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Page 48
JULIAN PARMELEE;
OR DISAPPOINTMENT SOMETIMES A BLESSING.
In a pleasant New England village, several years ago, there was a good deal
of excitement produced among the little folks, by the appearance, on the
sign-post, and in the tavern and store, of some large placards, with very
curious and funny pictures upon them. These placards made known the
important fact, that, for the sum of ninepence, (a shilling, according to
the currency of New York,) any boy and girl in the vicinity might have the
pleasure of seeing some of the most astonishing feats of trained animals
ever heard of. On a certain day there was to be a sort of juggler, who
would play on some kind of instruments. The music made by this man would
have the power of charming the animals--so the advertisement read--and the
instant they heard it, they would commence playing their antics. There was
a great black bear who would stand on his head; a dog who knew almost as
much as his master; a cock that could walk on a pair of high stilts. Then
there were learned monkeys, learned pigs, and I know not what besides.
[Illustration: THE "SHOW."]
The pictures of these different animals, performing their several exploits,
caused a great deal of wonder and admiration among the village boys and
girls. In cities, where such exhibitions occur very frequently, such things
would not be much thought of. But it is very different in the country,
where public exhibitions of every sort are "like angels' visits, few and
far between." For nearly a week before the day appointed for this juggling
exhibition, there was nothing talked of in this quiet village so much as
the "show." Ninepences that had been a twelvemonth in accumulating, were
now in great demand; and more than one boy sighed as he reflected that he
had spent his pennies in candies and other nice things, so that he had none
left for the "show," and secretly resolved that he would be wiser next
time, and not allow his money to slip through his fingers so easily.
Among those who had the permission of their parents to visit the
exhibition, and who were anxiously longing for the day to come, were Julian
Parmelee and his sister. Julian, especially--a boy of about nine years of
age--was almost crazy with delight, when his mother told him he might go.
He jumped, danced, clapped his hands, shouted, and went through so many
strange manoeuvres, that his elder brother George, who was rather more
sober on the occasion, said he guessed he should not go to the court-house
and pay ninepence to see the show, for he was in a fair way to get the
exhibition at home, for nothing.
"Oh, mother!" said Julian, "do you really believe the bear will stand on
his head? What a funny sight it must be! I wonder if they keep the bear
chained. I shall take care I do not get within reach of his paws, I guess.
Charley Staples said he didn't believe it was half so big as the one he saw
when he was up in Vermont. How big is it, mother? as big as our Carlo? Oh,
I wish it was time to go now! I should think monkeys were very funny
creatures. They say there is one in the show that rides a horse, just like
a man. Ha! ha! ha!" And he laughed so loudly that he waked up the baby in
the cradle.
I do not wonder at all that little Julian was so much delighted with the
idea of going to this exhibition. It was something entirely new to him; and
to children, especially, such singular feats as these animals were to
perform, are always entertaining. It may, however, admit of a question,
whether it is right, just for our amusement, to inflict so much pain upon
these poor creatures as is necessary to teach them their several parts. It
seems rather cruel. You know what the frogs once said to the boys,
according to the fable, in the matter of stoning: "Young gentlemen, you do
not consider, that while this is sport to you, it is death to us." These
poor bears, and monkeys, and other animals, while they are going through
their education, might use some such language to their teachers, perhaps,
if they had the same faculty that the fable ascribes to the frogs. But,
however that may be, it was very natural that Julian should be half frantic
at the thought of seeing the show, and quite as natural that Julian's
father and mother should consent to let him go.
Well, some two days before the exhibition was to take place, Julian was
taken sick. There is a class of diseases--such as the measles and the
whooping-cough--which, you know, almost every boy and girl must have some
time or another; and it is not always left with the children to decide
precisely when they shall take their turn. One of these diseases had made
Julian a call, and insisted on staying with him a week or two. It was the
whooping-cough. Julian wanted to be excused for a few days; but the old
fellow told him, in his wheezing way, that he could not think of letting
him off so long. Julian was disappointed, and cried a good deal. It did
seem rather hard that he must be caged up in his chamber just at this time.
He was not so sick as to make it necessary to stay at home; but his mother
thought it would be wrong to allow him to go where there were to be so many
other children, because they would be in danger of taking the disease from
him. So it was decided that he could not see the "show;" and he fretted
and stormed, and made himself very unhappy. He was usually a good-natured
boy, but it must be confessed, that he was now quite out of humor.
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