THE YOUNG ACROBAT

CHAPTER I.

KIT WATSON.

There was great excitement in Smyrna, especially among the boys.
Barlow's Great American Circus in its triumphal progress from State to
State was close at hand, and immense yellow posters announcing its
arrival were liberally displayed on fences and barns, while smaller
bills were put up in the post office, the hotel, and the principal
stores, and distributed from house to house.

It was the largest circus that had ever visited Smyrna. At least a dozen
elephants marched with ponderous steps in its preliminary procession,
while clowns, acrobats, giants, dwarfs, fat women, cannibals, and hairy
savages from Thibet and Madagascar, were among the strange wonders which
were to be seen at each performance for the small sum of fifty cents,
children half price.

For weeks the young people had been looking forward to the advent of
this marvelous aggregation of curiosities, and the country papers from
farther east had given glowing accounts of the great show, which was
emphatically pronounced greater and more gorgeous than in any previous
year. But it may be as well to reproduce, in part, the description given
in the posters:

BARLOW'S GREAT NORTH AMERICAN CIRCUS.
Now in its triumphal march across the continent, will
give two grand performances,
AT SMYRNA
On the afternoon and evening of May 18th.
Never in all its history has this
Unparalleled show embraced a greater variety of attractions,
or included a larger number of world famous
Acrobats, Clowns, Bare back Riders, Rope walkers, Trapeze
Artists, and Star Performers,
In addition to a colossal menagerie, comprising
Elephants, Tigers, Lions, Leopards,
and other wild animals in great variety.
All this and far more, including a hundred
DARING ACTS,
Can be seen for the trifling sum of Fifty cents;
Children half price.
COME ONE! COME ALL!

THE YOUNG ACROBAT