he Circus

During the following year a circus that was passing through the country
stopped at a town near by; and John, together with a number of his
associates, attended some of the exhibitions. John's interest was at
once captivated, and he felt that it would be great to join the company
and to act the part of the clown; and he soon began to plan to secretly
join them the following season. His visions of great wealth enlarged day
by day, and in fancy he pictured a future of wonderful fame.

In due time the show company returned. They gladly accepted John's
proposal to join them; and so John, with his few earthly possessions,
to the surprise of all who knew him, disappeared from his home locality.
But John seemed doomed to disappointment; the showman's life was not
at all as he had pictured it. Instead of becoming fabulously rich in a
fairy-like way, he was taken very ill and had soon lost all the money he
did have. As soon, therefore, as he was able, he returned to his friends
at home, thoroughly disgusted with his undertakings; he was a wiser lad
than he was when he went away.

But, although John was disgusted, he was not disheartened. When he
was laughed at by his friends, he bravely bore their ridicule, and
endeavored to look on the bright side of things. Also, he explained to
them that show life, on the outside and to the sightseer, was not at
all what it was among the members of the company; but that behind the
curtains oaths were uttered, and abuse and nearly every kind of evils
could be witnessed.

When he was back once more among his old associates, he endeavored
to pass away the time in as pleasant a way as possible. Card playing,
gambling, and dancing were his amusements, but tobacco and whiskey were
his enjoyments; and as before, he was considered among his friends as a
jolly good fellow. But John was not truly happy; beneath his superficial
joyousness was a longing for something that he was unable to name or
describe.

Let us stop a moment and look at John. A glance tells us that a great
change has taken place. The ruddy complexion and childish features
were replaced by a sallow hue upon the sunken cheek; and the roguish
expression of the large brown eyes was lost in the haggard look that
well accorded with the telltale cough and the stooping shoulders. The
poisons of the tobacco and whiskey were doing their fatal work. His
entire system was heavily charged with nicotine and alcohol; and the
effect