South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-18

kitten how would you like to go
TO the circus tonight2'
"Oh, I'd love -
"Au right. get your bonnet on"
An hour later they were making
their way through the crowd. past the
ticket window and into the great arena
Of the circus. The place was bril-
liantly lit and a brass band was play
ing Vigorously
elephants were performing in the ring.
one ponderous creature was mincing
along gingerly on revolving barrel.
while two others were riding on a
huge see-saw, and still another two
were beating drums.
"Oh. il doesn't seem fair 10 make
such dignified animals do such foolish
things" murmured Helen. viewing the
elephants playground with some dis
favor. "Oh, ~loOk-yOu know he doesn't
like TO do that" as one. with slow re-
luctance stood on its head. absurdly
small in proportion TO his large body,
waving pathetically in the air.
Suddenly at a crack of the trainers
whip. the elephants came in line, and
by resting their great paws on the
backs of one another, formed a huge
pyramid, 20 the top OF which the train
er climbed and held out his hands for
applause.
Helen is Nervous.
"Oh, Warren, look" as an elephant
lifted "A trainer up by his trunk and
carried him across the ring while
dust. and the other four elephants
formed a pyramid over him., "Oh, if
they should make a misstep."
We'll. they won't. Now for heavens
sake don't start to anguish over all
the things that look dangerous. What
IL. II
the horses, as now the elephants. hav-
ing finished their act. were hurried out
one side Of the ring while the horses
and bareo ack riders ran in at the
other.
One Of the most marvellous things
about a circus is the rapidity with
which the acts are changed There
is never "A moments wait. And now
instantly in each of the three rings the
horses were Looping around with their
riders turning sOmersaultS on their
broad bare backs
The center ring horses were milk
white, and with their silver strappings
and the pale blue satin tights of their
riders, formed an effective picture.
The man had already shed his dress
suit and the young woman her white
satin cloak and feathered hat, with
which they had begun their act. The
shedding of clothes on horseback is
one of the many time honored parts
of the circus which we would regret to
have changed.
Now the young woman jumped from
her horse and rang across the hing.
leaping on the other horse beside the
man, who had been turning double
sOmersaults. And then, as the pro-
gram expressed il, they performed to-
gether some DELIGHTFULLY."- daring and
Gelectable demonstrations of the latest
and most artistic feats of equestrian
ISM"
"Oh. dear. that's really very clever"
murmured Helen at some especially
skillfuI feat
Pretty good work. but not so won
derful as it seems. Look what broad
backs those horses have-and that
easy regular lope. That's the typical
circus horse"
Then the Clowns.
The next act was an acrobatic one,
and while they were setting the rings
q crowd of clowns raced on. Clowns
had never appealed to Helen, and now.
she looked without smiling and with
more wonder than amusement at the
grotesque figures in their various an
tics which brought out ripples of
laughter from all over the house.
"Oh. dear, can't see anything funny
in that" as man dressed as an i'm
mense fat woman in a calico mother
hubbard, fell sprawling down and
showed a wide eXpanse of striped
hosiery.
"You never think anything's funny.
Never saw n woman with so little
sense Of humOr.P
Here a clown. dressed as a back