The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1896-09-24

form coming down the road. Lon wa,
my older brother, and he didn't like I,
hoe potatoes any better than did. bu
he could dissemble better. Twice tina
hot August morning in 1864 he had lef
me to tread the wine press alone-I re
gard that smile as heap pleasantel
than Is the fact-whlle he pretended Il
fx something on the shady side of tn,
barn. He explained each time when h,
came back that he much regretted the
necessity Of leaving this nice, easy
work In the potato field for such un
pleasant tasks at the barn, and grew
quite sorry for him. | offered to *
next time In his place, but he was the
most self-abnegating fellow you evel
saw, and insisted on this systematic
martyrdom.
When the man in the blue uniform
came down the road we stopped hoeinl
long enough to look at him and wonder
who he was. We had stopped severa
times before, but that was not to won
der who the travellers were. We knew
they were going. We knew they were
neighbors going TO the circus at the
county seattle circus that had been
advertised with tremendous posters
and Incorporate print for just four
weeks We knew in a general way
people did go to such places, but we
thought about it as almost as distant
as the battles with which the Uniform
ed man was associated. A circus was
not for us. We must hoe potatoes.
The man In blue uniform turned in at
our house and sat there in the shade of
the locust trees while mother rinsed the
milk pals and set them in the sun.
Presently he came out in the field and
shook hands with us. We remembered
him as hired man who had formerly
worked for us-an excellent fellow, as
you shall see. He was something far
removed from potato hoeing. He had
seen big battles, and we believed we
had found his portrait in a colored
print of the times, which showed a col
umn of even-stepping heroes rushing to
conflict as to q carnival. We were a
little embarrassed in his presence, and
scarcely asked him about the weapons
he welded and the foemen he had slain.
Ourllbrary contained some books which
treated Of conflict in those rarer times
when men went slngle-handed into the
ranks of an enemy and swept down
swaths Of weaklings-those rarer times
before a rifle bullet made one man as
good as another
John asked us how the cattle were
getting along, and something about the
neighborhood gosslps, and then march
ed away very straight, as If he were
under the eye Of a drillmaster. Another
neighbor came along and John signaled
him.
II guess rllVgo to the circus, too" he
said to us, laughingly, over his shout
der.
Oh! soldiers could do anything. This
proved It. Men who could suddenly
think Of something desirable, something
wonderful, and who could instantly de-
eide they wanted 1t and so have it.
these were the favored among men.
AS to the circus! Why, l would have
given anything-everything, discounted
hope and bonded the future for the
plain privilege Of "going to the show
You cannot know the heart hunger felt
for the circus by country boy in war
time. 1t was an expected, an lllimit-
able, an ineXhaustible case of wonders.
John ran to the fence, placed his
hands on the top rail and vaulted over,
as became a soldier home on furlough,
while the people in the wagon-they
were dressed in the very flower of gala
attire pushed forward to shake hands
with him. Then they called across to
us:
"Ain't you going to the circus" and
80 went on. Fate was despot. We did
not question the decree, though we
could very freely understand the charm
that was crouched in that one phrase
Going to the circusw
We had hoed out the row when moth
er called to us, and we went to the
house. 1t was not nearly noon, but
there was luncheon of bread and but
ter, of milk and of warm currant pie
On the little table in the vine-shaded
porch. The spread astonlshed us. Moth
ar was getting at her spinning wheel
do you want to go to the circusT
she asked.
OF course that meant permission. No
mother can taunt her child. John had
said he would pay for our tickets If
she would let us SO. He wanted to do
that much for the sake of old times, he
said. And, dressed In the best those
trying war times afforded, we started
on foot for the county seat.
My people were church members,
and we knew about miracles. But no
sun waiting the will of Joshua was
ever more miraculous than this instant
change In our condition. But an hour
ago hoeing potatoes; now going to the
circus!
l had never seen lion nor an ele-
plant nor any Of the curious beasts
from foreign lands. knew their pres
ence in the garden Of Eden and In the
ark. knew that African travellers had
found them. But that was far away.
At the end of these little miles, just be-
yond these business buildings, already
N sight, should find wild beasts of
The field" and should drink my fill of
The season was right. Harvest was
over, corn needed no more blowing.
There was midsummer lull In all ac-
ivity. Even In time when few men
at home, and when women
md boys did much Of the farm work,
there was still time and inclination to