Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-08-05

Special Correspondence II Gazette and Journal
New York, July go when the circus
comes to town, it creates certain
amount OF excitements hut, after all,
the circus as it is known in the city,
with the performance given In a build.
lug, comfortable chairs to sit in and
everybody's tasre catered TO, is as
nothing compared to the pleasure that
IL got when the circus comes to the
country. Three weeks ago we enter
tanned at dinner two Raily dressed
young men who had come to make
arrangements about posting WORKS OF
art on the barn and who managed to
mention, quite incidentally, that the
circus would soon. be with us. From
that day on the country for miles
around has been living an abnormal
life. Every body visited every body else
to find out IL she were going to tue
show. One woman absolutely stopped
ironing and rode 90 miles to fiud out il
her sister bad bad an opportunity to
entertain the clowns when the circus
was near her.
OF course the posters were tho first
excitement. Then there we're stories
ahoat that the gentleman who owned
the circus was engaging hoard for the
ClFGuH DtOHlb III puo Niiubos We INV
always scorued the village. but at this
particular time we wished we lived
there, for then there might have been
chance of seeing some of those beau
tiful creatures who wore illusion dresses
ana snangles and danced on the white
horses as they were in everyday life.
It's Just as we'll, though, that we
DIDN'T SEQ them, for il We had we
might have suffered from disillusion,
for We have heard that these lovely
ladies arc occasionally very ordinary
when not in the circus or doing circus
tricks. Then the animals came. The
tent was srectpd, and for "a hours every
child in tine neighborhood was AN
angel. Bad behavior brought about
the possibility OF not getting to the
circus And could anything be more
dreadful / do believe that every man,
woman and ghost within the circuit Of
that circus felt at least 20 years younger.
The big wagon drawn by three horses
took us down. 'Us' consisted of 81
women and children and one man. The
nan drove. the women attempted to
.eep order, and the. chilrden seemed to
have lost their senses. One small girl
got go excited that she took her slipper
oil and threw it into the road. Then
our trap had to stop. One of the boys
was lifted down aud brought hack tho
Slipper, and we all looked in the other
direction while the slipper was used 10
way familiar TO most of uH 10 the
world when it was younger. We had
apples. and We had cakes. When We
reached the circus. we added peanuts
and popcorn, and when We got in the
tentapd were seated we began to drink
lemonade, the real pink circus lemon
ade. with as much avidity as If none
of US had ever heard of champagne in
our lives. The seats were not com
Portable, but we gave little thought ia
the hard buards, because We we're all
children again and out to have good
time Even the prin boy who is read
ing the Bible through in year forgot
how religious he was and screamed
across the ring TO another boy, "Say,
Tommy, how did You get your tickstY''
And Tommy responded in a voice
that was cheerful, but loud, by carry
in water for the elephant"
And that hypocrite OF boy from oui
house would have given up all chance
of finishing the Bible il to him hac
come the opportunity that was given Il
Tommy. Again and again say to my
self it's marvellous how young the cir
Gus does make you feel. If you are
woman, you long to be the beautiful
lady who. wearing ehort skirts of tulle
rides a white horse bareback, like
fairy, at least as you suppose fair,
would. IL you are a man. you wist
you were this ringmaster, with hi
long wbip.
The circus is the one place on earth
where tho rich and the poor meet to
gether and enjoy themselves. Provi
dence made us ALL though Barnun
achieved the circus, at which thu
laugh of the beggar is as keen as tina
OF the millionaire. And the lion ant
the elephant gaze with equal com
placency on velvet or rags, provided
both are accompanied by apples. Yol
don't get one bit more pleasure out o
the riding or the trick pony or tn
trained dogs or the trapeze performer
Il III you are in reserved seat than doe
the poorest ragamuin who has WORKED
for his ticket of admission and has 4
sit where be eau.
The odors of Araby are nowhere he
side that of the sawdust. II you ar
real human being, the blood dance
in your veins. your eyes try to Sc
everything at once, and your bear
gives great throb Of ecstacy at tn
first crack of the ringmaster's whip
Being normal creatures, We ate of tn
da,nties dedicated to the circus fror
the time We entered. For myself,
draw the line at mint sticks, but ono
within the odor Of the sawolust and tn
animals feel like calling out, "Giv
me liberty to eat or give me heath =
. Most of US got the liberty to eat. Me
who know the secret of the sphn
- can't explain why sawdust gives a
appetite. But you have no appreeiaiio
of the circus unless you can consum
peanuts by tbs quart, apples by tn
dozen, popcorn ny the string and thos
horrible, dried up looking spono
cakes that are sold at every properl
cortiucted circus and which, eaten
the tent seem as fresh and dainty as
they han just come from the oven
the gods We applaudsd the traine
dogs; we held our breath with horrC
when the man performed on th
trapeze, holding a small hoy by hi
teeth and allowing other small childre
to hang 10 his feet; we screamed wit
JOY at the lady riders. aud, beIn
blinded with happiness. We we're a
convinced that tnere had probab
never hoen such well bred man as ii
riugmaster. The performance owe
more money was spunt in apples az
peanuts, and we started 10 see Il
animals. The elephant was az stol
:. and funny looking as ever. Civiliz
tion has not added to the length of b
" tail or adapted it it to his size, but