Imperial Valley press., 1911-12-22
SEEING THE
CIRCUS
By M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

many of the simple people of Delhi
calculated on going. The ministers
and deacons and other Christian peo-
pie frowned upon the idea. of course.
and Deacon Spooner in particular used
all his influence to keep people at
home.
Whatever got the matter with him
on circus day he himself could never
explain. but he got up at daylight and
walked seven miles. and when the per-
formance opened he had front seat
A hundred Delhi people saw him there
but he didn't seem to care. In. fact.
he appeared to be having the best time
possible, and he didn't even get con-
scious stricken over it when he got
home
Of course, such break could not
pass unnoticed. When Deacon Tyler
heard of it he called Deacon Williams,
and the two together called upon the
minister and others. and it was decid-
ed to bring Deacon Spooner to account
He got scared about it and wanted to
go to Iowa and visit his sister. but
he was held on to and put on trial.
When he was asked if he wanted to
make a statement. he rose up and said:
Il said l wouldn't go to the circus.
and l advised others not to go, and
whatever got into me l can't under
stand. l went to bed feeling that cir
Gus performances was invented by
<,,, l,<> o6
my face was set agin 'em like flint.
but l got up at daylight and headed
for Darbys Ferry and struck gait
of four miles an hour. l was there to
see the circus come in
Deacon Spooner. does insanity run
in your family?" asked Tyler in very
serious tones. Have you ever lost
your mind for day or so?'
IF so l don't remember it. I've been
told that l lost my mind when l came
pretty near marrying Il widow with
nine children. but l dunno
And neither your father nor mother
was ever an inmate of an insane asy-
lump
Il don't think 50. though my father
acted leetle off at times"
Then you couldn't truthfully say
that insanity runs in your family?'
No, | couldn'
Gould You truthfully say that your
mind was unchanged for the time
being? Did you seem to be yourself
or somebody else? If you was crazy.
of course. we can't bold you to blame
No, can't say as was crazy" re-
piled the deacon.
But do you lay it to sinful curl
osity?" asked Deacon Williams.
II guess I'll have to. I'd been hear
in about circuses for the last fifty
years and had never attended one
But you found it sinful when you
got there asked Moses Schemerhorn.
who rings the bell for prayer meetings.
No. can't say as did slowly
replied Deacon Spooner.
There was Il long drawn sigh and a
shudder all around. and the minister
said:
Deacon, you may tell US what you
saw there"
was four elephants. They was flap
pin their ears and eatin hay. and l
didn't feel no sinful thoughts us !
stood and looked at 'em. Can't a body
see elephants and be saved too?'
go on. deacon"
''Theh ! took in the camels and Ze
bras and giraffes. ] looked at EN-
over and over agin. but didn't boil
over and swant to swear and fight
Fact is. l felt powerful peaceful over
1t. Is it agin me TO look at critters
with humps and stripes and long
necks?"
But they was connected with a cir
Gus" protested Deacon Tyler.
Yes. believe they was, but |
couldn't help it. After | got through
there went over to look at the rhi-
noceros. BY gum, but he was a hefty
critter He weighed as much as two
COWS and Il calf. admit that felt
a little bit sinful when lookin' at him.
/ made up my mind that if critter
like that tackled me in the road at
night I'd bust my suspenders tryin' to
knock his horn off Is it too much to
ask that my sin be orerlooked?"
1--WE will hear further said the
mi lister. who wasn't looking so SOL
emn as he might
"Waal. they had an ostrich. two alli-
gators. four hyenas and sacred bull
from India. If was hurt by seem
them critters and things I'm willin to
give in. but I'm sayin' that | don't
feel like calm any one a liar"
"And you didn't feel that you had
sinned?" queried Moses Schermerhorn
as he shook his head in solemn way.
"Not a feel. | even wanted the
hosses to go faster and the fellers to
flipflop the harder. When a feller
came climbin' around with pink lemon
ade and charged me 10 cents for a
small glass | did wish had him in
ten acre lot for about two minits, but
the feelin' passed off as soon as l had
drunk the lemonade. l guess you'd
have all felt the same. wouldn't you"
The deacon was turned out Of the
room, and the investigating committee