The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-12-22
AN ELEPHANTS TRACK
An Accoant Of the Pinson FamlIy's Trip to
the Circus

ut kin be done, Nance. an I'm a-goir
to do it eff it busts me-" Newt Pinsol
brought the forelegs of his rawhide
Nbottomed chair down on the puncheol
floor with thump, and slapped hi
knees emphatically with his hair.
hands.
'Five dollars air mighty heap tt
spen' fer sech foolishness, Newt" re
piled his wife, turning the squallint
baby over on its stomach and pound
ing it vigorously on the back
"Mo'over," she added, after pause, q.
don't see ez ye be got the S., nohow."
Mr.. Pinson stretched out one Ions
leg and thrust hand into his trousers
pocket. "Ye're mighty right, Nance,
'ain't," he admitted, blowing the loose
tobacco from the handful of coir
fetched up from the honest homemade
depths; "I've got jes $3.50 lef' outr
what Sam Leggett paid me fer the
yearlin'. But me an the children hev
been a-talkin' of it over, an they hev
commissioned to th'ow in Their aigg
money; Dan TO- bits, an Pete fo'; Joe
an Jed hez two-bits betwix' 'em, an
Polly M'riar say ez how she hev II
cents. I'm lackin' of dime, but
reckin I kin scratch thet up some
whers."
"Ther's my two bits up yam in the
clock" Mrs. Pinson remarked, with
pretended indifference; Eye kin take
thet if ye air sech plumb fool ez to
pike the whole passed. of us inter town
to see the circus"
"Shucks, Nance" he returned, indig-
nantly, II amt agoin' to tex yo' two
bits" Nevertheless he got up and
fumbled abo ut 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 ye
git ready fer yer mex bottle O. snuff"
"Will they be an el'phaht?" demand
ed one of the freckled face urchins
gathered round the heads Of the fam
lily, listening. preathless to the discus
sion.
"a dollar for Nance, an dollar for
me-" Mr.. Pinson counted, gravely, TAX
ing no notice of the interruption, 'an
fo' bits apiece for Beck an Dan an
Pete an Polly M'riar an Joe an Jed.
Children half price-he glanced cas-
uslly at the flaming circus poster
tackled against the chinked wall in the
chimney oorner-"not countin of the
ba by. An Is cents left by jing"
"Do We reckin 1 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 sar-
casm, had not the eager voice belied
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 the pretty
round face framed in its shock of
frizzly red hair. "Wsal, be dinged,
Beckw he exclaimed, in dismay, 81
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.
AN Sam Leggett's gone to Kansas
on cattle drive" murmured the r.
year-old Dan, with meaning leer at
Becky. A vivid blush overspread her
face; she dropped her eyelids and
squirmed her shspely toes. But MIR.
Pinson was absorbed in mute recall
culation, which ended presently in a
beat-out whistle and mournful shake
Of the head.
Mrs. Pinson, with the colicky baby
laid over her shoulder, was jolting her
rookerless chair to and fro, and sing
ing, in a sweet drawing undertone:
II, 4, ,ya11 al,
When We git to hev-yen ye will pa-art moo
moo!
She interrupted herself to observe,
quietly: "Ye 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, Nancer exclaimed her hus-
band, in an estacy of admiration, I'VE
air the beatenes' white woman on
Rsstler's creek! That settles it oncet
mo-! Fetch me coal fer 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 epphunt?" persisted
Yed, the tow-headed boy next to the
baby, already in long trousers, which
hitched up to his shoulders with a
single white cotton "gallun."
"Of co'se. They is al'uZ a ePphunt
with Circus" replied his father.
II 'aint nuver seen no circus" said
Mrs. Pinson, in jerks between the long
drawn swells of her mournful lullaby.
"Nuther hev l." admitted Newt, ''but
] jes natchly know that ever circus
has got to hev elphunt an clown"
"Didn' I tell ye SO" cried Dan, tri-
umphantly, following with dirty fore
finger the headlines of the poster
saint the erphunts right here, dancin.
an stan'in on they heads, an a.
rollin' O. barrils? An ez fer clowns!
they is four mirth-pro-vo-king clowns
In this here show. 1t says so. An
five beautiful and accomplished
lady bare-bsck-riders;" and he con-
tinued to spell out laboriously the
manifold and unrivaled attractions of
Raiders Mammoth Circus and Men
sgerie, billed-for one performance
only-in Johnsburg at o'clock pm.
Monday, tie 18th of October. Come
one. Come All.
Becky, struck by sudden thought,
stared at him, shifting the brush IN
easily from one corner of her mouth to
the other, Like ez not" she broke out,
abruptly, "Brother Skaggs III preach
agin 1t mex Sunday. Sho's yo' bawn,
Brother Skaggs air a-goin' ter preach
agin it,"
Mrs. Pinson stopped singing; Polly
mr. az inlr