St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-07-08
DAVID GOES TO THE
CIRKIS
BY Edward Noyes westcott


IT COME along to a time when !
i was 'twixt IS an IA. The was q
clrkis billed to show down here in
Homeviiie, an ev'ry barn an shed fer
miles around had pictures stuck onto
EN- OF efphants, an rhinoceroses, an
es'ry animal that went into the ark;
an girls ridin' bareback an iumpin'
through hoops, an fellers' ridin' bare
back an turnin' summersets, an doin'
turnovers on swings; an clowns gettin'
whipped, an cv-ry kind OF a thing
that could be pictered out; an how
the was to be grand procession at
ten O'Clock, 18th golden chariots, an
scripteral allegories, an the hull
BUS mis-; an the gran performance at
two O'Clock; admission, 25 cents: chill
dreE under IL, at cetery; an SO forth.
Wa'al, hadn't no more idee o. goin' to
that cirkis n had o. fiyin' to the moon,
but the night before the show somethin'
walked me bout IL o'clock. / don't
know how twas. Id ben helpin' mend
fence all day, an gen'ally / never
knowed nothin' after my head struck
the bed till mornin'; but that night,
anyhow, somethin' walked me, an
went an looked out the windo', an
there was the hull thing goin' by the
house. The was more or less moon, an
see the ELEPHANT, an the big wagins-
the drivers kind o. noddin' over the
IL 0rA1 IL a.
vas covers-I don't know how many
OF 'em-an' the cages of the tigers an
lions. an all. Wa'al, got up the next
mornin' ut sun-up an done my chores;
an after breakfast / set off fer the
ten-acre lot where was mendin' fence.
The ten-acre was the farthest off OF
any, bonneville way, an had my din
ner pail so't needn't lose no time goin'
home at noon, an, az luck would have
1t, the want nobody with me that
mornin'. Wa'al, got down to the lot
nm set to work; but somehow couldn't
git that show out O. my head nohow.
As l said, hadn't no more notion of
goin' to that cirkis n had Of Kingdom
come. I'd never had two shillin' of my
own in my hull life. But the more. i
thought ont the uneasier got. Some
thin seemed pullin' an haulin' at me,
an finIy l gin in. i allowed I'D see
that percession anyway if it took leg.
nm mebbe Ted git back 'ithout nobody
missin' me. 'Tany rate, I'd take the
chances of a lickin' jest once-fer that's
what it meant-an' up an put fer the
village lickity-cut. done them four
mile lively, en- tell We, an the STUN
bruises never hurt me once.
when 1 got down to the village it
seemed to me as if the hull population
Of Freeland county was there. I'd
never seen SO many folks together in
my life. an fer aspellit seemed to me as if |
ev'rybody wasa-lookin' at me an sayin':
That's old Harum's boy Dave playin'
hockey, an sneaked round dreadin' |
someb0dyd give me away: but 1 finly |
found that nobody want payin' any at |
tention to me-they were there to see |
the show, an one red-headed boy more |
or less want no partic'ler account. |
Wa'al, putty soon the percession hove |
in sight, an the was a reg'lar stam- |
pede among the boys, an when it got |
OFs uA 0n shllNAtCO uP Win ~ dkIV
m walked alongside the el'phant, tin
pail an all. till they fetched up inside
the tent. Then went off to one side
1t must a ben about leven or half-past.
an eat my dinner-I had devourin' ap-
petite-an' thought I'd Jest walk round
y spell, an then light out fer home.
But the was SO many things to see an
hear-all the side-show pictures of fat
women, an livin' skeletons; an wild
women of Madygasker, an wild men
Of Borneo; an snakes windin' round
women's necks. hand-orgins, fellers
that played the Gordon. an mouth
pipes an drum an cymbals all at once.
an such ike-that l fergot all about
the time an the ten-acre lot. an the
stun fence, an fust knowed the folks
was maxim fer the ticket wagin, an
the band began to play inside the tent.
Be taxin' your patience over the linn
it?" said David, breaking OF in his
story and addressing Mrs. Cullom more
directly.
NO. ! guess not" she replied. Il
was jest thinkin' of circus L went to
once,n she added, with an audible sigh.
s.Wa'al," said David. taking last
farewell OF the end of his cigar, which
he threw into the CRATE, 'mebbe what's
comm IL int'rest ye more'n the rest
ont has. was standin' gawpin' round,
list'nin' to the band an watchin' the
folks git their tickets, when all of a
sutldin l felt twitch ut my hair-it
had d way OF wor,dn' out of the holes
in my old chip straw hat-an' somebody
saws to me: .Wa'al. sonny, what you I
thinkin' Of" he says. | looked up. an !,
who do you s'pose it was? 1t was Billy !
p. Cullom. 1 knowed who he wos,
fer I'd seen MIN before, but, of course. I
he didn't know me. Yes. ma am. it was
Eilly p, an want he rigged out to !
kill!" Ii
The speaker pansed and looked into
khe fire. smiling. The woman started ,
forward facing him. and clasping her I
hands. cried: MY husband. What'd {
be have on?''
~Wasal." said David. slowly and REM
Iniscently, ..near's I On remember, he
l,ad on blue broadcloth claw-hammer
coat with Hat gilt buttons, an double
breasted plaid velvet vest. an pearl
rray pants. strapped down over his
boots. which was of shiny leather. an
! higE-poinfed collar an blue stock
with a pin in it q remember won
Ierin' ii it cd be real gold. an vel
low-white plug beaver hat
At the description Of each article OF
attire Mrs. Cuilom nodded her head. $
sith her eyes fixed on David's face, Y
,rd ~ he concluded she broke out
athlessly: "Oh, yes! oh, yes, David 9
= wore them very clo'es. an he took $
. to that very same show that very :
z.u,e night" There was IN her face = t
~ almost Of awe. as il a sight of her y
|one-bnried past youth had been shown
lD her from q comm.
Neither spoke for moment or two. :