Their Silver Wedding Journey — CompleteHowells, William Dean
General
Their Silver Wedding Journey — Complete
Howells, William Dean
Americans -- Europe -- Fiction; Transatlantic voyages -- Fiction
The kindly civility which environed them went far to alleviate the
inclemency of the climate; it began to rain as soon as they left the
shelter of the car, but a citizen of whom they asked the nearest way to
the Circus Renz was so anxious to have them go aright that they did not
mind the wet, and the thought of his goodness embittered March's
self-reproach for under-tipping the sort of gorgeous heyduk, with a staff
like a drum-major's, who left his place at the circus door to get their
tickets. He brought them back with a magnificent bow, and was then as
visibly disappointed with the share of the change returned to him as a
child would have been.
They went to their places with the sting of his disappointment rankling
in their hearts. "One ought always to overpay them," March sighed, "and I
will do it from this time forth; we shall not be much the poorer for it.
That heyduk is not going to get off with less than a mark when we come
out." As an earnest of his good faith he gave the old man who showed them
to their box a tip that made him bow double, and he bought every
conceivable libretto and play-bill offered him at prices fixed by his
remorse.
"One ought to do it," he said. "We are of the quality of good geniuses to
these poor souls; we are Fortune in disguise; we are money found in the
road. It is an accursed system, but they are more its victims than we."
His wife quite agreed with him, and with the same good conscience between
them they gave themselves up to the pure joy which the circus, of all
modern entertainments, seems alone to inspire. The house was full from
floor to roof when they came ins and every one was intent upon the two
Spanish clowns, Lui-Lui and Soltamontes, whose drolleries spoke the
universal language of circus humor, and needed no translation into either
German or English. They had missed by an event or two the more patriotic
attraction of "Miss Darlings, the American Star," as she was billed in
English, but they were in time for one of those equestrian performances
which leave the spectator almost exanimate from their prolixity, and the
pantomimic piece which closed the evening.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account