Year: 1869

WHEN Travelled in the country with a
caravan had a giantess and q dwarf in
my collection of natural Curiosities. The
dwarf was Polish gentleman, Ninnikin
by name; the giantess was from Russia,
and we called her ImmensikOff, the title of
n music hall song which was in vogue at
the time having suggested an appropriate
alias for her. | did very well with them.
The dwarf had an outrageous temper, and
would sometimes refuse TO attend the Wis
itors at his levee; but the giantess was al
ways at hand to supply his place on the
list of attractions She was the most
amiable creature in the world; and she
stood seven feet eleven inches and three
quarters in her slippers, or, speaking in
round numbers-as we did IL on the bills
eight feet six. The dwarf was three feet
five but he could bring himself down to
three feet whenever he was in a good tenn
per and the show was full In general
way however, he may be said to have
been about three feet two We had all
travelled the Midland Circuit together, and
we were going up North, when an acci-
dent appened-Minnikin and Immensi-
koff eloped


1t happened in this way Minnikin,
being man, had naturally got an ascend
ancy over Immensikoff's mind, and used
his power 80 borrow halfcrowns of her
when his own purse was low. This hap
pened very often, for, although he drew
an enormous salary, he lived above his in
come and as he could not hold enough to
eat and drink his money away he gambled
with cards, and played at billiards, stand
ing on chair, till il was all gone, and he
was pretty deeply in debt. When he left
the chair in the billiard room It was only
to mount on another in the parlor of the
caravan and whisper an order, rather than
request, into the ear of the benevolent
giantess for a loan to pay for his dinner
She used to declare that there was some
thing in his eye which made it impossible
for her to refuse him; and so she would al
ways dip into the old school satchel in
which she kept her savings, and give him
what he wanted. He would then eat
whole kidney for his supper, and drink
cruetful of wine, and when the latter had
got into his head, would make such a
commotion in the tent that to pacify him
she was generally obliged to give him a
shilling more He saw her dip so often in
the satchel that he fanoied its contents
were proportioned to its size, and one
day. he, as it were, ordered her to marry
him, which she was too weak to refuse to
do He told her to keep their intention a
secret from me, and she obeyed, although
I had hitherto been her chosen confidant
Taking advantage of my absence in the
town, he ordered van to be sent round
to the door of the caravan one evening" as
if some furniture We're to be removed, and
by this means conveyed her to a neigh
boring railway station. Mean to the last,
he made her pay the expenses of her own
clopenent, for the van was discharged
with her money. When l came back I
found nobody but the jiaguar in the tent,
and note written on sheet of brown
paper from Immensikoff, asking my for
giveness r,t a,


Twas angry enough at the moment, as
may be supposed, but l made the best OF
it; and what with turning myself into an
aborigine, and advertising the beast as a
tiger, 1 managed to keep roof over my
head. But always kept on the lookout
for new giantess-I made up my mind to
have no more to do with dwarfs-and one
day, some months after my loss, found
one on show in very inferior locality Of
the town Portsmouth, paid my penny
and went in. 1t was Miss Immensikoff
She gave a sob when she saw me thai
frightened the people out, and when they
were gone she gave full vent to her feel
ings, till the very glasses in the room
seemed to share her sorrow


O, how changed she was Profession
ally, perhaps, the change was for the bet
ter for she was now so thin that SHIT
looked at least nine feet high; but as
woman it was painful to behold her. Ii
spite of her looks, however, told her
hoped l saw her in good health, and
even inquired after her husband. TIL,
mention of his name soon brought he
whole story to her lips. He was alive ant
depraved as ever, and had lately quit
given up exhibiting, and had taken Il
playing nine-pins with cricket ball, j
which sport he was engaged when founC
his wife


His sole object in marrying her had, i
appears, been to live on her earnings, ant
do no work himself for there was nothln,
he hated so much as keeping himself clear
for company. But he very soon discov
cred that her slender store would not suf
fee 10 support his extravaganza for
month"; for, careful as she had been, sh
had long had to send remittances to he
father and uncle in Podolia-both giant
besides ministering to her suitor's wants
He had simply been deceived by the siz
of the bag in which she kept her savings
and he was mean enough to be revenge
on her for the failure of his own mercens
~ calculations. Forgetting that he ha
undertaken TO cherish and protect her, h
began to treat her with studied cruelty
though for time this cruelty was not G
such a character as made 1t easy for he
to complain. lie was SIMPLY ueSicCtAu
and appeared to be unconscious of the eA
istence of his wife and one day, wheT
having Just touched her brow with hi
lips in response TO her fearful entreaty, h
was asked if that was the kiss of duty @
the Kiss Of affection, he replied that b
declined to answer the question.


Thenceforth he threw of, all concea
ment and all restraint, and, like the wo
in the fable, never suffered himself to
at loss for the indulgence OF his IL
will. Her housewifely care was SOM
thing remarkable, and when, after pryin
into all the angles of their lodging, /
failed to find ahy dust which had escape
her broom, he would turn round and bi
terly taunt her with the partition of r
land, as If she had had hand in TIN
crime; and he would positively aSk h
what she thought of the battle of Warsa
when she ventured to demonstrate wi
him for playing at loo till two O'Clock


the morning.


Sometimes his ill-treatment seemed


be dictated by the most tiendish malignit
Under preteRce of liking fresh-cook
food, he would order her TO make pu
ding for the dinner of a size proportion
BILE to his own appetite and nature, an
halying this meagre dish with the pc
knife which he used at table, would iroI
eally bid her fall to" on a portion tn
while it was ample enough TO serve for I
necessities, would not make her dece
IAouthtul Il was the same with the 70