Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-09-12
THEY GO TO THE CIRCUS.
HOW THE RUSTIC MAN AND MAID
TOOK IN THE BIG SHOW.

finched a Little-The old Romance Tha,
is Always New Was Present TI,en.
In the year 49, Jonat than and Jemima
went to the circus
Ihey had planned it fo- weeks, and Jona-
than had made great preparations He had
talked IL with the bows and with ,Jemima
and II had been settled. Jemima's folks had
aiiowed II, aud Jonathan had creased his
ooots ana bought new Iaper collar and a
red Tie, and had just simply told Dad that he
was goin. Dad had said nothing, knowing
that Jonathan was his own man now. and
had "A right To be chirking up to the girls IL
he wanted to.
I'd the bright July morning the sun was
not up SO soon as Jonathan. He had washed
the harness and got out the old top buggy
lhen he goes in, finds his handkerchief with
perfumery on it, bought at the Corner. u
ana he Is ready to drive away Who shall
Tell the ldyl OF the mornmgf Who remem-
pefs now the sun burst and the birds sing
ana the bees lind the clover and the brooks
gro" musical and the dewy morn, clad in
rones OF gold, marches over the fieldsg Who
KNOWS what Jonathan and Jemima talk of i'm
thal precious morning 50 many years agol
Ihe road To Lewiston is long and winding
IL was IN the years when first the circuses
came by rail, and it is their mission to get
there IN time To see them unload the cages
they unload the cages nov just as they did
then, and never fail of IN audience. II is
heaps of fun for Jonathsn when the lion
roars IN his cage and his fair companion
clutches him by the arm That signifies to
the swain that she feels that his is a ''purtec-
TIN arm" and he is happy thereat After
they have superintended ii o unloading OF the
cages and have caught glimpse of the ele-
phant crossing back lot and have taken a
cold bite out of the basket N the wagon, they
are surprised to find il only O'Clock in the
morning with long and Happy day still be-
fore them. They drive down town and Jona-
than stands in his horse AMI gives him some
of the grass for breakf Ist He takes out
the whip and carries il tbs rest of the day
Jemima gets good woman near by to take
care of the basket of food and they are ready
for business and pleasure. In this year of
IS Jonathan went away 10y himself and had
his hair cut and his mustac be colored.
After that they pursu ID the dream of
weeks. They had their pictures taken They
were in tin types. He sat N chair with his
head clutched i'll one of the old fashioned iron
braces. Jemima, with a look of despair
equaling the look of suprerl ne and painful joy
that irradiated his countenance, stood by his
side and rested her hand on his shoulder
They got four of these for fifty cents, and he
had two and she two. The pictures are very
dear 10 both. In years after they are seen
by their eldest born when lie is grown up and
he asks them what lays" these are in the
picture and Mother Jemima says, "They are
two wandering blueJays, my son, who were
happy because they couldI t help it.n And
he sees the light in his dear old mothers ewes
and says no more.
Jemima marvels at the town in its circus
attire. She looks into the store windows
with open moutbed wonder With Jonathan
she wanders up 10 the circus grounds and sees
them put up the tents What interests them
most is the man in the wagon announcing the
free show at the close of tie parade ON the
grounds. They go to the rounds again The
day Is warm, and Jonathan, who is used TO
freedom, takes off his coat and lugs it on his
arm, while Jemima struggles on in tight
boots and perspIration. The free show is
over when they reach the grounds 1t has
been very short. Jonathan buys red lemon
ade for two and follows il up by trying it
again for himself, his lady declining a second
bumper. Everybody is shouting. Every
body induces them to try" something
Everybody is polite. Jonathan trys the
striking machine and they charge their sys-
tens with electricity
Try it, Sarah, says the man with the
battery. There is no she ck-only cheer
full flow of the current, Jonathan Is sur
prised that 1t costs ten cents flow, but he
pays it and says nothing. They test their
lungs and try the flying forses. Jemima's
boots hurt her still and her head aches, and it
is only IL O'Clock.
The side shows are open and they go in.
They talk with the freaks and would buy
pictures of them, but they have spent their
allowance ON pictures. Everybody seems to
know them One oily gentleman calls her
Jemima. She wonders how he heard her
name-not thinking that Jonathan is an out
spoken young man. Jemima is tired and sits
down, while Jonathan walders out to see
the sights. He is said to nave tried to find
the card with the corner turned down, out
behind the mess tent, but nobody knows. He
comes back rather silent and escorts Je-
NINA down town, where thoy commune with
"marm's" victuals, and .Jemima sort OF
wishes she was in her white dress out under
the porch piazza sewing and letting the wind
blow upon her.
After dinner Jonathan's trouble seems to
pass from him. They return to the show
and are confidentially advised that they
ought, in Justice To then selves, to drink
heartily of red lemonade before entering the
big tent, because there will be no peddling
on the seats. This is liz, but they don't
know it. They go in early They pick the
highest seats, where the sun can flow in on
their backs and blister their necks. He gets
his coat of and lays IL Oh his knee. She
holds his whip and unlaces her shoes. The
cornucopia man presents Ter cornucopia
and she opens it. Jonathan has to settle by
paying a quarter, and they both get pro
voked She said she suppos ed 1t was a gift
Then the lemonade man treeds on their toes
If there are three rings Jor athap calls her
attention from one to the other. Ii one ring
they are not getting their moneys worth.
He buys a ticket to the concert because she
is too bashful to say that she does not care tc
stay. He also buys history of the animals
because she Is looking at 1t when the mar
comes after it.
His calfskin pocket booi is getting no,
from the friction of pulling it out of hi,
pocket SO much He says ho ''never see sucf
a darned swindle" as the whole show is
They stop to see them feed the animals, ant
Jeulltlh, ike every otuer Nouhin, Stops ,,
long before the monkey cage that Jonathan
gets angry and says an impolite thing, ant
Jemma's pink cambria heav es convulsively,
and he is sorry he said 1t.
In going out the price of red lemonade ha,
been reduced to two glasses for five, and hs
goes it again, while the obhIsing man treat.
ON an extra drink.
They have condolences 1omeward. Hi
holds her hand maybe, and only the littl,
stars and they two know it. They didn'
know that the circus men had seen then
cape ut the canvas daubs or the tinsel of tn,
ring. They don't care. As the long rid,
draws to an end Jemima slept with her heaf
where her head had been In the picture, anl
he feels as though he would like to go to cir
Gus forever.
Do you think times have C hanged much to
dayf-Lewiston lMe) Journal