Watch Yourself Go ByField, Al. G. (Alfred Griffith)
General
Watch Yourself Go By
Field, Al. G. (Alfred Griffith)
Circus performers -- United States -- Biography; Field, Al. G. (Alfred Griffith), 1848-1921; Wit and humor
Jake's breathing and his efforts to release himself from the
heavy canvas covering him could be heard above the din and
confusion. Palmer was here, there, everywhere, assuring the
audience that a slight accident had befallen the mechanical part
of the panorama. "Just remain seated, we'll give you a good
show." He forgot himself and called it a show after all his
orders to us not to speak the word "show." The strong arms of
Bedford Tom, and Jake soon righted the panorama. Mrs. Palmer
played the organ, and right there is where one of my songs would
come in right. I sung for Jake and Tom last night and Jake
declared: "The people in Bedford would like one of dem nigger
songs better dan Palmer's hull tarn pictur show. De hull tam
ting is a fraudt; no such a man as Bunjun was ever in Bedford
yail. I and Tom knows every man dot's been in dot yail and dey
don't put 'em in yail fur what he sedt." Jake's mixed up; he
imagines Palmer refers to Bedford, Pa.
The panorama worked along smoothly until Pliable and Christian,
(I and Jake), fell into the Slough of Despond. You know, in the
book, Pliable and Christian are traveling together; they fall in
the Slough of Despond; Pliable struggles and gets out.
Christian, owing to the burden he carries on his back, flounders
about and is fast sinking when Help appears and asks: "What
doest thou there?" Jake answered: "Noting." Palmer hissed: "Roll
over! Roll over! Hold your head under the canvas; duck, you son
of a gun, duck!" Palmer answered with the speech Jake was
supposed to deliver, as Jake rolled over and over: "Sir, I was
bid by a man named Evangelist, who directed me to yonder gate
that I might escape the wrath to come and as I was going thither
I fell in here." Then I come as Help; I say: "Why did you not
look for the steps?" Jake is supposed to say: "Fear followed me
so hard that I fled the next way and fell in." Then as Help, I
lean far over, hold out my hand and say: "Give me thine hand
that I may draw thee upon hard ground that thou might go thy
way." Instead of Jake following the business as rehearsed, he
arose, took the burden off his back, walked out the opposite
side, back towards the City of Destruction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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