The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-06-23
AN ELEPHANTS TRACK.
An Account of the Pinson Fam
ily's Trip to the Circus.

ily'S Trip to the Circus.
81 kin be done, Nance, an I'm a-goin' to
do it ef it busts me'' 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.
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. mo over" she added, after pause,
Il don't see ez We be got the five dollars, no
how"
Mr.. Pinson stretched out one long leg and
thrust a hand into his trousers pocket.
"Ye're mighty right, Nance, l 'ain't,n he
admitted, blowing the loose tobacco from the
handful of coin fetched up from the honest
homemade depths; "I've got ies three dol
lars and half lef' outn what Sam Leggett
paid me fer the yearlin' But me an the
children hev been a-tallSin' of it over, an
they hev commissioned to th'ow in Their 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. I'm
lackin' of dime, but l reckin kin scratch
tibet up somewhere"
"Ther's my two bits up yam in the clock, -
Mrs. Pinson remarked, with pretended in
difference; I'VE kin take that eff We air sech
plumb fool ez to pike the whole passed. of
us inter town to see the circus"
"Shucks, Nance" he returned, indig-
nantly;'I 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' mex bottle o.
snuff"
'Will they be el'phant?n 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 fo bits apiece
fer Beck an Dan an Pete an Polly Mriar
an 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 iingn'
''Do ye reckin kin git in fer half price,
paw" 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 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 We air
growed up! His face clouded, and he looked
ruefully at the pile of dimes and half-dimes
lying in his large palm.
cam Sam Leggett's gone to Kansas on a
cattle drive" murmured the twelve year
old Dan, with a 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 mournful shake of the
head
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 We git to hev-ven We will paart 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. 1t says So"
Lord, Nancer' exclaimed her husband,
in an ecstacy of admiration. Eye air the
beatenes' white woman on Rastler's Creek!
That settles it oncet mo- Fetch me coal
ter my pipe, Polly Mriar,"
Becky heaved deep sigh of relief, and
sank down on her heels, reaching under her
mothers chair at the same time for the
snuff bottle.
''Will they be el'phunt2" persisted Jed,
the tow-headed boy next to the baby al
ready in long trousers, which were hitched
up to his shoulders with single white cot
ton "gallus."
'Of co'se. They is al'uz elphunt with a
circus" replied his father.
81 amt nuver seen no circus,n said Mrs
Pinson, in jerks between the long-drawn
swells of her mournful lullaby
''Nuther hev l." admitted Newt, "but l
jes natchly know that ever circus has got
10 hev a el'phunt an clown"
"Didn / tell We ~ cried Dan, triumph
antly following with dirty forehnger the
headlines of the poster. "Ain't the ell
phunts right here, a dancin' an a stan'in on
they heads, an a-rollin' o. barrilsi An ez
fer elOwnSi they is four mirth- provo king
clowns in this here show. 1t says so. An
five beautiful and accom- plished lady
bareback riders" and he continued to spell
out laboriously the manifold and unrivaled
attractions of Ridd1ers Mammoth Circus
and Menagerie, billed-for one performance
Only-in Johnsburg at two o'clock p. H.,