The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-03
"CIRcUS JACK"
And the Way He Found TfIda After
Long Years of Search and Waiting.


BY Stanley Edwards johnson.
One morning, lorg before the great shows
took to the rails, ''McAfpin's Combined,
Colossal Hippordrome and Consummation
of wonders" was expected to pass
through Prescott. The youngest gener-
alton OF this village-that is to say all that
part Of it that could move on two LEGS
had been anticipating this event for FUZZY
three weeks. The, majority OF the barns
and sheds in the Vicinity had proclaimed
the al u emen Of spangled bareback rid
ers, roaring lions, snarling tigers, daring
contorlionists and trapeze performers, ele-
plants. monkeys, women who stood On tip
toes on the backs of swift horses, and
passed, uncathed through hoops of fire.
Al lthis had been seen and admired by
"Jacky" Hopkins and Matilda Vinton. be-
sides a score Of others. Jacky was 10
years old and Matilda was years his SEN
Tor According TO the juvenile gossip of
the village, they were "jest gone on each
other"
The passing OF the circus gave rise TO
picturesque ambitions in the young hearts
of Trescott The career of that patron
saint Of New Hampshire, Daniel Webster,
faded into insignificance in comparison
with the attachments Of the herones and
heroes, pictured IN rainbow colors. Such
youthful yearnngs for fame are familiar
to aH who have not forgotten that they
were once young, and are generally Of
brief duration.
Il think, Jacky my pa and ma are
meaner than the meanest, cause they
won't let me go ter Their circus ter-mor-
rer," said Matilda, but you can just bet
I'm a-goin'."
Jacky's little blue eyes widened in sur
prise; scarcely a day passed that 'Tildas
dynamic nature did not send thrills of
wonder up and down his dimlnutive spine.
why, 'Tilda you wouldn't run off
down to Woodbine all alone, would
your"
loose 1 would, Jacky! That is, if
1 Jest had Their money ter get inter the
circus with. An wanter jine it, too;
wanter jine Their circusi"
Little Jacky gasped in Amusement. You
jine Their circus, 'Tilda Vinton You
couldn't do nothin', 'Tilda. Why? What
was you thinkin' o. doin?'
'Oh, l jest know l could. Jest let me
sit dressed up as them wimmin be- an
an sleep in oil sheets, an jest bet I could
do anythin' You know Jacky Hopkins
l can do lots o thins tibet you can't. You
couldn't git on Their ridge pole O. pas barn,
an walk acrost it jest ez If it wuz a light
fOpe an 1 We SlhhleQ up LnNt pig pine |
back OF your house, an you didn't git
UP but half way. An 1 jumped forty feet
from the upper hay loft In our barn. down
onter the hay, an you didn't dast try
faint cause yer ainJ smart only I'm
made ter be in a circus"
She put her arm about the little fellows |
waist, with all the superiority of her four |
teen summers. Jacby was impressed. Wis
ions Of the wonderful exploits he had seen
'Tilda perform since the advent of the cir
Gus posters rose before him There want |
a boy in the village who could do what
Tida had done: and he was the only one
who had frankly admired her, while the
others had hidden their chagrin by calling |
her "Tom-boy" and other names which |
only delighted her with their unintention- |
al fattery.
Now she had stimulated his boyish fan
cy and he believed she was right She
was the greatest living wonder to him ana
he longed to help her.
Guess you'd do 'Tilda, after you'd ben
trained" Jacky admitted.
An Its real mean ter think tibet
can't be what l was made ter be- How
dyou spose anybody was ever able 10
be anythin' onless their folks let EN-
try?"
Il never thought O. goin' down ter
Woodbine, an l know my folks wouldn't
let me. But then / couldn't do anythin'
Now with you 'Tilda. it's different YOU
can do thin's an your folks had orter let
yer"
Well, I'm Jest a-goin' ter-somehow.
That's all"
Ana so 'Tilda resolved TO Join the circus.
The really unfortunate thing about Ma
tida was chat she generally put through
all she made up her juvenile mind 10 do;
and still, worse, oftentimes, she was equal
~ hrm in not doing what she did not want
TO.
Their delicious speculation on the future
was Interrupted by the imperative sum-
mons Of Jacky's mother
There's yer ma a'callin'," Matilda
speered, she's alms codding yer Yer'H
never grow up eff yer don't git oulern her
way. AFTER I've fined Their circus I'll cit
a chance for yer ter sell lemonade"
''Oh. good Tidal I'd do jest anythin'
ter go with yer! An don't fergit ter be up
by O'Clock ter-morrer SOS Ter see ther
circus go through
II.
II was long time before Jacky went to
sleep that night. He was haunted with
the mingled desire TO help his girl" to
fulfil her ambition, ana the temptation 10
contribute thereto by endowing her with
all his worldly wealth, just S2F which |
he had made ''plummin"
Jacky had an account in the bank, and
after the berry season, each summer, when
be had purchased a pair of shoes to wear
pensed with in the summer-he nut the
rest in the bank. lie was allowed to keen |
the money in his possession, but once il !
got into the bank IL was never allowed to |
come out But this sum seemed great
wealth to the little man. He wanted ii |
20 start 'Tilda on her life work. but some- |
how he could not quite justify his con
science to do it,
Perhaps his dreams contributed in no
small way 10 his final decision; for he
saw his beloved Tilda performing all the
various feats advertised in the great show.
When he walked ne sprang out of bed
with all his Doylsh eagerness, to see the |
Show go by The cages were all closed
aud the wonders hidden from view. but
II all seemed real.
Tilda was up before him. The great
wagons had not begun to pass and the
stream of Trescott youth was vending It's
way towards the upper village by Cold
Stream Curve TO meet the caravan
They followed far behind, their arms en-
ctrchng each other, absorbed in a discus-