The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-26
e heard a voice saving:

=
''Dufn my buttons but I'm goin' to take
in that circus or bustr
It was his own voice and it almost jump
ed him off the seat. His heart was in his
mouth for moment, but then he gained
courage to say fgetup'' to the old mare
Yes. sir. I'll go. I'm 66 years old and
never seen circus, but m goin' to begin
turn me aside. 1 dunno what's came over
me, but # its wicked to go to circus
then I'm going to be wicked
s He reached home to unharness and go to
work again. and he SAID nothing of what
eaten and the milking done. Then as he
sat on the piazza with his old wife he
scarelessly remarked:
all covered with circus pictures"
And he Christian man@ gasped the
wall, you know. folks don't look at
circuses the way they used to-
What do you mean by that, Jabez?"
why, circus amt considered wicked.
I dunno as they ever was wicked, but folks
used to think that way"
Il don't want. to hear you talkin that
way, .Jabez- The circus was always wick
ed ard always will be $ It's one of stsse
broad roads leadin' down to perditien If
pictures, on his barn then his wife needn't
sened a. here ag 81 10 to berry my quilt frames
/ f.I've never seen a ciretls.'' said Jabez
after a while.
And you never will-not as long as you
i've often wondered where the wicked
ness comes in
Then you must be Blind Don't women
or things called women, dress up in short
skirts and ride hossback and jump through
hoops p Can you imagine anything more
wicked than that?N al
What makes you call that wicked?''
Because it IS and you know it, and
| there's no use to talk about it any more.
If Thought you stopped this afternoon to
look at them pictures
4 stopped a little while.' admitted ia
Il thought I noticed a great change in
you soon as you drove into the barnyard-
Jabez Parker, don't you GO and d, let Satan
always begins He gets good man to
stop and look at circus pictures, From
| that to bein a robber and a murderer is
only a step.
"Pshaw. maj
Don't dispute me, Jabez. The next time
you go to town shall go with you, and
| you bet there will be no stoppin to see
circus pictures on a barn. What are you
wrigglin' around so for?'
WAS I wrigglin'?"
''Of course you was, and lookin guilty.
too. Jabez, look at me in the eye. Now,
then, what are you up top
who said was up to anything?' he
| replied;
you for thirty-nine years. and 1 know
you from head to heel. Jabez. was you
thinkin' of goin. to that circus?"
II had a feelin' my bones that you
was. wall. you stop it. won't have
/ 1t fer minute.
| Say, ma, I'm a-goin'.'
"Jabez Parkerr'
Eyes. sir. Tn a-goin'. I've never been
be ereuf d 6nt I'm g9o to TO ta
| elephants lions and tigers. and I'm a
goin' to see them women in short skirts.
I don't believe it's hurt me any fore than
to see a boss race at the county fair
but I told you to turn your back when
they raced
Yes, but I wanted to see which boss
/ in a T on h6Jiaxo
I was one mite the wickeder for it,
but circus, Jabez-a circus: I tell
expect to find me here when YOU come
home. I nver could live with you for
an hour agin.''
| Jabez Parker was the soul of good
| nature, but when aroused he had a streak
/ of the mule in him. He had said he was
going to the circus, and his wife's opposI-
! ton only made him the more determined.
| The subject was dropped that evening
and was hardly referred to during the
next week Then the date of the circus
came along, and one morning Jabez said:
millSin'."
| What do YOU mean?'
/ I'm goin' to town to see the circus
The wife looked at him and saw that
he was ,determjned, and she said no more
until he was reaay to to, drive away. Then
a.Goodbyss Jabez! Il don't ,spose we shall
ever see each othe11 agin."
He echoed her goodby and drove off,
and she sat on the piazza and cried for
/ an hour. She was still at it when some
one drove uD and she looked up to see
| her minister standing before her. To his
1 inquiry as to the cause of her sorrow she
| told her tale. and when it was finished
/ he said:
There's my wife and boys out III the
carriage. Z Hurry up and get your Sunday
clothes on
'sBut what for2"
wen find room in the carriage for you
and I'll buy your circus ticket
Jabez got home half an hour ahead of
| his wife He was looking around the sit
| ting room to see if she had left a note
/ or anything. when she entered and said:
Say. ,Jabez. i said7'twa wicked, bit
after SEEM all the animals and the Wo-
| men in short skirts, and havin' all the
peanuts and lemonade could hold I have
changed my mind. It amt wicked bit,
| man I'll have supper on the table in