The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-12-15

. ltAih- AtIA llN IOulEl anu fntlNl tue
ring. nos, % tail. while their riders
smiled the fixed, hackneycd smile Of
fatigue and long habit.
; As there was no room in the ring for
further evolution. the elueStriHnS tTot-
ted out. and durin" the slight pause
which followed l recognized the boy
who sold peanuts and popcorn as the
very same who had driven The donkey
cart and admoniShed Miuua lie
seemed to be somewhat mdressed
about the throat and to be wearing
something light and spangly under his
coat, from which l gathered that he
was TO appear later in 4 more glorious
capacity. Nor was I mistaken. for aft
er Il muscular lady in purple tights had
twisted herself in and out among the
rings and swung head downward
hooked by her white kid boots. after
the rinGmaster had held Il most spirit
ed conversation with Il red headed coun-
tryman twho wanted to buy Il giraffe
of almost human intelligence and eK-
traordinarily human legs. beled the
young gentleman being tossed like a
bag from the feet of one prone pink
acrobat to another apparently as com
posed as when he had been Offering
advice to unreasoning womanhood in
the morning.
After this the band played galloping
music to an empty ring. Then the cur
tains parted. and the baby clown came
running in, followed by man also in
clowns dress. Their costumes were
identical except that while the man
wore only the usual white skullcap the
baby had tiny black chimney pot
perched on the side of his head He
came trOtting straight to the edge of
the ring nearest us, and there he blew
4 shrill blast on 4 tin trumpet which
he held in his hand. This the elder
clown took away. with mock warn
ing to make no more noise. Another
was promptly produced from the vOlu-
minous pocket, and this also was re-
moved. After the child had been de
prived of six III succession the man
threatened to thrash him and then.
pretending to listen, cried in surprise:
W nut lou Want W uSHl NE
yes" piped the baby clown. strad-
ding to the right. Come over here"
But the ground did not suit, and
again the little shrll voice could be
heard inviting his tall opponent to
come over here" But the left. it APP
peared, was no better
Hello" says the man. This won't
do. You're making Il fool of me |
, want TO fight l tell you"
''Then you must run like the dick
ems cries the child and scampers out
of the ring.
This produced such Il burst of APP
plauSc that Master Snow had to be
brought back. and there, held on the
shoulder of the big clown. while the
band played a soft. wheezy accompan-
ment. he sang the song | had heard
Minna teaching him on the road:
ooh, the badger and the bear and the
monkey and the hare
And the bonny birds a-singing in the
greenwood tree,
And the charming little rabbits, 50 en-
gaging in their habits
And they all have a ma lite but me, but
me.
And they all have mate but me"
Against the brown dimness of the
tent shadows the white figures stood
outSwith the holiness of chalk draw
ing. The expression of the mans face
was infinitely amused, lat sad and
tender as he listened to the clear little
voice quavering on the last notes.
UThnn ho &nic M
clapping had ceased he let the little
creature slip down into the hollow of
bis arm, babe him bow to the audience.
bowed twice himself gravely from
right to left and then walked out of
the ring and disappeared between the
curtains. A murmur went about that
he was the child's father, as indeed l
had been sure from the moment | saw
them together, and presently photo
graphs of Mr. James Snow and Mas
ter James Snow, ''the youngest living
clown" began to be circulated by the
industrious popcorn boy, who had
again resumed the outer shell of re-
spectability. There We're some of the
father alone in the acrobatic costume
Ill WHICH Hc WIS " appear ldleE us llle
"smartest high fiier on the swinging
bars some of the child in clowns
dress and some of the father and child
together as had just seen them. Dol
~ bought one of the child alone and l
of the two together, and l would not
part with it now for Il good deal
During the next act Ghe flight Of
shaggy pony through hoops Of fire. we
noticed Master Snow, Invested Of his
motley attire and dressed in a blue jean
blouse, being put cozily to sleep by
Minna in little white hammock hang
ing near the entrance of the tent. He
appeared to be Of a placid disposition
and used to take his afternoon nap in
public, for he settled down contentedly
as soon as she had lifted him in and
never moved after she covered him up
with what appeared to be one of her
own jackets. For long time she
stayed by him, seated in little rock
ing chair, swaying herself and the
hammock lazily to and fro. and by and
by I saw a mans figure, coated TO the
heels, but revealing fash of scarlet
when il turned sin out from the cur