Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-08-26

about the same. today. You are growing
old, friend, and things are not as they
were.
What matches the circus to the young
ster 2 How he dances when he hears that
one is soon to show in town. How
warmly be greets the advance advertising
car. How closely be superintends the
posting Of bills. How critically he stud
les, day by day, the flaming pictures
that truthfuIIy depict awful beasts OF the
forest and jungle, the superhuDan ieats
Of strength and agility performed by the
ring prodigies, the clever antics Of the
trained animals. He dreams Of them by |
day, as well as by night. Every morn
ing is one notch nearer the Great Day.
And how eagerly be awaits it. He
adds to his evening prayer a postscript
petition for good weather-iust that
day-it may rain every other day in the
year il II wants.
However sound bis sIumber, Young
America hears the first whistle toot Of the
incoming train and ere it stops on the
sidetrack is there to greet it. Does any
thing in the process of debarking escape
his vigiIant eye7 Does be not gloat over
the shriveled elephant and the camel with
a running sore as though they we're the
noblest specimens Of their race Does
he not trot on alongside to the circus
grounds and oversee the digging Of the
ring, the driving Of stakes, the heave-ho-
all raising Of the big tent, the breakfast
prepArations-quite forgetting his own at
home that is spoiling3
And then the grand street parade.
Here it comes down the street, mounted
couriers ahead cautioninR teams; bIaring
band seated at altitudinous height on
rocking car of (purel gold; elephants
majesticalIy striding along; camels Iop-
ing; horses with gay lady drivers pranc-
ing; man in lion's cage; woman snake
charmer with her hideous, but lovely,
companions; clowns squawking, and the
final calliope whistline its tsweetl meIo-
dy-the line a mile long-of course it is.
Didn't the bills say so 4?
And the afternoon show Crowds
streaming toward the big tent. Bill an
Joe an Ed an Gus, all de kids is here.
Hooray No, guess we won't go into tn
sideshow till later. Hi, there, Sol, that
sleek feIler'l hev' your watch next you
know. Here's Atty cents, sir, for tick
ct. Earned the money bsrryin'. Never
wanted to spend it so much in my life
HIM, here We are in the animal tent
Less begin right here an go round. See
those cute little monkeys. Golly, wish
had one. No special use for that ugly
hyena. Guess them lions would do
things IL they could break out in this
crowd. See the zebra (s'pose he's real or q
painted hoss2l an the antslope an all the
rest. Pile o. fun to feed the elephants.
But don't give 'em terbacker. A fellow
did onct an tn elephant threw him over
tn big tent with his trunk an smashed
him down fiat. Smells kinder funny
here. Guess these animals don't gel
bsthed often. wish ! was one.) Golly
That pink lemonade looks cool an
temptin'. Guess I'D rutber hev all c'r
drink fer nickel than tn nickel, so here
goes. UNI That was good. Here w
60 into the show tent. Don't keer wherl
/ set longs en- see. Ny what jam
Hotter'n fury, too. / guess this'll do
Tn bands a-plsyin'. Guess it's goin' t.
begin right OF. Yes, here's the caval
cAde, jest as the billboard showed it
; Gee, amt that front boss a peach
Here's tn whole show paradin'
: Reaches clear round the circle. Beaut
amt it, Bill
The clown antics, the ground and lof
ty tumbling. the bareback riding, the q
ing trapezs features, the juggling, tn
hundred and one pearls of the circus dIa
dem pass in quick review before tn
youngsters eye, but he misses nothing
He can tell just what happened in eacl
ring and platform, despite the common
belief that the human eye can take in bu
a limited angle OF vision. He sits breath
> less, entraneed. Nothing equals thi
hour. May it last always. But i
!, doesn't, and the first hint Of an approach
ing end is the concert announcement
The lad quickly disgorges, il he has tn
price, bound to stay to the limit. An
!, he thinks it fine, too, though older one
scoff.
There is still the feast of the sideshow
with its giant and dwarf, its fat man an
living skeleton, its legIess and armies
creatures, its wild man OF Borneo, il
tattooed man, its sword swaIlower, il
" musical prodigies, its sells and fakes q
q, lore, but worth ten times the admissio
re- fee to the unsuitable kid. There folio
the calliope concert, the evening perform
r ance, "entirely different than the afte
y, noon's'' vet bearing a striking resen
r. blance, and the final loading and depa