The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-03-30
GOING TO
THE CIRCUS
By M QUAD
Copyright 1910, BY Associated In.
erary Press.
ByM QUAD

NlkNuh appeared ana Pasted the road
side barns with the usual gnudv blls
and the excitement began.
Perkinsville was no circus town =
never had had one and didn't wan
one. Such things were looked upo,
as demorallzing IN the extreme M,
bills were hardly up when the PARENT
began warning their children ana ~,
ministers bad something 70 Eay iron
the puipits. On one Of his visits 10 M,
widow Moses Fairnan expressed IN,
hope that she would not even perml
her cat 20 view the circus parade any,
the next instant be was 4 surprised
man.
why. I shah be spectator nv
self replied the widow. .sNot onl,
that. but ! shall attend the circu,
both afternoon and evening | shall
expect you 70 escort ne IN the even.
ing"
"W-h-n-tl- easped Moses as he stared
at her with open mouth.
The widow repeated the words and
said she was tickled to death that A
circus was coming.
"But IT'S wickedl It's nonstrousl
You can't be in earnestF
= shall be there on a front seat"
"Rat I won't ee. and neither WIN
any church member. You have heard
what has been said about It. WHY.
you'd be turned out Of the conrrera.
tion as a black sheep. Mary. don't
think Of doing any such thing
Moses. I'm going 70 that circus.
and that's hatr' replied the widow as
she put her foot down. Il don't be-
lieve there's any more wickedDess
about It than at a spelling school.
Why should thera beg
'Bnt circus men swear and fight !"
protested Moses.
80 do lightning rod men and tin
peddlers. I've heard some Of the men
around your mill swear"
But circuses have a clown. and tho
clown
And the clown he jokes ana makes
fun. Why shouldn't herr
Mary" solemnly said Moses, ''if you
90 to that circus then all Is ever be-
tween us."
"AlI right. Moses; IN be there~
Moses went straight from the house
Of the widow 10 that Of bis minister
and told bis story. It produced con-
sternauon. The widows independ-
ence had been winxed ak. but here
was a case Of revolution. rebellion. de-
fance. II must be met and crushed
IN the bud. The hour was late. but
the minister went % struggle with
the rebel Che put her head cut Of her
chamber window and after ascertain
ing his GRAND replied.
Il have been to Sunday school pic
nies Of our church and seen selfshness.
guarding and backbiting. It can bo
no worse at circus. and / am go
ing. Did yon ever see a two horned
rhinocerosy
.N-now WAS the stammering reply.
Then By all means 50 and see one
It may be your only chance for the
next twenty years Yes. and there's
i've legged calf and d dodo.
Next day the news was all over
town, and the earth proceeded to rock
The widow had many callers at her
house. and Moses had many at bis
mill An were again the widow.
# was decided that she must be put
down. At first she was only deter
mined. So much wac said however,
that she got her mad up aud an
nounced that she would attend Thurs
day evening prayer meeting and an
nounce her position She was there,
and the church was crowded. It was
hoped that she intended to recede from
her first position, but II was q vain
hope. she took the floor to ask how
many persons present had ever at
tended circus. Five men signihed
that they had. and seven or eight
more could have done 90, but didn't
The widow ASKED how they bad been
barmed-if It had led to profanity
drunkenness. wife beating and theft.
.All pleaded not guilty Then she asked
why ii was more wicked to look at an
elephant than an OK. No one answer
ed Then she asked why It was worse
I'd listen to clowns Joke than 70
some of the stories told around the
postofllce while waiting for the mail
Il arrive No one answered Then she
asked why woman shouldn't walk ?
light rope or rain fence u she want
"a to2 She had seen men walking over
the bridge on the railing and no one
had raised fuss about It. Women
would Jump through hoops at the cir-
Gus. what Of iti She knew q woman
IN Perkinsvlile who had cFawled
through a screen door when locked
out
The widows best weapon was saved
to the last she had made good ease |
but she cIinehed It bg asking + any
one present would please point cut n |
the Bible where Christian men ana
women were lorbiddeu the circus any |
more than the pairing bee the corn
husking or the ilasses candy pull All
heard. but no one compiled, md Mrs
Hooper wrapped her togn about her /
md walked out
The circus appeared On the aate /
given The widow was there, Moses
was there. and the three or four peo-
Die in town who weren't there were
down with the humps or measles Y
was even said that the three ministers
penetrated as FAR as the cages Of the &
oatriehes and the hyenas and that
these who tried to hgure up the IN
rraasa Of crime during the next year (