The times., 1899-06-25
The Circus Parade.
CFrom Ainslee's lIagazine.)

The hitching posts are full of winner
Ing country horses, and big red-necked
men walk about town with that long Looping
step which comes from working on plowed
ground. Following them are lank women
with their front teeth gone ard the figures
bowed from hard work, dragging wide-eyed
children whose uncouth finery betrays the
country jake" even if the freckles and
the sun-faded hair could keep it a secret
They have yentured to town to see the
show come in, and for many of them that
will be all to be seen. How every sense
is benumbed and stunned into uncon-
sciousness by the splendor of it all How
magnificent appears the carved work of
the wagons as they rumble past, the driver
rolling and pitching in his seat as he
handles the ribbons of eight horses. May
be it is Jack Shumate, who has been In
the business for thirty-seven years, and
simply knows all that there is to be known
about horses. He has charge OF the 400
that go with this show. and can tell you
how they die from sheer heartbreak and
pining for the music and the excitement of
the life when they are separated from it.
Admiration for his driving fills the farmer 8
heart as much as the golden radiance of
the chariots dazzle the children. And. OH!
the musici Poor starved souls they haven I
heard anything finer than a reed organ
in the meeting house droning Bringing in
the Sheaves." And here there is big
band crashing out melodies that stir the
soul to the profoundest depths-music like
THE Stars and Stripes Forever" or, Il
Love Her in the Same Old Way"
And, oh. lookyi Here come the ele-
plants, just the same as in the geography
book. And see the men walking beside
them. They come from where the ele-
plants do; see. they have got on the
clothes they wear over in that country.
Don't they look proud? Well. why
shouldn't they be proud to walk with an
elephant that way? And if you ever do
anything to an elephant he'll always re-
member it, and some day he'll get even
with you. One time there was man,
and he gave an elephant a chew of to-
bacco. and - o-o-ooh! See that man
riding in the cage with the lions, Don't
it make the cold chills run all over you ?
wouldn't be in there for a million dol
lars, would you, ma?
What they laughing at down the
street? Ma, make Lizzie get down; she 5
right in my way. / don't want to see It
pretty soon; l want to see it now. Oh,
amt it funny? See the old clowns play
ing on horns! Amt they just too kill
ing, Oh, look at them ponies. Aw, don t
l wish | had one. l know hoy that S
got a goat that he can hitch up. What
was that. pa?"
Whoa, Nell, nothing to hurt you
Steady, gal. steady; he can't get out
Whoa -whoa-hupl Whaddy you bout
Fool horsei Yes-yes, it's a lion roaring in
his cage, or a tiger, or something. Well,
that's the last Why child, l can't make
them have any bigger parade. There's no
use waiting here. They won't come around
this way again. Did you get all your
| trading done. mother? Well l expect we'd
| better put for home. Now, Eddy, l told
you No once, and that settles it. Now
stop your crying. Hush up, tell you"
There is a sigh and dropping of the
face, and a resolve in a boyish heart that
some of these days when he gets to be a
big man and has lot of money he's going
| to see the circus every day. Maybe he'll
! run of with one. Mean old pa, anyhow" "