Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-04-15

He longed to climb the hill and meet
the wind ready to buffet him when he
reached the top, and TO dabble kis
feet in the cool stream where his
mothers brothers used to swim on
summer afternoons The season was
hot, and on nights when the animals
were restless, when the lions roared
and lashed the bars with their tails
and the tigers, suarling, paced their
cages, and the hyenas yelled, and the
elephants trumpeted, and the horses,
frightened, snorted and stamped in
their stalls, Ted could not sleep. There
was no air to breathe and the many
scents made him long for the fields of
clover and the garden with its bed of
mignonette.
"Mot her." he burst out, why don't
they like the circus?"
"Who?" said his mother, startled
She sat late on her sewing as usual;
but she had supposed the boy was fast
asleep.
why, grandfather and grandmother
and the rest of them"
"Some people don't like circus,
Ted" she said. gently. 'Tt's just a
feeling"
But it's the greatest show on earth"
81 know it's great thing in its
way" said Mrs. Llewellen, but you
see, Ted, my family are quiet people
and their way is different / suppose
it is partly the tights and the spangles
and the crowns, the gaudy make-be-
lieve, which made father feel that moth
ing is modest and honest and real about
anybody who belongs to circus. But
If father knew old Benny, if he knew
him as you and do, he would say he
was good man. And il he knew how
everybody had to work, to go over
every part again and again, he would
see that no good performers could be
dissipated or lazy"
1t was just at this time that Ted was
learning the ring trick" and certain
ly there was plenty of hard work about
that. 1t was, as we have said, the first
thing that Ted did not take to by
natural instin ct, as q duck to water.
Never before had he shrunk back from
what he was hidden to do, giving way
to a fit of trembling. AS old Benny
said, the new trick was no harder than
the trapeze, and Ted liked of all things
to go flying from rope to rope to the
topmost ring, loving the idea that the
hearts of the spectators sank into their
boots at the conviction that he was in
danger. Now he suffered nameless ter
rors; he felt clumsy, he had lost faith
in himself The truth was, up to the
present he had gone on doing every
thing that came in his way without a
thought of what might have happened
if he failed. Now he was like SOM
nambulist who awakens to find himself
in a position of danger. 1t was as If
he had to learn his tricks all over again,
gaining again pece by piece by hard
trial and proof instead of heretofore
swiftly and unerringly by instinct Old
Benny was patient and tender with the
little fellow.
"All you have to do is to catch hold
of the ring and turn round on it." said
he You know all the while there is
a cushion underneath you and thrt if
you were to fall you would not be
hurt"
II shan't fall" said Ted. "but fdon't
like it."
You have not got used to it, and it's
there the fun comes in," said Benny.
"You never had stumble yet, not
even a balk; you're like a bird"
Ted hung his head and confessed to
himself that he no longer felt like a
bird. He was so weary. There was a
gray haze over all this narrow little
world of his, and each day it settled
closer and closer. He felt dull, inert, as
if he longed to sleep; at least to sit down
aimlessly and dream wide-awake about
the hill and the river, and the cool,
quiet nights in the old place.
81 myself have hated to do things
that l grew mighty proud of when
got at the knack of them" said Benny.
Come now, try again, Ted"
Ted braced himself up and went
through the rehearsal, but when it was
over he burst ont crying and sat down
all in trerable.
Its n safe sign to be a little afraid"
said Mrs. Bill. 1T isn't the tricks one
is afraid of that one trips in, but those
one feels too sure Of"
They all fattered and encouraged
him, and Ted felt ashamed of his faint
heartedness. A regular salary was
promised him by the manager as soon
as he made u success of the ring trick,
and this was what he and his mother
had been looking forward to ever since
he was ten years old.
1t was odd how he disliked the ring
trick, when it was simply matter OF
swinging himself up to the top of a
high, tall framework on rings which
hung on horizontal bars. The sup
ports below were twelve feet apart,
but met with another transom beam
and ring on the apex. The way was to
catch the lower ring, swing round on
it, then with the impetus gained to leap
the gap, seize the opposite ring a
little higher up, and so on from right
and left and left and right to the top
ring and down again. 1t was pretty
feat, and, perhaps, no harder than any
other of the flying tricks. but it needed
clear head, and the trouble was that
Ted had got into n dreamy mood. He
was so homesick nowadays for the
farm and for the different life He
liked better to brood over the idea Of
the bees humming over the flower beds
and the doves and martens calling for
the cows than to give his whole heart
and mind to the actual things he saw
and touched.
However, practice makes perfect,
and by the time the new season opened
in Brighttown Ted had mastered the
ring trick. There was famous pro-
gramme, and Ted had six different
parts; in the Indian act. the buffalo
hunt, the chariot race and so on finally
to the wonderful ring trick now ex-
hibited for the first time. The excite
ment was good for Ted. The dull.
weary feelings he had suffered from OF
late vanished. his blood warmed to his
wish, he liked the mad gallop. he felt
the Joy of his own youth and strength,
and was ready to take wings and float
in air. The tent was packed with ad.
miring spectators, and all the per-
formers were in high spirits The ring
master and clown cracked fresh Jokes,
at which even the mem bers of the COM
pany could laugh. The horses went
like the wind, the performing dogs and
elephants and bears all seemed singu-
larly intelligent, and altogether it was
one of the great days of the greatest
show in the universe, and the ring
trick" was to be the grand climax.
"All right" said old Benny to Ted as
the little fellow ran out of the dress
ing-t tent in scarlet tights and cap.
"All right. on deck" said Ted.
Nimbledy, nimblcdy, up 1 go,