Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-10-20

wearing to rags, sun blistered paint
and gilding-the whole stale and bust
nesslike pageant Of the biggest show
on earth. Small awed boys lined uT
along the sidewalk to watch them &c
past. Heads were thrust out of win
dows. The barber's assistant lounged
in the shop doorway, shirt sleeved nnc
supercilious, his hands in his pockets.
The steam organ. mounted on car
having gilded lions heads set between
panels of dusty looking glass and
drawn by six plebcian horses with
scarlet trappings. wheezed popular
air of a season past. strident and high
pitched, with deep. unexpected rum
bass. Its voice drowned the nearer
sounds of progress. clink of hOOfs anS
crcak of numbering wheels.
Rosy-you are my posy!
You arc-my hearts bouquet!
Come out-here in the moonlight!
The girl who rode the tall bay ho-se
just behind the organ was scarcely
conscious of the cheap refrain dinned
into her ears persistently over and
over again for the past half hour-for
many hours during many weeks. She
let the reins slip through her fingers
idly as the horse bent his head this
way and that. fidgeting sdewise to the
music. She had pleasant face. in
which the lines Of hard work had Oblit-
Grated something of the youth that
might under easier conditions have
made for prettiness. Her eyes. under
the cavalier hat with dropping plume,
We're scanning eagerly each turn and
corner of the little old fashioned street.
How familiar it all was! Here was the
corner cOnfectioner's and there the fan
cy shop kept by the old lady with ring
lets. Nothing was changed in the five
years since she had last seen it. Life
here seemed to go on smoothly III the
one groove. undiSturbed by outer hap
peninSs. from spring to spring. summer
to summer; always the peaceful sun
light. children playing, men and wo-
men going contentedly and uu"tly
about their work.
For a moment the old home feeling
gripped her strongly. weary reaction
OF spirit against the rcstlessness. the
cOmingS ANA S0ingS. the monotonous III
stability Of her own life-to be cOntinu-
ally on the road and never to reach
lhe journeys END. TO be here today
and gone tomorrow. always new faces.
acv. surroundings. new discomforts.
Tic clumsy. lumbering car before
her. it's cheap gliding and shabby splcn-
dor. had faded. and instead she was
seeing an old. quiet garden. with sun
light sitting through pear boughs to
the kindly. homely disorder of growing
things below and Il small child In a
Gingham pinufore who sat there play
in,,. She Lad IL Goil beside her. propp"d
stiliiy against the tree truuk-a broken
nosed doll. with fishy eyes and staring
The dolls dress was OF
.kc same check gingham rs the child's
pinaforc. made unski!lfully. with long,
gap.ns stitches. Overhead. through
the branches Of the Old pear tree.
showed Il Liue April sky with small.
dcecy c!ouds drifting.
Tie cavalcade had come to mo-
mcntary halt In the pause the steam
organ sounded with renewed energy.
The man who rode level with the girl
rcscttlcd his tapping hat farther back
upon his head and passed Il dust
grimcd hand across his forehead. 1t
was very hot. His horse sheered to-
ward tie side Of the road and he
icrlcd ut its mouth with weary
farmyard oath, relic of some agricul-
tural boyEood.
Near to the curb stood Il black horse
between the shafts of light dogcnrt.
A man who achieved an air of pros
parity In his summer suit and straw
hat had come out from II shop at the
approach of the noisy gilded organ,
and stood at the horses head. soothing
it. The steam organ thrObbed and
shouted like vulgar red and gold
dcmcn. beginning each line Of the eter-
nal refrain with fresh clang and
shock of sound. Its presence here In
The quiet street seemed an insult, an
afrront. The man standing by the
horses head lifted his eyes to the
halted procession. and for the space
of second they encountered those OF
the girl in the cavalier hat He looked
away instantly. and. STOPPING down.
began u careful readjustment of some
buckles on the black horses harness.
He took long time over 1t. When at
last he lifted his head the cavalcade
had passed on.
She had changed her dusty riding
habit for plain cotton blouse ana
serge skirt and had slipped away In
this hour before the afternoon show
for q quiet walk alone.
The little street seemed to browse,
deserted. Behind her in the big field
beyond the town where the dincy tents
had sprung up mushroom-like since
noon she had left the noise, the cheap
glitter and glare. trampled grass and
smell of ropes and sawdust. She could
still hear the voice Of the circus organ,
cheerful. aggressive. grinding out Its
invitation. assaulting the
summer quiet with brazen hootings.
She turned up a side street that led
away from the town. Houses became
fewer; she passed blacksmith's shop,
with white cottage adjacent. and
then the road narrowed and began to
wind up hill. with tall hedges on either
side powdered with fine white dust. A
barn. gaurt and red painted, stood
nlone at n corner Of field.
A few steps beyond was gate. she
paused. leaning her arm OH the top rail-
II I'D stood there looking ont Oh the
quiet couptry that lay before he'.
Hemlocks grew STRAIGHT an" rank Wy
Cows that fall
Your C0US to breed, espe-
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