Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-17
CIRCUS LEMONADE.
Mems Memories Revert to the Olden
Show Days.
from the New York Evening Post.

From the New York Evening Post
Middle-aged city men at their desks.
when they read Of the death Of the man
who first gave pink lemonade to the
world. will lay down their fountain pens
and gaze out at Broadway through a blur
OF wistful reminiscence and faded ro-
nance. Beyond the skyscrapers and the
crowds they will see the circus making its
trfumphal entry into town. Its way had
been prepared. One morning the town
awoke to find its available blank walls
and fences plastered with visions from an
enchanted land. Elephants transcending
in size the widest dreams of the zoolo-
g1st, ferociouS beasts leaping at their bars
with unmistaka BILE intentions upon the sur
rounding small boys. cavaliers straight
from the Field of the Cloth of Gold. beau
tiful damsels on Arabian steeds. smiling
simultaneously in all directions, GYM
nasts riding the high trapeze in defiance
of prudence and the law of gravitation
clowns, fat ladies. india-rubber men, un-
tanned denfzens of the jungle. infant
prodigies-well, what use is there in
recalling all the details OF a dream that
has vanished? The real circus always
fell far short Of specifications. but what
boy then saw a circus except through the
haze Of his own imaginings? When the
day OF the procession arrived a series
of unparalleled disasters fell upon a
large part of the school population and
its immediate relatives Grandmothers
died In astounding numbers Ravaging
toOthaches developed overnight and me-
cessitated an immediate visit to the dem
fist. Overworked mothers suddenly COL
lapsed under the strain of duty, and so
required the imperative presence Of their
boys at home. Society shifted from it's
moorfngs
The number Of small boys who effected
surreptitious entrance under the cam
vas tent or earned their way by per-
forming valeting service in the menagerie
was. after all. not very large. The great
majority came In by the front door.
openly. even ostentatiously. To make this
treasure. Tin savings banks were I'M
locked tremendously in the presence of,
and with the sanction of. the heads Of
the family. or were broken open in the
dead of night with q Ratchet. Sleds.
rubber boots. a set Of carpenters tools,
a bicycle, all these became remote ideals
in the face OF the living present Where
such accumulated treasure did not exist
tone Of the school population during the
week Immediately preceding the advent
Of the circus. Lessons were mastered
with devotion and facility that was
almost alarming. Chores found them
selves done without orders from supe-
riors. Cleanliness of face and clothes
became the rule. Boys clamored to be
allowed to do their home lessons after
supper. and these were interrupted only
by anxious inquiries addressed to bewil-
dered parents whether it wasn't time for
children to go to bed. We firmly believe
that the influence of the circus as a
moral force in the community has been
greatly misjudged. For every boy who
ran away to be an acrobat or played
truant to be a spectator. dozen boys
experienced an extraordinary spiritual
regeneration. 1t Is true that the awak-
ening began the day the circus posters
appeared on the fences and vanished the
day after the departure Of the show, but
then what would you ask of poor HUI
nan nature?