Show SEEING THE ELEPHANT by M QUAD copyright 1910 by associated literary fress deacon silas goodhue Good liue was a good nan man you may say that all deacons are re good men and such la is the case up to ft a certain point the good deacon lived two miles jiom from tile the gillage aud and his church but every sunday lie be was there some deacons beacons have set out for that drive in a blizzard or a thunderstorm but deacon goodhue neier missed a sunday ou on this particular occasion however much to his sorrow the deacon found himself interested in the circus bills posted up on the highway barns ile he U asat resented esen ted d 1 his I 1 s interest lie ile tried to chase it away lie he wrestled with kith it as he be hoed corn cor lie ile could have got the better of it but for one thing the coming had bad on exhibition na an african elephant weighing two tons he had bad lost an eye and one tusk he be had killed five alve keepers and it was expected he be would kill hill the sixth within a month there was something in this statement to appeal and interest what I 1 want he said is to io see that elephant I 1 want to look him over for about half an hour and then I 1 shall be willing to drive back home brother goodhue replied the minister jis as I 1 understand it there are two tro tents one is tor for the menagerie and nd tile the other for the circus yes so one ticket admits to both it does docs and A the menagerie Is the first tent you enter 1 11 I guess so well the case seems to be right here bere can you enter cuter the first tent and gaze on the elephant and not I 1 long ong to enter the second where the circus Is it is surely no sin to gaze on an elephant but when it comes to a circus performance deacon that is different you know you must fight this out alone you are a strong man but out the lu two ringed circus is an awful temptation ile he had bad it a we week ek to think it over sometimes he be was strong in fit his bis self confidence and again his big knees wab bled why pay 50 cents to tc see the elephant alone when it would admit to all was it worth that sum to gaze on even an elephant that had killed give five men it was decision and indecision for a week and then the minister inquired it if his mind was made up not sly was the reply you tou doubt your strength it I 1 do want to see the elephant and I 1 doret dont want to see them gals cals in spangles Ep angles and im sw sweating aiho oyer it then it be wiser to to give up bp the ideal idea the deacon went home and wrestled at another iother day and then decided not to go near the behemoth the circus came and his bis neighbors went and a peddler came along the road find and told lin him that etwas it was the grandest aggregation on the face of 0 the known world and the words brought a lonely feeling the good mans reward was at hand however just at sundown he ha heard a great yelling down the road and he be looked to see a great cloud of dust dusl A haystack haye tack on wheels was coining his way pursued by men and dogs the deacon was at the barnyard gate with a milk pall on his bis arm As the haystack came nearer he h murmured to himself agosh Bg osh its an elephant and hes bes broke away from the circus hes the very one I 1 wanted to see and now there wont be no temptation about it yes tea the two had broken loose and was looking for summer board ne ile was wag hiking straight ahead when bhea he caught sight of the deacon md end the open gate and the cows in the barnyard he swerved aside and butted in brother goodhue did not understand der stand the situation until two seconds too late lie he was seized and thrown twenty feet high to comedown come down on the wagon shed with a broken leg then the four cows were picked up and toyed with they were tossed over into the road or slammed against the burn barn and the deacon on the roof forgot his bis pain as he gazed ills his wagon was smashed to bits and his bis hayrack bayrack bulled led apart and the behemoth played ball 11 with a plow or two of course the circus men were after h him im all the time but the two wo was out for tun fun and he submit to bondage until lie he had bad had it HIS bis last act was wa to burst through the tha fence and walk up to the kitchen of the farmhouse and pick up the well curb and the old did oaken bucket and tend send them sky high among the limbs ot of a cherry tree then be gave in and was led away looking as innocent as a lamb the circus proprietors agreed to pay all damages but as a matter of fact not a cent was ever had bad from them during his three months in bad deacon goodhue bad many callers among them as a matter of course was VMS hla his minister As he sat down by the bedside he be asked deacon what T hat do you figure up abil tb damage to be bout five bun bundled died I 1 guess urn um I 1 wish I 1 could pay it oh no one expects such a thing no I 1 cant pay it but ill tell you eliat I 1 can do I 1 can advise you that flint when the next circus comes along you go 90 to it you not only so 90 in and tee see the elephant but the kangaroos kane aroos the camels cn meli tile the giraffes and the hyenas end and then you get a front seat at the tha circus performance and stay until the last act is over |