The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-09-27
WHAT THE CLOWNS DID.


Whe nthe circus goes to Boston II
pitches its tent in a field not far from
the Children's Hospital. The children
In their cots are within ear-shot of the
wonderful bands and the hustle of peo-
pie and the magical cries of the circus
This year one of the children wrote a
letter to the manager of this circus,
asking that clown be- sent to the hos.
pital. He had never seen a clown.
The, manager, a large-hearted, busy
man, read it to the employees of the
circus, and asked for volunteers. The
natural thing happened-the thing one
would expect who believes that all hui
man folk are pretty much alike in being
human. All the clowns volunteered,
all the absurd complexity of clowns
that keep the crowd at a three-ring
circus In a roar asked the privilege of
responding TO the invitation from the
Chiidren's Hospital. The band volun-
teered, until it seemed that the mana
ger would have to move the entire
circus down into the street.
The managers of the hospital were
Informed; the balconies were hung with
streamers and toy balloons. Children
who could walk crowded against the
railing: those who cou,d not walk were
wheeled out so that they could turn
their little white faces toward the
street Expectation raised many a 1T
tie heart that the doctors had tried In
vain TO stimulate.
First came hundred bags Of pea
nuts from the manager of the circus
for those who could eat: those who
could Tot eat were not envious They
were soon to feast their eyes. Mother
~ nurses. moving from cot to stretcber
told them that the circus was com.
ing
Presently there was the music of
band. Down the street came the clowns
and the acroblts and the trained dogs.
And before them marched a SQUAD of
policemen, not to keep the clowns in
order-the appointed business of a
clown is to be out Of order--ut to keen
adult well-bodied citizens cot of the
way, and to see that none cot between
the eyes In the balconies I'd the per-
Torrance In the street.
The children were ready At sip-
nal from the nurses, those who had
lungs to spare blew upon tin horns. The
clowns looked up and smiled. One
clown, who had lived hard life. drew
his hand across his white paint and
said, God bless the little himps. NY
boy Isl n the hospital In Lunnon." And
another clown heard him and said. gruf
ny, shut up! Do you want to spoil
this show?"
Presently the circus began In the
street. The fat clown with n ppeu
matte stomach was tackled by the lit
tie dog, Pete, and rolled over and over
In the dirt. The acrobats did wonder
full balancing acts on the ends OF their
noses and their toes The giant clown.
who was nine feet high. but was really
a short man with an artificial body.
broke into two parts. and his legs went
running up the street. A preposterous
clown tried to sell dog that was only
stuffed. A mother clown washed a
baby clown that was really burly. big
man, and when she scrubbed his ears
out with a scrubbing brush, the chill
dren in the balcony laughed loudest.
for they knew that trick.
So the performance went on, until II
was all over, and the clowns went back
to their work better for what they had
done; and the children went back to
their wards better for what they had
seen.
How good things sound whoa wom-