The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1910-12-06
SEEING TIE J
ELEPHANT
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By NJ. QUAD

Deacon Silas Goodhue was good
man. You may say that all deacons
are good men. and such is the case vi,
to q certain point.
The good deacon lived two miles
from the village and his church. but
every Sunday he was there. Some
deacons wouldn't have set out for that
drive in blizzard or thunderstorm.
but Deacon Goodhue never missed a
Sunday.
On this particular occasion. however.
much to his sorrow, the deacon found
himself interested in the circus bills
posted up on the highway barns He
resented his interest He tried to chase
it away He wrestled with it as he
hoed corn. He could have got the bet
ter of it but for one thing. The COM
ing circus had on exhibition an Afri-
can elephant weighing two tons He
had lost an eye and one tusk. he had
killed five keepers. and it was expect
ed he would Kill the sixth within a
month. There was something in this
what | want" he said. us to see
/ that elephant l want to look him
over for about half an hour. and then
/ shall be willing to drive back home"
/ Brother Goodhue." replied the min
lister, ''as l understand it. there are
two tents. One is for the menagerie
and the other for the circus
Eyes. that's So"
Zone ticket admits to BOTH
"It does"
"And the menagerie is the first tent
you enter"
Il guess So"
"Well. the case seems to be right
here. Can you enter the first tent and
gaze On the elephant and not long to
enter the second. where the circus is?
1t is surely no sin to gaze on an ele-
plant, but when it comes to a circus
performance, deacon, that is different.
you know. You must fight this out
alone. You are strong man, but the
two ringed circus is an awful tempta-
ton"
He had a week to think it over.
Sometimes he was strong in his self
confidence and again his knees wab-
bled. Why pay 80 cents to see the
elephant alone when it would admit
to all? Was it worth that sum to gaze
on even an elephant that had killed
five men? 1t was decision and indeci-
sion for a week, and then the minister
inquired if his mind was made up.
Not skassly," was the reply.
CTR rrfh
That's it, / do want to see the ele-
plant. and 1 don't want to see them
gals in spangles. and I'm sweating
over it."
'"Then wouldn't it be wiser to give
up the ideaT
The deacon went home and wrestled
another day and then decided not to
go near the behemoth The circus
came, and his neighbors went. and a
peddler came along the road and told
him that it was the grandest aggrega-
ton on the face Of the known world.
and the words brought a lonely feel
ing.
The good mans reward was at hand,
however. Just at shutdown he heard
a great yelling down the road. and he
looked to see a great cloud of dust. A
haystack on wheels was coming his
way. pursued by men and dogs. The
deacon was at the barnyard gate with
milk pail on his arm AS the hay
stack came nearer he murmured to
himself
"B gosh. it's an elephant, and he's
broke away from the circusi Hes the
very one | wanted 10 see. and now
there won't be no temptation about
: it."
Yes. the two tonner had broker
loose and was looking for summer
| board. He was hiking straight aheat
when he caught sight of the deacon
and .the open gate and the cows in thu
: barnyard. He swerved aside and but
ted in. Brother GOodhue did not un
derstand the situation until two sec
: onds too late He was seized ant
thrown twenty feet high to come dow
on the wagon shed with a broken leg
Then the four cows were picked VI
and toyed with. They were tossed owe
d into the road or slammed against tn
q barn. and the deacon on the roof fol-
J. got his pain as he gaZed. His wagol
was smashed to bits and his hayrac
l. pulled apart, and the behemoth playe
a ball with a pillow or two.
; OF course the circus men were afte
! him all the time, but the two tonne
: was out for fun, and he didn't sui
: NIT TO bondage until he had had j
y His last act was to burst through tn
# fence and walk up to the kitche
= Of the farmhouse and pick up the we
= curb and the old oaken bucket an
send them sky high among the limb
. of a cherry tree. Then he gave in an
/ was led away looking as innocent as
/ lamb. The circus proprietors agree
% to pay all damages, but as matter
% fact not a cent was ever had frol
them. During his three months
:. bed Deacon Goodhue had many caller
Among them, as a matter of cours
% was his minister. As he sat down /