heir
limbs to accomplish feats which astonish ordinary persons whose limbs
are less pliable.

The trapeze gives opportunity for the display of very clever
exhibition, of strength and agility; at first sight the gymnast would
appear to be flying from one cross-bar to the other, and when watching
such flights I have asked myself: "If a person can do that, why cannot
he fly?" Perhaps human beings will some day be seen flying about in the
air like birds. It only requires an extension of the trapeze "stunt".
Travelling in the air by means of airships or aeroplanes is tame sport
in comparison with bird-like flights, whether with or without
artificial wings.

There are many advantages in being able to travel in the air. One is a
clear and pure atmosphere such as cannot be obtained in a railway car,
or in a cabin on board a ship; another is the opportunity afforded of
looking down on this earth, seeing it as in a panorama, with the people
looking like ants. Such an experience must broaden the mental outlook
of the privileged spectator, and enable him to guess how fragmentary
and perverted must be our restricted view of things in general. There
is, however, danger of using such opportunities for selfish and
mischievous purposes. A wicked man might throw a bomb or do some other
wicked nonsense just as some one else, who really sees things as they
are and not as they seem to be, might employ his superior knowledge to
benefit himself and injure his fellows; but the mention of the trapeze
and its bird-like performers has diverted me from my theme.

I suppose that a reference to the circus would be incomplete which
overlooked the clowns, those poor survivals of a professional class of
jesters who played what appears to have been a necessary part in
society in ruder days, when amusements were less refined and less
numerous. The Chinese have never felt the need of professional
foolers, and I cannot say that I admire the circus clown, but the
intelligence which careful training develops in the horse, the dog,
etc., interests me a good deal. An instance of this came under my own
observation during a recent visit to Shanghai of "Fillis' Circus". Mr.
Fillis had a mare which for many years had acted the part of the horse
of a highway robber. The robber, flying from his enemies, urges the
animal beyond its strength, and the scene culminated with the dying
horse being carried from the arena to the great grief of its master.
When