CHAPTER XX. A CHAT WITH A CANDY BUTCHER.

 Kit¹ had a berth² assigned him in one of the circus cars. His nearest neighbor was Harry³ Thorne, a young man of twenty-four, who filled the position of candy butcher. As this term may sound strange to my readers, I will explain that it is applied⁴ to the venders of candy, lemonade, peanuts, and other articles such as are patronized by those who come to see the show. It is really a very profitable business, as will be explained in the course of the story.

 

Harry Thorne was social and ready to give Kit any information about the circus.

 

"How long is it since you joined a circus?" asked Kit, after getting acquainted.

 

"I was younger than you," answered Thorne.

 

"Why did you join? What gave you the idea?"

 

"A spirit of adventure, I think. Besides, there was a large family of us—I am the oldest—and it was necessary for me to do something."

 

"That's a queer name—candy butcher."

 

"It seems so to you, but I am used to it."

 

"Did you become a candy butcher at once?"

 

"Not till I was eighteen. Before that I ran errands and made myself generally useful. I thought of being an acrobat⁵, like you, but I was too stout⁶ and not active enough."

 

"I shouldn't think there would be much money made in your business," said Kit.[Pg 100]

 

"That shows you don't know much about circus matters. Last fall I ran in with seven hundred dollars saved, besides paying all my expenses during the six months I was out."

 

"You ought to be pretty well off now, if you have been a candy butcher for five or six years."

 

"I haven't a cent, and am owing two hundred dollars in Philadelphia."

 

"How is that?"

 

"You don't often find a circus man that saves money. It's easy come, easy go. But I send money home every season—three or four hundred dollars at least, if I do well."

 

"That's a good thing any way. But if I were in your place I would put away some money every season."

 

"I could do it, but it's hard to make up my mind."

 

"I can't see how you can make such sums. It puzzles me."

 

"We are paid a fixed⁷ salary, say twenty-five dollars a month, and commission on sales. I was always pretty lucky in selling, and my income has sometimes been very large. But I don't make much in large places. It is in the smaller towns that the money is made. When a country beau brings his girl to the circus, he don't mind expense. He makes up his mind to spend several dollars in having a good time—so he buys lemonade, peanuts, apples, and everything that he or his girl fancies. In the city, where there are plenty of places where such things can be bought, we don't sell much. In New York or Philadelphia I make very little more than my salary."

 

"What is there most profit on?" asked Kit.

 

"Well, I should say lemonade. You've heard of circus lemonade?"

 

"Is there anything peculiar⁸ about it?"[Pg 101]

 

"Yes, something peculiarly weak. A good-sized lemon will make half a dozen glasses, and perhaps more. But there is something cheaper still, and that is citric acid. I remember one hot day in an Ohio town. The thermometer stood at 99 degrees and there wasn't a drop of spring or well water to be had, for we had cornered it. All who were thirsty had to drink lemonade, and it took a good many glasses to quench⁹ thirst. I made a harvest that day, and so did the other candy butchers. If we could have a whole summer of such days, I could retire on a small fortune in October."

 

"Do you like the circus business?"

 

"Sometimes I get tired of it, but when the spring opens I generally have the circus fever."

 

"What do you do in the winter?"

 

"It is seldom I get anything to do. I am an expense, and that is why I find myself in debt when the new season opens. Last winter I was more lucky. A young fellow—an old circus acquaintance of mine—has a store in the country, and he offered to supply me with a stock of goods to sell on commission in country villages near by. In that way I filled up about three months, making my expenses, but doing nothing more. However, that was a great thing for me, and I start this season only two hundred dollars in debt, as I think I told you a few minutes ago."

 

"Is it the same way with performers?"

 

"No; they have a better chance. Next winter, if you try, you can probably make an engagement to perform at some dime¹⁰ museum or variety hall, in New York or elsewhere. I once got the position of ticket seller for a part of the winter."

 

"I don't think I should like to perform in a dime museum," said Kit.[Pg 102]

 

"What's the odds¹¹, if you are well paid for it?"

 

"I don't intend to make my present business a permanent one."

 

"That's different. What will you do next fall?"

 

"I may go to school."

 

Harry Thorne whistled.

 

"That will be a novelty," he said. "I haven't been to school since I was twelve years old."

 

"Wouldn't you like to go now?"

 

"No; I'm too old. Are you much of a scholar?"

 

"I'm a pretty good Latin scholar, and know something of Greek."

 

"I'll bet there isn't another acrobat in the country that can say that. What salary do you get, if you don't mind telling?"

 

"Twenty-five dollars a week."

 

"You're in luck. How came Barlow to give you so much?"

 

"I think he took a liking¹² to me. Perhaps he wanted to pay me for facing the lion at Smyrna."

 

"Were you the boy who did that? I thought your face looked familiar. You've got pluck, Kit."

 

"I hope so; but I'm not sure whether it is I or the snuff that is entitled to the most credit."

 

"Anyhow it took some courage, even if you did have the snuff with you."

 

"Do you know what is to be our route this season?"

 

"I think we are going West as far as St. Louis, taking all the larger towns and cities on our way. We are to show a week in Chicago. But I don't care so much for the cities as the country towns—the one-night places."

 

"Does Mr. Barlow go with us?"

 

"Not steadily¹³. He drops in on us here and there.[Pg 103] There's one thing I can say for him—he won't have any man in his employ drink or gamble. We have to bind¹⁴ ourselves to total abstinence while we are in his employ—that is, till the end of the season. Gambling¹⁵ is the great vice¹⁶ of circus men; it is more prevalent even than drinking."

 

"Don't the men do it on the sly?"

 

"They run a risk if they do. At the first offense¹⁷ they are fined, at the second or third they are bounced."

 

"That doesn't trouble me any. I neither drink nor gamble."

 

"Good for you."

 

"Say, when are you two fellows goin' to stop talkin'?" was heard from a neighboring berth. "You don't give a fellow a chance to sleep."

 

Kit and his new friend took the hint and addressed themselves to slumber¹⁸.

1 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

2 berth   

n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊

参考例句：

• She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
• They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。

3 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

4 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

5 acrobat   

n.特技演员，杂技演员

参考例句：

• The acrobat balanced a long pole on his left shoulder.杂技演员让一根长杆在他的左肩上保持平衡。
• The acrobat could bend himself into a hoop.这个杂技演员可以把身体蜷曲成圆形。

7 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

8 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

9 quench   

vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制

参考例句：

• The firemen were unable to quench the fire.消防人员无法扑灭这场大火。
• Having a bottle of soft drink is not enough to quench my thirst.喝一瓶汽水不够解渴。

10 dime   

n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角

参考例句：

• A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。
• The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。

11 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

12 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

13 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

14 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。

15 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

16 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

17 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

18 slumber   

n.睡眠，沉睡状态

参考例句：

• All the people in the hotels were wrapped in deep slumber.住在各旅馆里的人都已进入梦乡。
• Don't wake him from his slumber because he needs the rest.不要把他从睡眠中唤醒，因为他需要休息。