The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-06-23
AN ELEPHANTS TRACK.

AN ELEPHANTS TRACK.
An Account Of the Pinson Fam
ily's Trip to the Circus.
II kin be done, Nance, an Pm a-goin' to
do 1t eff it busts me.v Newt Pinson brought
the forelegs of his raw-hide- -bottomed chair
down on the puncheon floor with thump,
and slapped his knees emphatically with his
hairy hands.
y "Five dollars air mighty heap to spen'
fer sech foolishness, Newt" replied his
wife, turning the squalling baby over on its
stomach and pounding it vigorously on the
back. 'Moover," she added, after a pause,
II don't see ez ye be got the five dollars, no.
how. D.. ....... .y.- s..+.
Mr. Pinson stretched out one long leg and
thrust hand into his trousers pocket.
'"Ye're mighty right, Nance, 1 'ain't," he
admitted, blowing the loose tobacco from the
handful of coin fetched up from the honest
homemade depths; "Tve got ies three dol
lars and a half lef' outn what Sam Leggett
paid me fer the yearlin.' But me an the
children hev been a-tallin' Of it over, an
they hev commissioned to th'ow in ther aigg
money; Dan fo' bits, an Pete fo'; Joe an
Jed hez two bits betwix' EN-, an Polly
M'riar say ez how she hev fifteen cents. Pm
1ackin' of dime, but reckin kin scratch
thet up somewhere"
"Ther's my two bits up yam in the clock, :"
Mrs. Pinson remarked, with pretended in.
difference; ''ye kin take that ef ye air sech
q plumb fool eZ to pike the whole passel of
us inter town to see the circus"
"Shucks, Nance'' he returned, indig-
nantly II amt a-goin' to tech yo' two bits"
Nevertheless he got up and fumbled about
in the clock case on the high mantel. shelf
until he found it. "Anyhow," he added, as
he reseated himself, II kin pay it back
whence We git ready fer ye' nex' bottle o.
snuff"
"Will they be el'phant" demanded one
of the freckle-faced urchins gathered round
the heads Of the family, listening, breath
less, to the discussion.
"a dollar fer Nance, an dollar for me, !"
Mr.. Pinson counted, gravely, taking no no.
tice Of the interruption, "an TO- bits apiece
fer Beck an Dan an Pete an Polly M'riar
AM Joe an Jed. Children half price'-he
glanced casually at the flaming circus poster
tackled against the chinked wall in the Chin
ney corner-''not countin' of the baby. AM
fifteen cents left, by iing!"
"Do ye reckin kin git in fer half price,
pawl" This question, which came from
Becky, the oldest of the Pinson brood, who
stood five feet six and half inches in her
bare feet, might have been meant as a bit of
covert sarcasm. had not the eager voice be-
lied any such intention. Her fathers eyes
travelled slowly up from the hem of her
homespun frock, as she stood leaning against
the chimney jamb, to her pretty round face
framed in Its shock Of frizzly red hair.
"Waal, be dinged, Beck!" he exclaimed,
in dismay, II keep fergittin' ez how ye air
growed up! His face clouded, and he looked
ruefully at the pile of dimes and half dimes
lying in his large palm.
IAN Sam Leggett's gone to Kansas on
cattle drive,n ulurmured the twelve YEAR
old Dan, with meaning leer at Becky. A
vivid blush overspread her face; she dropped
her eyelids and squirmed her shapely toes
But Mr.. Pinson was absorbed in a mute re-
calculation, which ended presently in beat
out whistle and a mournful shake of the
head. .., ,s.d-F
Mrs. Pinson, with the colicky baby laid
over her shoulder, was jolting her rocker
less chair to and fro, and singing, in sweet
drawing undertone:
'Far-ye-well, oh, far-ye-well;
When ye git to hev-ven ye will pa-art moo
moor
She interrupted herself to observe, quietly:
aye kin tote the baby, Beck; an kin tote
Joe; an yo' paw he kin tote Jed, twel we
git inside the tent. They amt no charge for
children in arms. It says so.''
'Lord, Nance!'' exclaimed her husband,
in an ecstacy Of admiration, ''ye air the
beatenes' white woman on Rastler's Creek |!
That settles it oncet mo- Fetch me coal
fer my pipe, Polly M'riar."
Becky heaved deep sigh Of relief, and
sank down on her heels, reaching under her
motherR chair at the same time for the
1Wll they be q erphuntl'' persisted Jed,
tAatowsl,eaAta boy next to the baby, al
ready in long trousers, which were hitched
up to his shoulders with single white cot
ton s'gallus."
."Of co'se. They is al'uz el'phunt with q
circus" replied his father. t...
~ 'aint nuver seen no circus," said Mrs.
Pinson, In jerks between the long-drawn
swells Of her mournful lullaby.
'sNhther hev L." admitted Newt, "but I
les natchly know that ever' circus has got
to hev elphunt an q clown"
"pidn' I tell ;ye sol" cried Dan, triumph
sesl y's pe.ss as's Aint lIISqssF tSe sle s
phupts right here, a dancin' an a stan'in on
fhcy heads an a-rollin' o. barrilsa An ez
fer clo,onsi they is four irth-prO-vo- king
clowns In this here show. 1t says so. AM
FIVE besu,ti,fpl and accomplished lady
bare-baok lidepk; /" and he continued to spell
out laborfouSIy the manifold and unrivaled
attractions ~ Riddler's Mammoth Circus
and Menagcrle, billed-for one performance
only-in Jphnsburg at two o'clock p. m
Monday, tA6 rlSth Of October. Come One
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