Do you chance to know where St. Paul’s Church stands on Broadway, on the block bounded by Fulton and Vesey streets? Then let me tell you that no longer ago than 1784 St. Paul’s was on the very outskirts7 of the city. Just above it were two fine dwellings, which now form part of the Astor House, and a little farther on a highway leading to the right bore the weather-beaten sign, “The Road to Boston,” and another turning to the left, “The Road to Albany,” and Hazel’s home was a mile or more out on this Albany road. Beyond were only open fields, with here and there a farm-dwelling or country homestead, and an occasional “mead-house” or “tea-garden,” for the refreshment8 of jaded9 travellers, or pleasure-seeking parties from the town. Nearly on the site of the present City Hall stood the almshouse, and in close proximity10 the jail, while sandwiched in between them were the gallows11, not exactly affording what might be called a cheery outlook to the poor unfortunates obliged to seek such food and shelter as the almshouse offered. These gallows were enclosed in a building shaped like a Chinese summer-house, and painted in all the colors of the rainbow, as though trying thereby12 to overcome any mournful associations which the place might otherwise possess. A platform within this remarkable13 building supported various contrivances for conveniently “dropping malefactors into eternity14.” while a row of hooks and halters adorned15 the ceiling, so that at least half a dozen offenders16 might be dispatched by the same method at one and the same moment.
Wall Street, in 1783, was a street of residences. Here was the bachelor homestead of Daniel McCormick, upon whose stoop, on a mild and pleasant afternoon, you were likely to find a goodly little company of cronies and toadies17, each and all of whom made it a point never to refuse an invitation to remain to dinner and enjoy his excellent pot-luck.
The court end of the town lay in the region extending from Pearl Street around to the Battery, and up to Trinity Church, while the shops and offices were confined to Maiden18 Lane. On Great Dock Street, now a part of Pearl Street, lived the widow of John Lawrence, who, during his lifetime, was widely known as “Handsome Johnnie.” There, as Dr. Duer puts it, in his “Reminiscences of an Old Yorker,” the genial19 widow kept open house for her relatives, or rather her relatives kept open house for themselves, and were entertained in the roll of “transient, constant, or perpetual” visitors. All this and far more could the sun of to-day tell of the sights of the last century; but on the morning of which we are writing, he looked down upon nothing of greater interest to the average boy and girl of all time, than when he flashed suddenly upon the preparations going forward for the circus that had lately arrived from across the water, and because of whose arrival there was a flutter in all the child-hearts throughout the length and breadth of the town. Some were fluttering joyously21 with actual anticipation22, and some with grave doubts as to their gaining even a peep at the wonderful show.
As for Hazel Boniface, she was not only up with the sun, but up before it; as for Starlight, he was dressed, and “trying to kill time” a full hour before breakfast, for it had been settled the previous evening that they were to be allowed to attend the performance, and Captain Boniface had slipped the coins necessary for their admission into Starlight’s safe keeping. Josephine, Hazel’s older sister, was also early astir, stowing away the most inviting23 of luncheons25 within the snowy folds of a napkin, which in turn was committed to the keeping of a little wicker hamper26.
Joyous20 and beaming the children set forth27, Josephine accompanying them as far as the gate. “I wish I were going with you,” she said, as she held it open.
“I almost wish you were,” Hazel answered. “Almost, but not quite,” laughed Josephine; “for it would spoil the fun a little, now wouldn’t it, Hazel, to have a grown-up sister in the party? But you need not worry, dear, the big sister must stay at home to mind the baby sister; it’s only the little middle-sized sister who can roam abroad, and go to the circus, and do whatever she likes all day long.”.
The color came into Hazel’s cheeks. She knew she did do pretty much as she wished from week’s end to week’s end, but that was not her fault. If nobody told her to do “things,” it was hardly to be expected she should do them. “Will you go in my place?” she asked, ruefully, of Josephine, who stood leaning on the gate with a merry, teasing look in her gray eyes.
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“No, of course I won’t, dearie, and you come straight back and give me a kiss, and know that no one wishes you quite such a jolly time as your own sister Josephine.”
And thus speeded on their way, the children’s figures grew smaller and smaller in the maple-shaded distance of the roadside path, and with a little sigh Josephine turned back to her duties within-doors. There was a foreboding of coming evil in her heart, and in Hazel’s and Starlight’s, too, for that matter. Children though they were, they were still old enough to know, that, now that the war had ended in the defeat of the English, those who had sided with them, as Captain Boniface had done, would have to suffer for it; but for to-day every worry was utterly29 forgotten. Hazel had no thought for the coming interview with Colonel Hamilton—which, it must be confessed, she rather dreaded—nor Starlight for the soldiers in the old homestead.
Right before them lay all the delights of a wonderful English circus, and with the lightest of hearts they set forth upon their happy expedition. Having strolled along in leisurely30 fashion, the old town clock struck eleven as they pressed in through the clumsy turnstile which barred the circus entrance, and the regular performance was not to commence until one. But two hours were none too much for the inspection31 of the wonderful sideshows, and wide-eyed they passed from one to the other, instinctively32 turning quickly away from two or three human monstrosities in a close, unsavory tent, to spend an hour of intense merriment over the antics of a family of monkeys in a cage in the open air. Indeed, they doled33 out most of their luncheon24 to the mischievous34 little youngsters, actually forgetting that there was any likelihood of their ever being hungry themselves and repenting35 of such liberality.
A great deal of fuss over a circus, you may be thinking, my little friend, having yourself been so many times to see “The Greatest Show on Earth” but if you had lived in the days of Hazel and Starlight, and never seen a circus in your life, nor a show of any kind—either great or small—then, perhaps, you would have been not a little excited too.
Long before it was at all necessary, and after much consultation36 and numerous experiments at different angles, the children seated themselves at the precise point which they had concluded, on the whole, offered greatest advantages, and then they impatiently watched the uncomfortable benches become gradually filled, and certain significant preparations going forward on the part of the gayly-liveried lackeys37.
At last the orchestra of three ill-tuned instruments struck up a preliminary march, the low, red-topped gates of the ring swung open, and the gorgeous company pranced38 in, dazzling and brilliant indeed, in the eyes of the children. What did it matter if tinsel were tarnished39, and satins and velvets travel-stained and bedraggled. They saw it not. It was all glitter and shimmer40 to them, and, oh, those beautiful, long-tailed horses with their showy trappings! Hazel silently made up her mind on the spot, that she would be a circus-rider herself as soon as she was old enough, if her father would let her. She changed her mind later in the day, however, owing to certain unexpected experiences, and was thankful enough that she had not openly expressed her resolution of a few hours before.
Midway in the performance, as the clown had announced, for they did not have printed programmes in those days, there was to be some lofty tumbling by the Strauss brothers, and at the proper moment in they came leaping and jumping. They were all attired41 in the regulation long hose, short trousers, and sleeveless jackets of the professional tumbler, but it was easy enough for any child to detect at a glance that it was quite impossible that they should belong to the same family. They were of all ages and sizes, but the youngest performer did not appear to be more than twelve; he was a handsome little fellow, with a fine dark complexion42, and from the first both Hazel’s and Starlight’s attention centred upon him. He proved himself the most agile43 of all the brothers, eagerly watching for his turn every time, and apparently44 enjoying the performance almost as keenly as the audience. But it happened after a while, that when he had just accomplished45 the feat28 of turning a double somersault from the top of a spring-board, he did not attempt to rejoin the other leapers and tumblers, but crept from the place where he had landed in the sawdust to the edge of the ring, seated himself, with his little slippered46 feet straight out before him, and leaned comfortably back against its rail. The spot he had chosen was directly underneath47 where Hazel and Starlight were sitting, and being in the first row they naturally leaned over to investigate matters. He sat there so comfortably, and his older brothers seemed so indifferent to the fact that he had dropped from their number, that the children came to the conclusion that he was simply taking a little permitted rest.
At last Starlight made so bold as to ask, “Say, Straussie, you didn’t hurt yourself any way, did you?”
At the sound of Starlight’s voice the little fellow looked up surprised. “Yes, I did,” he replied, “I often slip my knee-cap, or something like that when I take that double ‘sault.”
“Does it hurt you now,” asked Hazel, with real solicitude48.
“Yes, a little. I can’t jump any more to-day. The men know what’s the matter with me. I’ll be all right in a little while.”
“Do you like being in a circus?” continued Starlight, for it was even more interesting to converse49 with a member of the troupe50 than to watch the performance of the troupe itself.
“I like the jumping and tumbling; that’s all the part I like,” ending with a sigh.
But it was not easy to carry on a conversation at the distance they were from each other, particularly as the tumblers, as if to add to the excitement, kept up an almost ceaseless hallooing and shouting. Now it happened that the ring, with the exception of the gates of entrance, was formed by a short canvas curtain suspended from a circular iron rail. Observing this, a happy thought occurred to Starlight.
“Look here, Straussie,” he said, in a penetrating51 whisper, “I’d like to talk with you. Couldn’t you creep under the curtain there, and I’ll drop down between the seats.”
“Yes, I could,” answered the little tumbler, grasping the situation at once, and suiting the action to the word.
“I wish I could drop too,” urged Hazel, longingly52.
“No, you stay where you are. It wouldn’t do, Hazel; folks might notice,” and Hazel was sensible enough to see the wisdom of the remark. As it was, every one was by far too much absorbed to take account of the fact that a little fellow inside the ring and a little fellow outside of it had disappeared at one and the same moment. And so it happened that all unsuspected a very important conversation was carried on, and a remarkable scheme planned under the crowded benches of that day’s performance. Meanwhile Hazel “sat on pins and needles.” Even “the most educated elephant in the world” failed to rouse much interest in a little maiden who knew an absorbing conversation to be going on almost within earshot and in which she longed to have a hand.
“What is your name?” asked Starlight, as soon as he had dropped safely to the dry grass, and had stretched himself beside the little tumbler, who sat with his knees gathered close to him and his hands clasped round them.
“Flutters,” answered the boy.
“That’s not your real name?”
“That’s what they call me.”
“You mean the circus people?”
Flutters simply nodded “yes.” Somehow he did not seem at first inclined to be quite as communicative as Starlight would have wished.
“It must be fun to wear clothes like those,” he said, after a pause, eyeing his new friend from head to foot with evident admiration53.
“Oh, it’s kind of fun for a while, but there isn’t much real fun. Everything’s only kind of fun, and there isn’t any fun at all about most things.”
Starlight couldn’t quite agree with these sage54 remarks, although he had himself of late been seeing a great deal of the darker side of life.
“I guess you’re not very well, Flutters,” he said, seriously; “or perhaps you’re tired.”
“Oh, I’m well enough, but I’m not over-happy,” answered the boy, who, from little association with children and much with older people, had formed rather a mature way of speaking.
“What makes you feel like that?” asked Starlight.
“Oh, lots of things. There’s no one who cares for me ‘cept to make money out of me. That’s kind of hard on a fellow.
“Don’t you get some of the money yourself?”
“Not a penny. You see, I’m ‘prenticed to the manager till I’m eighteen.”
“Who apprenticed56 you?” said Starlight, taking care to speak correctly.
“The manager, I suppose; but I did not know anybody had to ‘prentice you. I thought you just ‘prenticed yourself by promising57 to work for your board.”
“Not a bit of it. You oughtn’t to have made such a promise. If you were worth anything to the manager you were worth part of the money you earned. Besides, I don’t think anybody can apprentice55 a boy except his parents or his guardian58, or some one who has charge of him.”
“Well, nobody’s had charge of me this long while.”
“Is that big man with the great black moustache the manager?” asked Starlight.
“Yes, he is, and he’s a tough one,” and Flutters pressed his lips tightly together and shook his head by way of emphasis.
“He doesn’t look kind.”
“Folks doesn’t look things what they never are.”
“Why don’t you cut the circus, Flutters?”
“Would you, really?”
“You mean run away?”
Starlight nodded yes.
“Where to?” was Flutters’s pointed59 question.
“Oh, anywhere,” somewhat vaguely60.
“That’s all very well; but board, you know, and a blanket to roll yourself in at night is a little better than nothing at all.”
“That’s so,” said Starlight, and then sat silent a few moments, drawing his fingers, rake fashion, through the dry grass in front of him, and evidently thinking hard.
“Flutters,” he said at last, “if you ran away I believe you’d find a home and somebody to care for you—we’d look out for you ourselves, Aunt Frances and I, till something turned up.”
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“Would you, really?” and Flutters leaned very close to Starlight in his eagerness.
“Yes, I’m sure we would. Will you do it?”
“Yes, sir, I’ll do it now,” and Flutters got straightway on to “all fours,” as if he deemed that the most silent and effective mode of escape, although the benches were hardly so low as to render it necessary for a boy of his size.
“But you’ll be caught in a minute in those—fixings.” Starlight did not think there was enough of them to deserve the respectable name of clothes.
Flutters sat down in despair. “Then there’s no use; I may as well give it up if I have to go back for anything.” Flutters stood in such fear of the manager that he felt sure he could read his very thoughts. He honestly meant that he would abandon the whole scheme rather than face Mr. Bradshaw with such a design in mind, and he looked down at his spangled slippers61 and bedraggled tights in most woe-begone fashion.
“I have it,” said Starlight, after a moment’s serious cogitation62; “wait here a minute,” and taking hold of a board directly under the seat where he had sat, he pulled himself up to his place beside Hazel. She was ready with a host of eager questions, but Starlight, in the most imperative63 of whispers, gave her quickly to understand that there was no time for anything of that sort. “Just do as I tell you, Hazel,” some one overheard him say, but more than that they fortunately did not hear.
A moment later Starlight disappeared, and a little red cloak, which Josephine had made Hazel carry with her, had disappeared too.
Not long afterward64, but it seemed a very long while to Hazel, the entertainment came to a close with a wild sort of farce65, which everybody seemed to think pretty funny, but Hazel did not so much as smile. She had neither seen nor heard what was going on; she had an important little piece of business ahead of her, and could hardly wait to be off and about it. If her seat had not been quite in the middle of the row, so that she would have been obliged to crowd past a long line of people, she simply could not have waited; and now that the performance was actually over, she energetically pushed her way through one group after another, lingering about as if loath66 to desert the charms of the circus, and was clear of the great tent in almost less time than it takes to tell it. Off she darted67 down the road—down Broadway one would say today—for the gateway68 to the circus enclosure was exactly on the spot where Niblo’s Theatre has for so many years set forth its varied69 amusements.
There was only one farm-house in the immediate70 neighborhood, and thither71 Hazel flew, bringing up at the threshold of its old Dutch kitchen in a state of breathless excitement. “Mrs. V an Wyck,” she cried with what little breath she had left, as she peered over the half door that barred her entrance.
“In a moment, Hazel,” came a voice from the depths. “I am putting some curd72 in the cheese press; I’ll be up in a minute.”
The minute afforded Hazel a much-needed breathing space, and when a rosy-cheeked Dutch Frau emerged from the horizontal doorway73 of the cool, clean-smelling cellar, Hazel was able to make known her request in quite coherent fashion.
“Oh Mrs. Van Wyck, will you let me have a pair ol Hanss trousers,’ and some shoes and a coat, and please, please don’t ask me what I want them for!” for she saw the question shaping itself on Frau Van Wyck’s lips; “I’ll bring them home safe to-morrow, and tell you all about it.”
The little woman looked decidedly astonished, but the child was so urgent, and withal such a little favorite of hers, that she could but accede74 to her request, and in a trice Hazel was off again with the coveted75 articles, in a snug76 bundle, swinging from one hand as she ran.
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1
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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warehouses
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| 仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
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outskirts
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refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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proximity
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gallows
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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offenders
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| n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物） | |
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toadies
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| n.谄媚者，马屁精( toady的名词复数 )v.拍马，谄媚( toady的第三人称单数 ) | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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luncheons
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| n.午餐，午宴( luncheon的名词复数 ) | |
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hamper
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| vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子 | |
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forth
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feat
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utterly
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leisurely
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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doled
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| 救济物( dole的过去式和过去分词 )； 失业救济金 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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repenting
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的现在分词 ) | |
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consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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lackeys
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| n.听差( lackey的名词复数 )；男仆（通常穿制服）；卑躬屈膝的人；被待为奴仆的人 | |
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pranced
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tarnished
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| （通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏 | |
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shimmer
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| v./n.发微光，发闪光；微光 | |
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attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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slippered
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| 穿拖鞋的 | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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troupe
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| n.剧团，戏班；杂技团；马戏团 | |
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penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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apprenticed
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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60
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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61
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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62
cogitation
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| n.仔细思考，计划，设计 | |
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63
imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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64
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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65
farce
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| n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹 | |
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loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 | |
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67
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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68
gateway
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| n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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72
curd
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| n.凝乳；凝乳状物 | |
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73
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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74
accede
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| v.应允，同意 | |
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coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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76
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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