.
ice any more that day. So we shut the
arlOr doors and | went home, wondering
what would become Of Tom. and whether
had done altogether right in practicing
with him in his parlor. Thers was an aw
ful smell OF gas 10 the house tba. night
and when Mr.. MEG mis- opened the parlCr
Ioor he found what was The matter. H
found the cat, too. She was lying on tn,
door, just as dead as she could be.
Gnl going to see Mr.. McGinnis to-day
and tell him broke the chandelier. sup.
pose he will tell father, and then shall
Sish that everybody had never been born.
nut did break that chandelier, though ]
didn't mean 10, and I've got 10 tell about Il.