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VOLUME i.
[POIETKY^
From Graham's Magazine.
AN EriSTLE TO FANNY.
ItY PARK BENJAMIN.
Sweet Fanny, though 1 know yon not,
Andi have never seen the splendor
That flashes from your hazel eyes
To make the souls of men surrender;.
Though, when they ask me how you look,
I’m forced to say, “ I never met her,”
I hope you will not deem it wrong
-If I address to you a letter.
Ilere in mine own seeluded room,
Forgetful of life’s sober duty,
Lapitcd in the stillness of repose,
I sit and muse and dream of beauty;
I picture all that's lair and bright
Which poets sometimes cnll Elysian,
And, ‘mid the shapes that round me throng,
Behold one soft, enchanting vision.
A lady—lovely as the morn
When Night her starry mansion closes,
And gentle winds with fairy feet
Toss the sweet dew from blushing roses—
A lady—to whose lip and cheek
Some twenty summer suns have given
Colors as rich as those that melt
Along the evening clouds of Heaven.
Her stature tall, her tresses dark,
Her brow like light in amhush lying,
Her hand—the very hand I’d give
The world to clasp if I were dying!
Her eyes, the glowihg types of love,
Upon the heart they print their meaning--
How mild they shine as o’er them fall
Those lashes long their lustre screening I
Sweet Fanny, can you not divine
The form that floats before my dreaming,
And whose the pictured smiles I see
This moment on my canvass beaming?
You cannot! then I've failed indeed,
To paint a smile look 1 cherish— _
So, you may cast my lines aside,
And bid them like my memory perish.
My memory 1 what am I to thee,
Oh purest, gentlest, fairest, dearest!
Yes, dearest, though thy glance be cold
When first my humble name thou hearest.
Though I am nothing, thou to me
Art Fancy's best belovedir'eal;
And well I know the form she paints
Is far less charming than the real.
BM———————Ml I B-MMUiim—
MWmELL&MY*
From the Family Companion.
GREAT ATTRACTION !
OR THE DOCTOR ‘ MOST OUDACIOUSLY TUCK
IN.’
*
A SKETCH FROM REAL LIFE.
‘Oh Jim, the groat attraction ’s come to
town !’ gasped a little fellow, as he was
hastening home to impart the glad tidings
to his people.
.‘Who?’ inquired Jim—turning sudden
ly round—his eyes, mouth and every fea
ture expressive of the liveliest curiosity.
But his informant had ‘no time to tarry’for
a more particular explanation, but left Jim
to infer something extraoi dinary was to pay
from some broken sentences which he utter
ed about ‘ Show—down to Capt. Brown’s S
Tavern—big pictures—Dr. Jones’, &c.—
which Jim could not distinctly hear, at so
great and rapidly increasing distance. But
he did hear ‘Show —Capt. Brown’s Tavern’
-—and he had a clue to the matter.
Away.dashed Jim—and when he arrived
at the aforesaid tavern, he beheld a crowd of
gazing men and boys gathered in the bar
room, looking with all their eyes at a large
poster, at the head of which stood those
magic words— ‘ Great attraction ! — for
two nights ONLY !!’ All was wonderment
and curiosity, and Jim for once experienc
ed the inadequacy of the human capacity
for such extraordinary occasions—he could
not make out the ‘printing’ himself— ami
his mind was totally incapable of taking in
and making use of half he heard. ‘What
is it V he asked of the nearest. One said
it was the ‘greatattraction from New York’
—another that it was the ‘Fourth of July
on horseback'—some one else that it was
‘ all sorts of a thing,’ and his curiosity was
rather augmented than allayed, when Dr.
Jones, who chanced to be there, volunteer
ed to read it all off to the crowd, if they’d
only keep silence. Then there was a Babel
of voices, calling silence for several minutes.
4 Silence ! till the doctor reads it,’ shouted
one. * Silence, silence !’ bawled another.
4 Shut your mouth, Bill Parker, no body
can’t hear nothin’ for you.’ * Silence, si
lence,’ repeated a dozen at a time.
When they had become somewhat quiet,
the doctor mounted a chair, and after run
ning the thing over for a minute or so, dur
ing which the faces of his audience in
dicated the strongest symptoms of insup
portable suspense, he read out in a full round
tone, and right off without spelling a word,
the whole bill, from 4 great attraction’ to
4 performances to commence at half past
seven precisely.’ After which, with a pa
tronizing air peculiarly his own, lie condes
cended to explain the matter to his eager
listeners. He told them that it was a thing
called a circus—that it was a very wonder
ful thing—that circus-men were the most
surprisin’est creatures he had ever met with
any where—that he had seed a great many
of them in Augusta, when lie was at Col
lege, and knew all about them—that they
could ride the swiftest horses without sad
dle or bridle, on their beads, could dance on
wires and ropes, could jump to all creation,
could eat fire, swallow broad-swords, and
perform all manner of antics. Many ques
tions were pressed in regard to the show, to
nil of which the doctor made the most satis
factory answers, as one perfectly familiar
with the matter, and the crowd dispersed
to await the advent of this, to them, eighth
wonder of the world.
but wc left Thomas Stallings on his way
home to announce the arrival of the show
the Stallings family, who we should not
- / *’
forget to inform the reader were people of
consequence in Pineville. They were rich,
numerous, and barring Thomas, were most
ly young females.
* Oh, mother! guess what’s come to
town !’ exclaimed Thomas, as he dashed
his hat into one chair and threv\ himself into
another, almost fainting for want of breath.
‘J. don’t know, Tommy,’ replied the old
lady, raising her eyes from her sewing, un
til she caught a view of his flushed face and
observed his deep respiration. ‘ Why,
lavvs-a-massy ! what ails the child ? Is the
Ingins ris again V she asked dropping her
work and rising from her seat.
‘ No, mother, replied Tommy, as soon as
lie could command sufficient breath, * but
something else.’ ‘
By this time the whole household were
attracted by Thomas’ strange manner.
‘ What is it then, Thomas V demanded
two or three at the same time.
‘ A great attraction—a circus !’
* A what V
‘ A circus, doctor Jones says —a whole
heap of circus-riders.’
‘ Oh, la, is that all ? why child your uncle
Moses was a circuit-rider, on the Green
Meadow circuit for upwards of five years,
until lie went to live in the Hogtown settle
ment, where he died, poor’
‘ Oh, no, mother, uncle Moses could not
ride on his head and swallow broad-swords,
could lie V
1 Why Thomas, you must be crazy ? who
ever heard of sich a thing as preachers rid
ing on their heads, and’
‘Ha, ha,’ shouted Tommy, ‘these aint
preachers, mother, they’re show folks, doc
tor Jones says so.’
Little could be gathered from what
Thomas had to communicate. The old la
dy was sorely puzzled, but the young ladies
had learned enough to excite their curiosity
beyond the point of endurance ; so it was
determined to despatch Thomas to request
doctor Jones to call over and tell them all
about it, as they were quite sure he was per
fectly conversant with the whole matter.
Accordingly the doctor was sent for, and for
once in his life his treatment proved suc
cessful. He soon relieved the fit of curi
osity into which Thomas’ news had thrown
them, by relating all the information which
his travels, as well as his close intimacy
with the bill-poster of the company, who
hadjust arrived in town, enabled him to
glean
Doctor Peter Jones should be formally
introduced to the reader as the most impor
tant personage who figures in our sketch.
He was a well grown young man, rather
tall, with light grey eyes, abundantly lorge
for the ordinary purposes of that organ,
whitish eyebrows, and hair rather inclined
to be sorrel. There were no particular in
dications of uncommon talent in his coun
tenance, and from a rather imperfect know
ledge of his developments, we should say
that in his case, Phrenology and Physiog
nomy agreed. Nevertheless the doctor was
a firm believer in the first of these sciences,
in consequence of which lie wns in the habit
of cutting away his locks about his forhead
and temples, in order to acouit himself of
‘ a forehead villainously low.’
He was not yet in possession of a sheep
skin license to practice the healing art, nor
were the public much indebted to him for
the exercise of his medical skill, though’ he
had been known to pull a tooth or so, and
on one occasion was .supposed to have sav
ed the life of a negro who had been kicked
by a wayward male, by a resort of his fav
orite remedy, phlebotomy.
He had .attended one course of lectures
at Augustn, and had returned to his native
village, rich in ail the polish and refinement
which a winter’s residence in that Philadel
phia of the south affords such ample oppor
tunities for acquiring. Such had been his
improvement in point of deportment, dress
and conversation, that his former acquain
tances would scarcely have recognized him
in his new guise, had they met him any
where else than at home. He no longer
tolerated Iventucky-jeans and thick-soled
shoes, but a graceful, shining blue cloth coat
of the latest cut, pants to match, and a pair
of stilt-heeled boots, such as make a man
look as if lie were about to pitch forward
on his hands and knees, with a black velvet
cap, which set jauntily on the top of his
head, the visor almost concealing his eyes,
a walking-cane of the most delicate polish,
and of nights or rainy days, a professional
looking camblet wrapper, constituted his
usual costume. All these little advantages
conspired to give the doctor undisputed
precedence in the estimation of the young
ladies, a fact of which he was not a little
vain, and adding to it the reputation lie had
acquired for smartness, which is so general
ly conceded to students, whether of medi
cine or other professions, the doctor could
not but feel himself, to use one of his own
polished expressions— ‘ bully of the tan
yard.’
As leading characters generally direct
public opinion in all matters of propriety,
fashion, See., the stand which thedoctoi had
taken in relation to the circus, now for the
first time introduced into the village, was
calculated to make* it exceedingly popular,
and of course, vastly to benefit the little
troop of equestrians, who had resorted to
the expedient of traveling, to avoid the hea
vy expanses of wintering in the large cities
of the north. The doctor obtained from
the avant courier of the company a few
small bills, which he industriously circula
ted among the ladies of his acquaintance,
who had almost unanimously resolved to
attend, and the whole village ‘gave note of
dreadful preparation’ for the coming fete.
Before night a light wagon drove up to
PUBLISHED WEEKLY, BY C. R. IIANLEITEr, AT TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY t*ENTS PEll ANNUM, IN ADVANCE.
MADISON, GEORGIA, TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 1812.
the tavern, drawn by two spotted horses.
. In an hour all Pineville Was rife with ru
mors, each had tiiado sotiie discovery, and
each had some marvel to relate, few slept
lliat night, and by ten o’clock the news had
spread far and wide into the surrounding
country, that a great show was to come off
in town that evening. During the day the
balance of the company arrived, and long
before night the canvass pavilion was reared.
Then blasts of the Frencli-liorn, and scrap
ings of fiddle-strings might be beard within,
while the doctor, and some two or three
smart negroes belonging to the hotel, the
only ones who had free ingress, might be
seen passing in and out; which circumstance
greatly excited the envy of the little boys,
who all seemed to have business on this
particular occasion in the neighborhood’ of
Capt. Brown’s back lot. The doctor had
given them all the information which such
interesting strangers usually require about
saw-dust, tan-bark, and the like, and every
thing was progressing finely, as the shades
of evening drew on. He announced in a
confidential manner to the manager, the ex
tent to which his personal influence had
been exerted, and concluded as he left the
pavilion, by assuring him that he might ex
pect a perfect ‘jam,’ a technical term on
which he placed considerable emphasis.
It was night. As if Christmas, New
Year’s, and the Fourth of July had all come
together, had all been concentrated, into one
glorious holiday, the people,town and coun
try, white and black, old and young, came
trooping towards the enclosure, which was
now brilliantly lighted up, and from which
burst a loud peal of music, such as had
never before been heard in Pineville. The
effect was electric, none within ‘ hearing of
that ‘sonorous metal blowing martial sounds,’
could resist its thrilling appeals. Those
who had thrown the halfdollar in the scale
against the show, and found the latter ‘ want
ing,’ now felt their pockets kick the beam,
and resolved to ‘ go it, any how.’
The negroes were frantic, the older ones
might be seen in all directions giving way
to the impulse in the most ‘ highly concen
trated’double shuffles, while the little nig
gerlings sprang into the air, clapped their
hands, shouted, or lay down and rolled in
an agony of delight. Troops were pressing
to the yet unopened entrance, when sud
denly a loud report was heard, and a bril
liant skyrocket shot far up into the star-lit
heavens, ‘ burst in air,’ and camesbowering |
down in innumerable coruscant stars of vari
egated fire. This marvelous phenomenon
was halted with screams from the more 1
timid sex, rather coarser ejaculations of sur-,
prise from the men, and shouts from the ne- j
gross. But the sensation which it had pro- )
disced was suddenly interrupted by the op
ening of the doors of the show. And then j
there was such a rush, such a scrambling to
be first, and such a changing of money !
Os course the doctor was on the spot, hut
lie had been to Augusta, and knew a thing
or two about circuses. He had purchased
his tickets during the day, and now sto.d
with ail air of exclusive complacency, a lit
tle back from the throng, smiling at the ea
gerness of the uninitiated crowd, occasion
ally assuring the anxious bevy of pretty
girls under his care, that they need not be
alarmed, as he had taken the precaution to j
secure their seats, which, he said, was the
universal costum in Augusta. At length,
the way being somewhat cleared, the doctor
made his ‘ grand entree,’ at the head of a
hout half a dozen young ladies, all dressed
and bedizened off in the latest and most ex
quisite fashion, with flowing head dresses,
and many other little killing appliances of
the toilette, which showed to great advan
tage, and rendered them as irresistible to
the beaux, as a phalanx of grenadiers. The
doctor felt the importance of his position,
they were the observed of all observers,
and he the observpd of them, at least he
made himself so, for he flew about among
them with the graceful agility of a profes
sor of the‘poetry of motion,’ ordering off
a little gang of urchins who had taken pos
session of his front bench, and informing
them that he had ‘ secured them seats from
the manager himself,’ loud enough to he
heard above all the confusion.
Some lime elapsed, during which the
crowd, which was really immense, settled
down into their seats, and feasted their eyes
with the wonders of the amphitheater, and
drank in the rich tones of a very respecta
ble band for a traveling circus. The doc
tor, meantime, entertained the ladies, and
those in his immediate vicinity with point
ing out to them the various fixtures of the
ring, explaining their purposes and in some
measure anticipating their enjoyment, by
relating what was to take place.
The audience liad not yet grown impa
tient, when a tall, pale-faced mulatto, his
hair brushed up like a fuddcr-stack, with an
unreasonably long frock-coat, and a pair of
boots with red-morocco tops, which lie wore
over his pantaloons, rushed suddenly from
behind a canvass curtain in the rear, threw
open the low enclosure of the ring, and as
suddenly disappeared. What did all that
mean ? Astonishment was depicted in eve
ry countenance, hut this soon gave place to
amazement, for the next moment, a loud
blast from the band, and in they came, the
horses leaping like mad into the ring, while
their riders, dressed in their gaudy costumes,
all glittering with silver and gold, with their
white waving plumes and flowing sashes,
looked like so many knights of the olden
time. In their rear, and on a horse so small
that he would perhaps have been over look
ed, was the clown, who, as soon as lie en
tered the ring, shouted out —‘ Come along
here, all my equestrian performances!’
Ranged in a line across the ring, each young
gcntldtnan doffed his beaver and made a
j graceful obeisance to the audience, then
suddenly vvlieelingoff, they dashed round the
l ing at the top of their speed, which set the
ladies to holding thojr breath, and the child
ren to giasjiing their parents’knees or arms,
whichever were handiest, and some whim
pered a little ; hut on being told that they
should go right straight home if they didn’t
be good, they drew closer and were quiet.
‘ Oh, my gracious!’grasped Miss Oliva
Stallings, as one of the horses made a slight
stumble.
* Don’t he scared, Miss ’Livy ; it’s only
the grand entree.’
* But won’t they fall off, doctor V
‘Not a hit—they’re so used to it they
don’t never fall off.’
‘ Oh, what a pretty little hoy !’ said Miss
Johnson, ‘ lie’s just like Coopid, for all the
world.’
.‘ Oh, pa, look at that spotted man, bis
horse can go just as fast as-any, cant he pa ?
What’s he got them long red things sticking
up in his head for, pa —say pa V
But pa was too deeply engaged to hear
or answer these interesting queries.
‘No you don’t !’ shouted tin* spotted
man, as lie rained his horse across the ring
from the rear and placed himself in front of
the flying troop —‘ this child an’t to be beat,
no how you can fix it!’
A loud burst of laughter followed this
ruse of the clown, which was prolonged l>y
tlie negroes from the corner where they sat
stowed away like a pile of bricks. Just as
the audience were getting dizzy at the in
cessant and impetuous whirl of men and
horses before them, the troop suddenly
came to a halt, and at the word, all the ele
gantly caparisoned horses extended ‘hem
selves upqn the ground, as if to rest from
the fatigue which they had so lately under
gone. All but the clown’s were
docile—he found considerable difficulty in
managing his horse. When he bore down
its neck, it would switch his tail, and when
he stood on its tail, it would raise its head ;
which refactory and very unhorse-likc con
duct he reprehended in strong terms, but
all to no purpose. Finally, a quariel en
sued between them, and while the horse
chased him round the ring, he called to his
master to ‘take him o(F—that he held bit
ing and kicking as ungentlemanly, and
would fight no one that practiced such foul
play. This difficulty settled, the troop again
1 mounted, made another respectful obei
sance, and retired, amidst the shouts and
cheers of the delighted audience.
■ The time which elapsed between this
l fete and the next, was passed in conversa
tion. The doctor reminded the ladies that
I that was nothing to what he had seen. The
ladies thought it was a dreadful pretty sight,
;if they didn’t scare one so. The doctor
begged them not to he scared, and assured
them that there was no danger. Miss John
son, desired to know of Miss Myers, which
of the circus-men she liked the best.
‘ Oil, that tall one, with the black curly
hair. I do think he is the handsomest young
man I ever saw.’
‘Oh, now, I think that one with the white
silk jacket and blue sash, is a great deal
handsomer—and lie looked over here so
hard,’ said Miss Oliva.
‘ Why, you all can’t tell liow they look,
at night, dressed op so,’ remarked the doc
tor. That’s Howard, you mean—and he’s
pock-marked as the mischief.’
‘ Ha, ha, laughed Miss Myers, leaning
hack, and placing her handkerchief to her
mouth—‘the doctor is jealous.’
‘ No I aint,’ replied the doctor.
‘Aint you ’shamed, Lucy,’ said Miss Oli
va, coloring, at the same time that she sent
a look of reproach towards Miss Myers.
* If you could only see them by day-light, j
iri their common clothes,’ said the doctor;!
but he was interrupted by that long-faced I
mulatto, whom we have before described,,
who now made his appearance with a white
horse, and directly after him came the ring
master, with a long whip, followed hv the
clown, who announced his coming byshout
ing—‘Come along here, Mr. Callahan, and
we’ll have a little hit of your fun.’ Now
there was a buzz throughout the audience
—the music struck up, and away went Mr.
Callahan, standing erect on his horse, throw
ing himselfinto all manner of graceful atti
tudes—now looking back, as if. lie had left
something behind—now pointing ahead, as
if he saw something in front—now on one
leg, then on the other, and finally hr night
his fun to a close by making several lofty
leaps, his horse at full speed, over whips,
hoops, garters canvass, &c., See. —the down
all the while keeping up a running conver
sation with his master, the horse, and the
rest of the company, saying many witty
tilings which kept the whole audience con
vulsed with laughter.
Next came the spring-board, which the
doctor at once recognized, and the whole
troop were engaged for some twenty min
utes, in ‘ feats of ground and lofty tumbling,’
each one of which elicited torrents of ap
plause ; and the doctor had introduced the
more fashionable mode of expressing ap
probation, tiie clapping of hands had by this
time grown pretty general. The clown
failed in every attempt.
‘ Why, pa,’ said one little fellow, who
had watched the spring-board performances
for some time with a serious countenance,
* that spotted man is a fool, aint he V
‘ Yes, my son, he is a very good fool.’
‘ What do the people clap their hands so
for, pa ?’
* They are all clapping the performers,
because they do so well.’
Just then, it came the clown’s turn to
throw a somerset over a chair, instead of
which, he jumped awkwardly against the
back of it, and pitched, chair and all, oh the
ground ; then springing up and applying a
little tan-bark to hisno.se, his usual remedy
in such cases, lie walked off with an air of
triumph, as much as to say— ‘ beat that who
can !’
A tremendous round of applause followed.
‘ They clapped the spotted man because
he done it so had, didn’t they, pa —say, pal’
‘Oh, yes, yes,’ said the father, who saw
it was useless to attempt an explanation.
During the performance of these novel
antics, there was a very general stretching
of necks on the lower seats, and the cry ‘ hats
off in front !’ was heard from all quarters.
On a front seat, in the very thickest of the
crowd, sat a fellow well known as fighting
Bill Sweeny, with one of those pondeious
structures of wool and rabbit’s fur on his
head, denominated a bell-crowncd hat, but
rather resembling an inverted church bell
than the modern article designed for the
covering of the ‘ dome of thought.’ Bill
gloried in his celebrity as bully of the coun
ty, and such was the obstinacy of fiis nature,
and so.-trong his principle of combativeness,
that he would not have removed that hat if
it had totally elipsed one half the amphi
theater. When asked to ‘just please to
take it off Mr. Sweeny,’ in the gentlest, and
most persuasive tone possible, his reply was
a nudge of the elbow and‘Oil go to h—l,
will yen.’ Tho performances went on.
Rill sat with his hands thrust in his pockets,
intently watching every movement, occa-
I siotially laughing and swearing to himself
how • smart they is /’ Presently, just as the
clown was doing eels in the mud, with such
rapid velocity that he looked ‘ for all the
world’ like some great spotted snake, writh
ing and twisting in wildest contortions, Bill
felt and heard a thundering, crashing pres
sure from above, and the next moment idl
was darkness to him, while the shouts and
yells of the audience fell in smothered tones
upon his His first impression was
that the pavilion had fallen in ; but as he
sprang from his seat and found his arms
firmly pinioned behind, and the shouting
increased, he was at once convinced that
the boys had been ‘projectin’’ with him.
Mad with rage, he leaped like a cat into the
ring—his arms still t id, and his lint resting
on his shoulders, ns if his neck and part of
his head had actually Icon driven into his;
body—shouting as well as he could for the
obstruction of his hend-stnll— ‘ Unloose me !
unloose me, I sv! and I’ll whoop the
whole bilin’ of ye !’
An effort was made to get him out of the
ring by those vl.or.i the confusion had
thrown into it—the cin-us men taking no
part in the Fray. Not 1 eiiig able to get his
hands to his head, he was still in darkness,
and as his friend, a drunken bully of a fel
low of the same kidney approached him,
with ‘ Here Billy, don’t he so fractious I’s
your friend you know I is’—he gave him
such a kick on the shins as set them together
by the ears in the twinkling of an eye.
Bill had broken the cord, nnd now they had
it—good Georgia fashion—best man on top.
Notwithstanding Bill was rnhzzled, they
were about equally matched ; for though
lie could not bite, as was bis wont, his an
tagonist couldn’t gouge him. There was
some confusion among the audience^—some
of the ladies were for retiring, but the ttia
l ager requested all to keep their seats,
while the doctor called on the gentlemen
present to pait the two bullies, who were 1
making the tan tmd saw dust fly at a tre
mendous rate. Some dozen volunteered
their services, the doctor urging them on—
but the Sweeny blood was ‘ris’—and blind
not only with rage, but by reason of his hat
still being over his eyes, he fought at ran
dom and with desperation : and for a few
minutes there was ground and lofty tum
bling with a vengeance. But poor Bill was
forced to strike to his superior numbers, and
was borne out of the ring, where he was
finally pacified, after his hat had been re
moved ; which however was much harder
to come off than it had been to go on. It
required a long pull, and a strong pull—
indeed some fears were entertained of his
neck giving way ; and the doctoi’ who had
taken an active part in the matter, after the
lighting was over, facetiously remarked that
it was very fortunate that Mr. Sweeny’s
nose, which had become tangled in the lin
ing, was not large, and was inclined to the
stlub, or he should have been under the
necessity of sending for bis instruments.
Quiet having been once more restored,
the performances were resumed. Several
surprising acts of horsemanship liad been
gone threw with, the audience had nearly
forgotten the late interruption, in their en
joyment of the evening’s entertainments,
and the clown was taking a little ride to
himself, to the tune of ‘ a little frog would
a wooing co,’ when in tumbled another man
with a hell-crowned hat, almost under the
horse’s feet ! The music ceased—tho horse
came to a halt, apd the clown desired the
man to leave the ring. But the fellow
scrambled up and walked as well as he could
(for lie was evidently very drunk) still fur
tlier into the forbidden circle, and said, be
tween a hiccup and a drunken leer, that he
had come to ride.
Who-o-CHi!’ exclaimed the clown—‘you
ride a circus horse—did you crer hear such
insurance ?’
‘ 1 say, spotty’-:
‘ Mr. Merryman, if you please.*
‘ Well, Mr. Merrvman if you please,
won’t you give me a ride.’
‘ Who-o-o-o I you must go out of here, I
tellyou.’
The doctor could not sit still. ‘ Now,
that’s too bad,’ said he. * Who is that drunk- j
en fellow, now, come to kick up another
fuss? If he was in Augusta, they’d have
him in the guard-house in a twinkling.’
J ‘ I paid my half dollar to come in here,
and I’m gwine to have a ride or ficrbt o” ■?.’
‘l’ll call master—master-r-r-r!’
‘ Fotch him out, if you got any grudgo
agin him, and I’ll whip him too,’ said the
man with the bell crowned hat, as he J u
hold of the clown’s leg and began pulling
him oft’ the horstt.
‘Murder! robbery! thieves! burglary!’
shouted the clown.
The audience began to get alarmed again
—the doctor rose in his seat and caked to
the chJwd to ‘ turn him out !’ The ring
master came running in, evidently much ex
asperated.
‘ What’s
jour name, sir,’he demanded.
‘Eh ?—my name’s Joe Peters, from
Crackers’ Neck, do you want anything out
o’ mo V throwing himself in a fighting at
titude.
‘ If this man has got any friends here
they will do well to take him out before he
gets into difficulty,’ said the ring-master.
‘ Yes, before I get hold ‘of him,’ added
the clown.
4 What’s that you say, spotty V sr : d Joe
turning to the last speaker.
Here the doctor excused hitnself to the
ladies, strode across the ring, and laying his
hand on Joe’s shoulder, ordered him to leave
the enclosure, immediately.
Joe turned, and placed himself in a de
fensive position.
4 Come, some of you gentlemen, and help
turn this blackgtiard out of the show,’ said
the doctor, beckoning to a group of your”
men. *
4 That’s light, doctor, take him off before
he gets hurt, for maybe his ma don't k, ovv
he’s out.’ %
Two young men came to the doctor’s as
sistance, but no sooner had the otie in ad
vance come close to Joe, than he turned
round and ran back, exclaiming— ‘ That
chap belongs to the show, 1 can smell it on
his breath !’
The other followed his example, leaving
the doctor alone to manage the intrude,
who now staggered up to him, and demand
ed if he wanted to fight. The doctor
grasped him by the shouider, and had suc
! ceeded in forcing'him some distance towards
; the door, amidst the gibes and taunts of tlie
audience, when Joe became more resolute
in bis resistance, declaring he would have
a ride. A scuffle ensued, during which a
good part of the audience were tkoutiu -
and cheering—some for the doctor and
some fbr Joe, but there was no bounds to
the tumult when Joe, thrusting his head be
tween the doctor’s legs raised him ofF the
ground, and dancing once or twice round
the ling, despite that gentleman’s most de
termined efforts to dismount, which he man
ifested by throwing his legs andarn ( bout
in the wildest confusion, tossed him poll
melt on the heads of the negroes, who
squalled in concert with the general shout.
The doctor was dreadfully mortified t.
this unlooked-for reverse, and was about re
turning furiously to the charge, when tho
clown approached him with a s.gpificar.t
wink— •
4 Never mind, doctor, we’ll get shut of
him, we’ll give him & ride, now.’ Then
turning to Joe, who was approaching the
horse’s heels, ‘So you want a ride or a
fight, do you, eh V
4 Y r es, I want to ride that ere horse, spot
ty, and I’m the boy tliat gwine to do it, too.’,
4 Well, sir, you’ve got to whip me first,’
putting on a savage look audgiviug his teeth
a grind.
‘ I’m your boy,’said Joe, ‘l’m not Bill
Sweeny.’
4 The h—l you isn't ! Just give me a fair
shake and I can whoop blazes out of you,
though,’ grawled Bill, who was again in
bis seat.
The clown put himself into a fighting
position. Joe was to the mark, arid after a
few passes was knocked heels over head on
the tan.
‘ Oh !’ exclaimed the ladies.
* Serves him right !’ said the doctor, * lie’ll
get his fill before he quits that ring.’
‘Hurra, Joe ! show your game !’ shout
ed seVeral.
‘ Give it to him, spotty !’
‘ Oh, I want to go home,’ cried a timid
little fellow, from between his father’s
ktices.
ThC next minute spotty was down, who
as soon as lie’struck the ground shouted,
Enough, take him off!’ Then springing
up and applying a handful of tan-bask to
his nose, lie extended the other hand to
Joe, remarking—
-1 You’ve whipt a gentleman, Joe, what’s
your name? Ah, Peters, Mr. Joseph Peters,
from Cracker’s Neck. You shall have a
ride, Mr. Peters. Will you have a fresh
horse, Mr. Peters V Then turning to the
doctor he continued, 1 We’ll give him a ride
—there’s more ways to kill a dog besides
cboaking him with butter, you know.’
Joe was soon mounted, with his back to
wards the horse’s head. The clown called
out for the hardest trotting tune the musi
cians could play. Pop went the whip, and
away flew the horse, Joe floundering on his
back like a drunken man in a quagmire.
‘ Now, doctor,’ called tho clown, ‘ if you
want to see a cracker’s neck cracked’
‘ Good enough for the fool,’ exclaimed
the doctor, with a conceited chuckle.
Oh ! mercy !’ shouted the ladies, ns Joe
pitched forward, and seemed only to hold
to the neck of the flying charger with
arm.
Put what was their astonishment wl n
they beheld him first rise to his knees on
the saddle, then to his feet, where be std 9
reeling anj<Ottering as if he was about
NUMBER 2.