CHAPTER II. BARNUM'S MUSEUM.

 Barnum's Museum now lives only in the past. Its successor, known as Wood's Museum, is situated¹ at the corner of Twenty-ninth street and Broadway. But at the time of my story the old Barnum's stood below the Astor House, on the site now occupied by those magnificent structures, the Herald² building and the Park Bank. Hither flowed daily and nightly a crowd of visitors who certainly got the worth of their money, only twenty-five cents, in the numberless varied³ curiosities which the unequaled showman had gathered from all quarters of the world.

 

Jimmy had often seen the handbills and advertisements of the museum, but had never visited it, and now anticipated with eagerness the moment when all its wonders should be revealed to him. In fact, he waked up about two hours earlier than usual to think of the treat in store for him.

 

Paul, as he had promised, closed up his business at twelve o'clock and came home. At half-past one the three were on their way to the museum. The distance was but short, and a very few minutes found them in the museum. Jimmy's eyes opened wide as they took in the crowded exhibition room, and he hardly knew what to look at first, until the approach of a giant eight feet high irresistibly⁴ attracted him. It is a remarkable⁵ circumstance that Barnum's giants were always eight feet high on the bill, though not always by measure. Sometimes the great showman lavishly⁶ provided two or three of these Titans. Where they came from nobody knew. It has been conjectured⁷ by some that they were got up to order; but upon this point I cannot speak with certainty. As a general thing they are good-natured and harmless, in spite of their formidable proportions, and ready to have a joke at their own expense.

 

"Oh, see that big man!" exclaimed Jimmy, struck with awe⁸, as he surveyed the formidable proportions of the giant.

 

"He's bigger than you will ever be, Jimmy," said Paul.

 

"I wouldn't like to be so tall," said the little boy.

 

"Why not? You could whip all the fellows that tried to tease you."

 

"They don't tease me much, Paul."

 

"Do they tease you at all?" asked his brother quickly.

 

"Not very often. Sometimes they call me Limpy, because I am lame⁹."

 

"I'd like to catch any boy doing it," said Paul energetically. "I'd make him see stars."

 

"I don't mind, Paul."

 

"But I do. Just let me catch the next fellow that calls you Limpy, and he won't do it again."

 

By this time a group had gathered round the giant. Paul and Jimmy joined it.

 

"Was you always so large?" asked a boy at Paul's side.

 

"I was rather smaller when I was a baby," said the giant, laughing.

 

"How much do you weigh?"

 

"Two hundred and seventy-five pounds."

 

"That beats you, Jimmy," said Paul.

 

"Were you big when you were a boy?"

 

"I was over seven feet high on my fifteenth birthday," said the giant.

 

"Did the teacher lick you often?" asked one of the boys shyly.

 

"Not very often. He couldn't take me over his knee very well."

 

"What an awful lot of cloth you must take for your clothes!" said the last boy.

 

"That's so, my lad. I keep a manufactory running all the time to keep me supplied."

 

"Do you think that's true, Paul?" asked Jimmy, doubtfully.

 

"Not quite," answered Paul, smiling.

 

"Don't you need to eat a good deal?" was the next question.

 

"Oh, no, not much. Half a dozen chickens and a couple of turkeys are about all I generally eat for dinner. Perhaps I could eat more if I tried. If any of you boys will invite me to dinner I'll do my best."

 

"I'm glad you ain't my son," said one of the boys. "I shouldn't like to keep you in food and clothes."

 

"Well, now, I shouldn't mind having you for a father," said the giant, humorously looking down upon his questioner, a boy of twelve, and rather small of his age, with a humorous twinkle in his eye. "You wouldn't whip me very often, would you?"

 

Here there was a laugh at the expense of the small boy, and the group dispersed¹⁰.

 

"Now, you've seen a large man, Jimmy," said Paul. "I'm going next to show you a small one."

 

They moved on to a different part of the building, and joined another crowd, this time surrounding the illustrious Tom Thumb, at that time one of the attractions of the museum.

 

"There's a little man, smaller than you are, Jimmy," said Paul.

 

"So he is," said Jimmy. "Is that Tom Thumb?"

 

"Yes."

 

"I didn't think he was so small. I'm glad I'm not so little."

 

"No, it might not be very comfortable, though you could make a good deal of money by it. Tom is said to be worth over a hundred thousand dollars."

 

"I guess it doesn't cost him so much for clothes as the giant."

 

"Probably not. I don't think he would need to run a manufactory for his own use."

 

But there were multitudes of curiosities to be seen, and they could not linger long. Jimmy was particularly interested in the waxwork¹¹ figures, which at first he thought must be real, so natural was their appearance. There were lions and tigers in cages, who looked out from between the gratings as if they would like nothing better than to make a hearty¹² meal from one or more of the crowd who surrounded the cages. Jimmy clung to Paul's hand timidly.

 

"Couldn't they get out, Paul?" he asked.

 

"No, the cages are too strong. But even if they could, I don't think they would attack you. You would only be a mouthful for them."

 

"I don't see how Mr. Barnum dared to put them in the cages."

 

"I don't think Barnum would dare to come very near them. But he has keepers who are used to them."

 

But it was time for the afternoon performance to commence. The play was Uncle Tom's Cabin, which no doubt many of my readers have seen. They got very good seats, fronting the stage, though some distance back. When the curtain rose Jimmy's attention was at once absorbed. It was the first time he had ever seen a play, and it seemed to him a scene of rare enchantment¹³. To Paul, however, it was much less of a novelty. He had frequently been to Barnum's and the Old Bowery, though not as often as those boys who had no home in which to spend their evenings. Mrs. Hoffman was scarcely less interested than Jimmy in the various scenes of the play. It was not particularly well acted, for most of the actors were indifferent in point of talent; but then none of the three were critics, and could not have told the difference between them and first-class performers.

 

Both laughed heartily¹⁴ over the eccentricities¹⁵ of Topsy, probably the most original character in Mrs. Stowe's popular story, and Jimmy was affected¹⁶ to tears at the death of little Eva. To his unaccustomed eyes it seemed real, and he felt as if Eva was really dying. But, taking it altogether, it was an afternoon of great enjoyment¹⁷ to Jimmy, whose pleasures were not many.

 

"Well, Jimmy, how did you like it?" asked Paul, as they were working their way out slowly through the crowd.

 

"It was beautiful, Paul. I am so much obliged to you for taking me."

 

"I am glad you liked it, Jimmy. We will go again some time."

 

They were stepping out on the sidewalk, when a boy about Paul's size jostled them rudely.

 

"There's Limpy!" said he, with a rude laugh.

 

"You'd better not say that again, Peter Blake," he said menacingly.

 

"Why not?" demanded Peter defiantly¹⁸.

 

"It won't be safe," said Paul significantly.

 

"I'll call you Limpy if I like."

 

"You may call me so, and I won't mind it. But don't you call my little brother names."

 

"I don't mind, Paul," said Jimmy.

 

"But I do," said Paul. "No boy shall call you names when I am near."

 

Paul's resolute¹⁹ character was well understood by all the boys who knew him, and Peter would not have ventured to speak as he did, but he did not at first perceive that Jimmy was accompanied by his brother. When he did discover it he slunk away as soon as he could.

 

They were walking up Park Row, when Jim Parker, once an enemy, but now a friend of Paul, met them. He looked excited, and hurried up to meet them.

 

"When were you home, Paul?" he asked abruptly²⁰.

 

"Two or three hours since. I have just come from Barnum's."

 

"Then you don't know what's happened?"

 

Paul turned instantly.

 

"No. What is it?"

 

"Your house has caught fire, and is burning down. The engines are there, but I don't think they can save it."

 

"Let us hurry home, brother," said Paul. "It's lucky I've got my bank-book with me, so if we are burned out, we can get another home at once."

 

Excited by this startling intelligence, they quickened their steps, and soon stood in front of the burning building.

 

1 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

2 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

3 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

4 irresistibly   

adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地

参考例句：

• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside. 她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was irresistibly attracted by her charm. 他不能自已地被她的魅力所吸引。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

6 lavishly   

adv.慷慨地，大方地

参考例句：

• His house was lavishly adorned.他的屋子装饰得很华丽。
• The book is lavishly illustrated in full colour.这本书里有大量全彩插图。

7 conjectured   

推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The old peasant conjectured that it would be an unusually cold winter. 那老汉推测冬天将会异常地寒冷。
• The general conjectured that the enemy only had about five days' supply of food left. 将军推测敌人只剩下五天的粮食给养。

8 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

9 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

10 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

11 waxwork   

n.蜡像

参考例句：

• The waxworker brought a new waxwork into the room.蜡制品工人把一个新蜡像搬进了屋。
• She's only a waxwork.她只是一座蜡像罢了。

12 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

13 enchantment   

n.迷惑，妖术，魅力

参考例句：

• The beauty of the scene filled us with enchantment.风景的秀丽令我们陶醉。
• The countryside lay as under some dread enchantment.乡村好像躺在某种可怖的魔法之下。

14 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

15 eccentricities   

n.古怪行为( eccentricity的名词复数 )；反常；怪癖

参考例句：

• My wife has many eccentricities. 我妻子有很多怪癖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His eccentricities had earned for him the nickname"The Madman". 他的怪癖已使他得到'疯子'的绰号。 来自辞典例句

16 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

17 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

18 defiantly   

adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地

参考例句：

• Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 resolute   

adj.坚决的，果敢的

参考例句：

• He was resolute in carrying out his plan.他坚决地实行他的计划。
• The Egyptians offered resolute resistance to the aggressors.埃及人对侵略者作出坚决的反抗。

20 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。