Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-08-23
DAVID GOES TO THE
CIRKIS
BY Edward Noyes Westcott.

By Edwa

"A Nf'--AN - GIL H. 4HE MIS-
eirkis billed to show down here in
bonneville, an ey'ry barn an shed fer
miles around had pictures stuck onto
EN- Of ELEPHANTS, an rhinoeeroses. an
eY'Fy animal that went into the ark:
an girls ridin' bareback an jumpin'
through hoops, an fellers' ridin' bare
back an turnin' summersets, an dom
turnoyers on swings; an clowns gettin'
whipped, an ey'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'nis; an the gran performance at
two O'Clock; admission, 20 cents: chill
dren under y, at cetery; an so forth.
Na'al, | hadn't no more idee O goin' to
that cirkis n had o flyin' to the moon,
but the night before the show somethin'
walked me bout Y o'clock. / don't
know how twas. I'd 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 virgins
the drivers kind o. noddin' over the
dashboards-an' the chariots with cam
vas c0yers-I don't know how many
81 'em-an' the cages Of the tigers an
lions, an all Wa'al, I got up the next
mornin' AZ sun-up an done my chores;
an after breakfast / set OFT fer the
ten-acre lot where 1 was mendin' fence.
The teu-acre was the farthest of OF
any, bonneville way, an / had my din
ner pail soft Ineedn't lose no time goin
home at noon, an, as luck would have
il, the want nobody with me that
mornin' Wa'al, / got down to the lot
an set TO work; but somehow / couldn't
git that show out o. my head nohow.
As / said. | hadn't no more notion of
goin' 10 that ciriis n had OF kingdom
come. I'd never had two shillin' of my
own in my hun life. But the more ]
thought ont the uneasier got. Some
thin seemed pullin' an haulin' at me,
an fnly | gin in. | allowed I'd see
that procession anyway If it took a leg,
an mebbe l ed git back ithout nobody
missin me. Tany rate, I'd take the
chances Of a lickin' jest enee-fer that's
what il meant-an' up an put fer the
village lickity-eut I done them four
mile lively, I en- tell We, an the stun
bruises never hurt me once.
when / got down to the village il
seemed TO me as IL the hull population
Of Freeland county was there. I'D
never seen so many folks together in
ms life. an feraspell lit seemed tome as if
everybody wasa-lookin' atme an sayin':
That's old Harum's boy Dave playin
hockey. an ! sneaked round dreadin'
somebody'd give me away; but | fnly
found that nobody want payin' any at
tention to me-they were there to see
The show, an one red-headed boy more
jr less want no partic'ler account
Wa'al, putty soon the procession hove
in sight. an the was a reg'lar STAN
nede among the boys, an when II got
ly. / run an ketched up with it agin,
an walked alongside the ELEPHANT, tin
lail an all. till they fetched up inside
HE tent. Then / went off to one side
/ must "a ben about 1eyen or half-past,
an eat my dinner had a devourin APP
,etite-an' thought I'd jest walk round
, spell. an then light out fer home.
Hllt the was so many things to see an
,ear-aIl the side-show pictures of fat
women. an liyin' skeletons; an wild
women of Madygasker, an wild men
u Borneo: an snakes windin' round
romens necks. hand-orgins, fellers
hat PLAYED the Gordon, an mouth
,ipes an drum an cymbals all al once.
IN such like-that | forgot all about
he time an the ten-acre lot, an the
tun fence. an fust knowed the folks
vas maxim fer the ticket wagin, an
he band began TO play inside the tent
Re taxin' your patience over the linz
70" said David. breaking off in has
tory and addressing Mrs. Cullom more
lirectly.
NO. | guess not" she replied. Il
vas Jest thinlin' of a circus l went to
nee" she added, with an audible sigh.
"Wa'al," said David, taking a last
4.
areweu of the end of his cigar, which
e threw into the CRATE, "mebbe what's
omin' II interest We more'n the rest
MT has. l was standin' gawpin' round,
ist'pin' to the band an vatchin the
olks cit their tickets, when an OF a
uddin | felt a twitch at my hair-it
.ad a way OF worllin' out of the holes
l nv old chip straw hat-an' somebody
avs 10 me: 'Wa'al, sonny, what you
binlin' off he says. l looked up, an
no 40 YOU s'pose il was? 1t was Billy |
, Cpllom, l knowed who he was,
o. ia seen him before, but, of course
> 5idn't know me. Yes. ma'am, it was
.uIv p. an want he rugged out TO
iii"
The sneaker paused and looked into
,e Ere smiling. The woman started
onward facing him, and clasping her
ands. cried: My husband! Nhatd
G have on?'