The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-09-11
The Same Old Circus.
w. d. Howells Tells Of His Joyous Visit
to the Wild Pleasures of the Circus.

The circus announced itself in the good old way weeks
beforehand by the vast posters OF former days and by
profusion of small bills which fell upon the village from
the Clouds and left it Uttered everywhere with their fes
tive pink according to Harpers Weekly. They prophe-
sled it by name borne 10y the first circus ever saw,
which was also animal show but the ANIMALS must all
have died during the fifty past for there IS now no
menagere attached to it. | did not know this when l.
heard the band bayng through the streets OF the village
on the morning of the performance and for me the NANCY
old camel and the pmped elephants OF yore led the pro-
cesson through accompanying ranks OF boys VINO nave
mostly been their graves for half LIFETIME the dis
tracted osch thrust advertising neck through the top
of the cage and the lie rOared to himself IN the darkness
of his moving prison felt the old thrill OF excitement
the vain hope of something preteatural and impossible
and do not know what could have kept me from That
circus as soon as had cone lunch My heart rose at
sight of the large tent (Which was yet SO very tte IN
comparison with the tents OF the thee-mg ana Two Pa
form crcuses) the aurng and usory SIDE shows OF la
women and lean men; the hoIses ethered In the back
ground and stamping under the ybes; the Old weather
beaten grand chariot which looked like the ghost or the
grand chariot whcn used to drag captive It's triumph
and the canvas shelters where the cooks were already at
work. their kettles the evening meal OF the circus
folk
throughout the performance at this circus was trOu
bed v curious question: whether really OF the
same moral and material grandeur as the crcuses It
brought memory whether these were thin and slight
too We all know how the places of our childhood, the
heights the distances, shrink and dwndle when we go
back to them, and was it possible that mad been de-
ceived nhe splendor of my early crcuses! Ihe douDl
twas painful but was forced to own that there might
be more truth in it than in blind fealty to their remem
bered magnfcence Very ikelycrcuses have grown not
only in SIZE but in the richness and variety Of their enter
tainments and SPOILED for the simple JOY OF this
But could see no reflection of my dissatisfaction on the
young faces around me- and must confess that there was
at least much of the circus that left when 1t was nall
over meant to 90 into the side shows and see the tat
woman and living skeleton, and take the giant by the
hand and the armless by his friendly foot if might
be so honored But did none OF these things and am
willing believe the fault was in me- If was dsappoint,
ed in the circus 1t who had shrunk and dwlnded
and not it. To real boys it still the size of the irma
ment and was world cf wonders and delights. At least
can recognize this fact and can rejoice IN peace
full progress all over the country of the simple crcuses
which the towns never see but which help to render the
summer famer and brighter to the unspOed eyes ano
cease to find profit in the pleasure they give.