short stories and essays-第13节

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its　many　attractions；　and　he　was　trying　to　make　a　living　for　both　in　a
country　where　the　admission　to　a　circus　was　six　of　our　cents；　with　fifty
for　a　reserved　seat。　　But　he　was　about　to　give　it　up　and　come　to　America；
where　he　said　Barnum　had　offered　him　an　engagement。　　I　hope　he　found　it
profitable；　and　is　long　since　an　American　citizen；　with　as　good　right　as
any　of　us　to　wear　a　Prince　Albert　coat　with　a　derby　hat。




III。

There　used　to　be　very　good　circuses　in　Venice；　where　many　Venetians　had
the　only　opportunity　of　their　lives　to　see　a　horse。　　The　horses　were　the
great　attraction　for　them；　and；　perhaps　in　concession　to　their　habitual
destitution　in　this　respect；　the　riding　was　providentially　very　good。　　It
was　so　good　that　it　did　not　bore　me；　as　circus…riding　mostly　does；
especially　that　of　the　silk…clad　jockey　who　stands　in　his　high　boots；　on
his　back…bared　horse；　and　ends　by　waving　an　American　flag　in　triumph　at
having　been　so　tiresome。

I　am　at　a　loss　to　know　why　they　make　such　an　ado　about　the　lady　who　jumps
through　paper　hoops；　which　have　first　had　holes　poked　in　them　to　render
her　transit　easy；　or　why　it　should　be　thought　such　a　merit　in　her　to　hop
over　a　succession　of　banners　which　are　swept　under　her　feet　in　a　manner
to　minify　her　exertion　almost　to　nothing；　but　I　observe　it　is　so　at　all
circuses。　　At　my　first　Venetian　circus；　which　was　on　a　broad　expanse　of
the　Riva　degli　Schiavoni；　there　was　a　girl　who　flung　herself　to　the
ground　and　back　to　her　horse　again；　holding　by　his　mane　with　one　hand；
quite　like　the　goddess　out　of　the　bath…gown　at　my　village　circus　the
other　day；　and　apparently　there　are　more　circuses　in　the　world　than
circus　events。　　It　must　be　as　hard　to　think　up　anything　new　in　that　kind
as　in　romanticistic　fiction；　which　circus…acting　otherwise　largely
resembles。

At　a　circus　which　played　all　one　winter　in　Florence　I　saw　for　the　first
time…outside　of　polite　societythe　clown　in　evening　dress；　who　now　seems
essential　to　all　circuses　of　metropolitan　pretensions；　and　whom　I　missed
so　gladly　at　my　village　circus。　　He　is　nearly　as　futile　as　the　lady
clown；　who　is　one　of　the　saddest　and　strangest　developments　of　New
Womanhood。

Of　the　clowns　who　do　not　speak；　I　believe　I　like　most　the　clown　who
catches　a　succession　of　peak…crowned　soft　hats　on　his　head；　when　thrown
across　the　ring　by　an　accomplice。　　This　is　a　very　pretty　sight　always；
and　at　the　Hippodrome　in　Paris　I　once　saw　a　gifted　creature　take　his
stand　high　up　on　the　benches　among　the　audience　and　catch　these　hats　on
his　head　from　a　flight　of　a　hundred　feet　through　the　air。　　This　made　me
proud　of　human　nature；　which　is　often　so　humiliating；　and　altogether　I　do
not　think　that　after　a　real　country　circus　there　are　many　better　things
in　life　than　the　Hippodrome。　　It　had　a　state；　a　dignity；　a　smoothness；　a
polish；　which　I　should　not　know　where　to　match；　and　when　the　superb　coach
drove　into　the　ring　to　convey　the　lady　performers　to　the　scene　of　their
events；　there　was　a　majesty　in　the　effect　which　I　doubt　if　courts　have
the　power　to　rival。　　Still；　it　should　be　remembered　that　I　have　never
been　at　court；　and　speak　from　a　knowledge　of　the　Hippodrome　only。






AT　A　DIME　MUSEUM

〃I　see；〃　said　my　friend；　〃that　you　have　been　writing　a　good　deal　about
the　theatre　during　the　past　winter。　　You　have　been　attacking　its　high
hats　and　its　high　prices；　and　its　low　morals；　and　I　suppose　that　you
think　you　have　done　good；　as　people　call　it。〃




I。

This　seemed　like　a　challenge　of　some　sort；　and　I　prepared　myself　to　take
it　up　warily。　　I　said　I　should　be　very　sorry　to　do　good；　as　people　called
it；　because　such　a　line　of　action　nearly　always　ended　in　spiritual　pride
for　the　doer　and　general　demoralization　for　the　doee。　　Still；　I　said；　a
law　had　lately　been　passed　in　Ohio　giving　a　man　who　found　himself　behind
a　high　hat　at　the　theatre　a　claim　for　damages　against　the　manager；　and　if
the　passage　of　this　law　could　be　traced　ever　so　faintly　and　indirectly　to
my　teachings；　I　should　not　altogether　grieve　for　the　good　I　had　done。
I　added　that　if　all　the　States　should　pass　such　a　law；　and　other　laws
fixing　a　low　price　for　a　certain　number　of　seats　at　the　theatres；　or
obliging　the　managers　to　give　one　free　performance　every　month；　as　the
law　does　in　Paris；　and　should　then　forbid　indecent　and　immoral　plays

〃I　see　what　you　mean；〃　said　my　friend；　a　little　impatiently。　　〃You　mean
sumptuary　legislation。　　But　I　have　not　come　to　talk　to　you　upon　that
subject；　for　then　you　would　probably　want　to　do　all　the　talking　yourself。
I　want　to　ask　you　if　you　have　visited　any　of　the　cheaper　amusements　of
this　metropolis；　or　know　anything　of　the　really　clever　and　charming
things　one　may　see　there　for　a　very　little　money。〃

〃Ten　cents；　for　instance？〃

〃Yes。〃

I　answered　that　I　would　never　own　to　having　come　as　low　down　as　that；　and
I　expressed　a　hardy　and　somewhat　inconsistent　doubt　of　the　quality　of　the
amusement　that　could　be　had　for　that　money。　　I　questioned　if　anything
intellectual　could　be　had　for　it。

〃What　do　you　say　to　the　ten…cent　magazines？〃　　my　friend　retorted。　　〃And
do　you　pretend　that　the　two…dollar　drama　is　intellectual？〃

I　had　to　confess　that　it　generally　was　not；　and　that　this　was　part　of　my
grief　with　it。

Then　he　said：　〃I　don't　contend　that　it　is　intellectual；　but　I　say　that　it
is　often　clever　and　charming　at　the　ten…cent　shows；　just　as　it　is　less
often　clever　and　charming　in　the　ten…cent　magazines。　　I　think　the　average
of　propriety　is　rather　higher　than　it　is　at　the　two…dollar　theatres；　and
it　is　much　more　instructive　at　the　ten…cent　shows；　if　you　come　to　that。
The　other　day；〃　said　my　friend；　and　in　squaring　himself　comfortably　in
his　chair　and　finding　room　for　his　elbow　on　the　corner　of　my　table　he
knocked　off　some　books　for　review；　〃I　went　to　a　dime　museum　for　an　hour
that　I　had　between　two　appointments；　and　I　must　say　that　I　never　passed
an　hour's　time　more　agreeably。　　In　the　curio　hall；　as　one　of　the
lecturers　on　the　curios　called　itthey　had　several　lecturers　in　white
wigs　and　scholars'　caps　and　gownsthere　was　not　a　great　deal　to　see；　I
confess；　but　everything　was　very　high…class。　　There　was　the　inventor　of　a
perpetual　motion；　who　lectured　upon　it　and　explained　it　from　a　diagram。
There　was　a　fortune…teller　in　a　three…foot　tent　whom　I　did　not　interview；
there　were　five　macaws　in　one　cage；　and　two　gloomy　apes　in　another。　　On　a
platform　at　the　end　of　the　hall　was　an　Australian　family　a　good　deal
gloomier　than　the　apes；　who　sat　in　the　costume　of　our　latitude；　staring
down　the　room　with　varying　expressions　all　verging　upon　melancholy
madness；　and　who　gave　me　such　a　pang　of　compassion　as　I　have　seldom　got
from　the　tragedy　of　the　two…dollar　theatres。　　They　allowed　me　to　come
quite　close　up　to　them；　and　to　feed　my　pity　upon　their　wild　dejection　in
exile　without　stint。　　I　couldn't　enter　into　conversation　with　them；　and
express　my　regret　at　finding　them　so　far　from　their　native　boomerangs　and
kangaroos　and　pinetree　grubs；　but　I　know　they　felt　my　sympathy；　it　was　so
evident。　　I　didn't　see　their　performance；　and　I　don't　know　that　they　had
any。　　They　may　simply　have　been　there　ethnologically；　but　this　was　a　good
object；　and　the　sight　of　their　spiritual　misery　was　alone　worth　the　price
of　admission。

〃After　the　inventor　of　the　perpetual　motion　had　brought　his　harangue　to　a
close；　we　all　went　round　to　the　dais　where　a　lady　in　blue　spectacles
lectured　us　upon　a　fire…escape　which　she　had　invented；　and　operated　a
small　model　of　it。　　None　of　the　events　were　so　exciting　that　we　could
regret　it　when　the　chief　lecturer　announced　that　this　was　the　end　of　the
entertainment　in　the　curio　hall；　and　that　now　the　performance　in　the
theatre　was　about　to　begin。　　He　invited　us　to　buy　tickets　at　an
additional　charge　of　five；　ten；　or　fifteen　cents　for　the　gallery；
orchestra　circle；　or　orchestra。

〃I　thought　I　could　afford　an　orchestra　stall；　for　once。　　We　were　three　in
the　orchestra；　another　man　and　a　young　mother；　not　counting　the　little
boy　she　had　with　her；　there　were　two　people　in　the　gallery；　and　a　dozen
at　least　in　the　orchestra　circle。　　An　attendant　shouted；　'Hats　off！'　and
the　other　man　and　I　uncovered；　and　a　lady　came　up　from　under　the　stage
and　began　to　play　the　piano　in　front　of　it。　　The　curtain　rose；　and　the
entertainment　began　at　once。　　It　was　a　passage　apparently　from　real　life；
and　it　involved　a　dissatisfied　boarder　and　the　daughter　of　the　landlady。
There　was　not　much　coherence　in　it；　but　there　was　a　good　deal　of
conscience　on　the　part　of　the　actors；　who　toiled　through　it　with
unflagging　energy。　　The　young　woman　was　equipped　for　the　dance　she
brought　into　it　at　one　point　rather　than　for　the　part　she　had　to　sustain
in　the　drama。　　It　was　a　very　blameless　dance；　and　she　gave　it　as　if　she
was　tired　of　it；　but　was　not　going　to　falter。　　She　delivered　her　lines
with　a　hard；　Southwestern　accent；　and　I　liked　fancying　her　having　come　up
in　a　simpler…hearted　section　of　the　country　than　ours；　encouraged　by　a
strong　local　belief　that　she　was　destined　to　do　Juliet　and　Lady　Macbeth；
or　Peg　Woffington　at　the　least；　but　very　likely　she　had　not。

〃Her　performa