A 
 
 PEEP AT THE CIRCUS; 
 
 OR, 
 
 A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF “A TEACHER’S GIFT," &c. 
 
 Written for the New England Sabbath School Union, and re¬ 
 vised by the Committee of Publication. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 NEW ENGLAND S. S. UNION, , 
 No. 79 Cornhill. 
 
 , 1843 . 
 
A 
 
 PEEP AT THE CIRCUS. 
 
 “ O, come, come to the door in a min¬ 
 ute,” said Ellen, as I stood at the counter of 
 a shop making some purchases. I hastened 
 to see what had thus attracted the attention of 
 my young friend, and found it to be a compa¬ 
 ny of Circus-riders. 
 
 “ O look, do look !” cried she, as one gay 
 horse after another went prancing by. 
 
 I did look, and I will tell you what I saw. 
 In front of the hotel, near by, was a kind of 
 carriage, into which was harnessed a span of 
 horses. On the top of this carriage were 
 seated six or eight young men, each with a 
 musical instrument in his hand, on which he 
 
 V 
 
 1 * 
 
6 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 wasplaying. Just as this carriage was about 
 to start, several other horses, with their riders, 
 came from the stable. Many of these horses 
 were handsomely spotted, and all were fine 
 looking animals. 
 
 After the company had all assembled, the 
 carriage started and the single horses followed. 
 In this manner they were to pass through the 
 principal streets, that people might look at 
 them and listen to the music. As they went 
 on, the horses tossed their heads and looked 
 as if they were proud of being so beautiful. 
 Many people who were fond of seeing new 
 things, came to the doors and windows as they 
 passed, and the boys followed them from street 
 to street, gazing upon the show and pointing 
 out to each other the beauties of the different 
 horses with much animation. 
 
 But while describing the horses, I had al¬ 
 most forgotten to say any thing of their riders. 
 These were mostly young men,—fine, healthy 
 looking young men, who appeared fully able 
 to labor. They were dressed fashionably, 
 with nice coats, clear collars, and shining 
 boots ; and they seemed as well pleased with 
 their business, and a§ vain of their looks, as 
 
OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 
 
 7 
 
 the beasts they rode. For, as they came into 
 the centre of the village, they made their 
 horses rear and plunge, as if on purpose to 
 show how easily they could manage them, and 
 how gracefully they could sit the while. The 
 most of these riders appeared to be younger 
 than twenty,—none older than twenty-five, 
 and there were two or three who were yet 
 boys, and did not look older than ten or twelve 
 years. 
 
 But perhaps you begin to say, as Ellen did, 
 u What was all this for ?” 
 
 Do you mean, why did the circus-nders go 
 through the streets ? I suppose it was that 
 people might see what fine horses they had, 
 and how well they could manage them, and be 
 induced to come and see them in the evening. 
 
 “ But,” say you, “ what were they going to 
 do in the evening ? and why did they wish 
 people to come and see them ?” 
 
 I do not know, myself, a great deal about 
 the circus, for I never visited one, and never 
 intend to ; but I think I shall be able to give 
 you such a description as will help you to un¬ 
 derstand some other things which I wish to 
 teach you afterwards ; and I wish you to read, 
 
8 
 
 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 not only the description of it, but the remarks 
 which follow. 
 
 When the circus company is in a city, 
 where there are idle people enough to go and 
 see their performances several nights in a 
 week, they have a place constantly prepared to 
 ride in ; but when they go out into the towns 
 and villages, for a few nights at a time, as these 
 did whom Ellen saw, they have a place made 
 ready, either before or soon after their arrival, to 
 perform in. Papers, called handbills, are then 
 put up, to inform people that they have ar¬ 
 rived, and that those who wish, may come 
 and see them at a time stated. But do not 
 suppose that an f one who chooses may go and 
 see them perform, for nothing. O no, indeed, 
 every one who attends their exhibition must 
 pay them, for their object in thus riding about 
 is to obtain money. 
 
 When the people are assembled, the men 
 and boys ride on the horses in a good many 
 different ways. Sometimes a man or boy 
 rides standing on the back of a horse, with 
 but one foot touching him ; at another time he 
 leaps from one horse to another, while both 
 are going full speed ; or he stands ready and 
 
OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 
 
 9 
 
 leaps into the saddle, while a horse is running 
 by. Sometimes a man puts on and takes off 
 several different suits of clothes, while sitting 
 on a horse which is going at full gallop. The 
 horses are so trained that they understand their 
 masters’ orders, and know just what to do, 
 where and how fast to go, and when to stop. 
 
 There are not only men and boys who be¬ 
 come circus-riders, but sometimes women too; 
 who, instead of living quietly and soberly, 
 staying much at home, and wearing the orna¬ 
 ments of meek and quiet spirits, as the Bible 
 commands them, spend their time in dressing 
 gaudily, and riding about from place to place, 
 to exhibit themselves in the circus. Perhaps 
 you can hardly believe that any woman could 
 love such business as this ; but I assure you 
 there are those who do follow it, for I myself 
 have seen five or six ladies at a time riding in 
 the streets, with other circus-riders, and have 
 been told by those who witnessed the evening 
 performance that they rode there. Many fool¬ 
 ish songs were sung, and other things done, 
 which were thought by some to be very amu¬ 
 sing ; but I do not know enough about them 
 to describe them, and if I did, I should not 
 
10 
 
 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 wish to spend my time in writing, or have you 
 spend yours in reading, the description. I 
 have written what I have done already, not 
 for the sake of teaching you about the circus, 
 but that you might better understand the re¬ 
 mainder of the book. 
 
 And now what do you think of the circus ? 
 Do you think you should like to attend one, if 
 you had an opportunity ? 
 
 “O yes,” perhaps you may answer, U I 
 should like it very much.” 
 
 Well, how should you like to be one of 
 those little boys, and learn to ride, like them, 
 on a fine horse ? 
 
 “O, I should like that the best of any 
 thing,” it may be you say. 
 
 But do you know that those who ride in the 
 circus make this their, whole business ? You 
 could not go with the circus-riders a day or 
 two, and then go home and stay with your fa¬ 
 ther and mother a few days, and return to the 
 circus till you wished to make your friends 
 another visit. If you take that as your busi¬ 
 ness, you must learn it, like any other business, 
 and earn your living by it. 
 
 “ Well,” perhaps you may say, u I should 
 
OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 11 
 
 like that better yet, for I should have nothing 
 to do but to dress up, and ride about ; I am 
 sure that would be much more pleasant than 
 to work, and wear dirty clothes, and, after all, 
 not make so much money.’’ 
 
 It may not be strange that a child should 
 think so, at first ; but I do not believe, unless 
 you are very wicked, that you will think just 
 so, after you have read attentively all I have to 
 say upon the subject. 
 
 Many of you, who read this book, may not 
 live to be- men and women, but I suppose the 
 most of you who do, will be obliged to engage in 
 some kind of work or business, in order to 
 support youselves. It may be that you may 
 have already left school, and are at work every 
 week day, to earn your own food and clothing. 
 If this is not thq case, I presume many of you 
 have begun to think what kind of business you 
 intend to follow, should God permit you to 
 live, and become men and women. 
 
 There are several things which you should 
 always recollect when you are thinking of a 
 business for life. I will mention them, one 
 after another, that you may think of and re¬ 
 member them. 
 
12 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 First. You must choose something which? 
 you can learn to do, and do well. 
 
 One man can write very fast and with great 
 ease, and loves this employment; but he has 
 feeble health, and it would be very hard work for 
 him to lift a blacksmith’s sledge and hammer 
 so he seeks a place in a counting-room, wherer 
 writing is his whole business. Another man 
 is healthy and strong, and is fond of hard work; 
 but his fingers are so stiff and clumsy that he 
 cannot write a page in an hour, and writing 
 seems to him the most wearisome business he 
 could do. \ou can see at once that it would 
 be exceedingly foolish for the former to wear 
 himself out in a blacksmith’s shop, and that it 
 would be quite as foolish for the latter to shut 
 himself up in a counting-room. Just so it 
 would be with you, if you were to choose a 
 business not suited to your capacity. 
 
 Second. Ttou must select a business which 
 your parents and friends will approve. 
 
 There was once a boy whose name was 
 Simeon, and whose parents wished him to work 
 in a factory. I dare say his parents would 
 have been glad to have sent him to school had 
 they been able, instead of sending him to work, 
 
OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 13 
 
 for they loved their son. But he might have 
 been happy, as it was, if he had done right; 
 for he had a happy home, and when he had 
 done work at night, he found a warm supper, 
 and a cheerful fireside, with a company of 
 brothers and sisters ready to receive him* 
 When Simeon was twelve or fourteen years 
 old a party of circus-riders came into the vil¬ 
 lage where he lived. Simeon was delighted 
 to see the circus. After working in the fac* 
 tory during the day, he would be out late at 
 night, watching the prancing horses and their 
 expert riders, and listening to the conversation 
 of the men. 
 
 After a while, some of the men noticed how 
 this boy loved to look at them, and they asked 
 him if he would like to have a horse to ride. 
 Simeon answered that he should, but his father 
 had none. The man told him that if he would 
 go with them they would let him have a horse 
 for his own, and teach him to ride as they did* 
 Simeon was much pleased with this. He 
 was simple enough to think that he could be 
 happier with these men, of whom he knew 
 but very little, than he was with his kind pa¬ 
 rents, who had taken care of him from his 
 2 
 
< 
 
 14 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 infancy ; so he told them he would try to join 
 them. He knew his parents would not be 
 willing he should go, and he therefore did not 
 ask their permission, but determined to try to 
 leave home secretly. The circus-riders left 
 the village, and he did not find an opportunity 
 to join them ; still he continued to cherish his 
 wicked design of following them as soon as he 
 could. 
 
 On the next Sabbath, Simeon went to meet¬ 
 ing, as usual, and he sat in the pew with his 
 parents. After sitting in meeting a little while 
 he told his father that he did not feel well, and 
 asked permission to go out. This was a lie. 
 It was a plan to deceive his kind father. 
 
 As soon as he was out of the meeting-house 
 he went home, and, after hastily tying together 
 a few clothes, he started, on foot, in search of 
 his new friends. 
 
 While this wicked boy was trudging along 
 with his bundle, feeling, I dare say, guilty, 
 and perhaps half wishing that he had not run 
 away from home, his parents returned from 
 meeting, and were surprised and frightened to 
 find that their son was not at home. After 
 several anxious hours’ search, they were in- 
 
OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 
 
 15 
 
 formed that he had been seen going out of 
 town, and, suspecting he might be with the 
 circus-riders, they despatched a man with a 
 horse and wagon in search of him. Simeon 
 was finally found with them, ten miles from his 
 home. Did this boy do right ? 
 
 I have heard of a boy who was very anxious 
 to go to sea. His tender mother was unwilling 
 to have her son so far away, on the tempestuous 
 ocean ; and she could not give her consent, so 
 he ran away, and engaged himself to the mas¬ 
 ter of a vessel without his mother’s knowledge. 
 Did this boy do right ? O no, you cannot sup¬ 
 pose that either of these disobedient boys did 
 as they ought. As I hope you often read the 
 Bible, perhaps you remember that it says, 
 “My son, remember the counsel of thy father, 
 and forsake not the law of thy mother;” and, 
 in many other places, it speaks of the duty of 
 children to parents, and of the sin of disobedi¬ 
 ence to them. You must agree with me in 
 thinking that it would be wrong to choose a 
 business for life without the advice and con¬ 
 sent of your friends. 
 
 Third. You must choose an employment 
 
16 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 that will be useful . Do you understand what 
 I mean by this ? I will try to explain it. 
 
 One man is a blacksmith. He shoes a far¬ 
 mer’s horse; the farmer pays him for doing it, 
 because he has earned the money. The black¬ 
 smith takes the money, and buys food and 
 clothing, and pays school bills for his children. 
 Thus his labor supports his family. But he 
 does good besides this; for if the farmer’s 
 horse had not been shod, he could not have 
 performed labor. 
 
 A carpenter builds a house for a man. The 
 man pays him money for it, and he uses the 
 money for himself; but the work has done 
 good, besides bringing the money ; for the man 
 has a house which shelters him and his little 
 ones from the cold ; a home where he may 
 peacefully enjoy the society of his wife and 
 children. 
 
 A merchant purchases a large quantity of 
 goods, in a city, and puts them in his store. 
 He spends his time attending the store, or 
 hires some one to do it, and people come and 
 buy what they wish. They give him more 
 for his goods than he paid for them, and this 
 money supports him ; but he also obliges them 
 
OR) A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 17 
 
 very much, for if all the men and women who 
 buy of him, were obliged to send away for the 
 articles they purchased, it would make them 
 much more trouble; and require a great deal 
 more time, and cost them more, than to buy 
 of him. 
 
 A mantua-maker makes dresses for other 
 people. The money she receives for her work 
 supports her; but her labor does good, too, 
 for many a poor little girl would be obliged to 
 wait a long time for her new dress, if her mo¬ 
 ther could not hire a mantua-maker, and were 
 obliged to make the dresses for her family her¬ 
 self, besides doing all her other work. 
 
 School teachers are paid for their labor, but 
 they are not the only ones who receive a ben¬ 
 efit from it, if they are faithful teachers. The 
 scholars who learn of them to read, and learn 
 the way to do right, will have reason to be 
 thankful to them through life; and it may be 
 that the little boy or girl, who is now in school, 
 will yet make a missionary, like Mr. or Mrs. 
 Judson. A teacher can be very useful. 
 
 Do you now understand that the blacksmith, 
 the carpenter, the merchant, the mantua-maker, 
 2 * 
 
u 
 
 18 
 
 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 and the teacher, have all chosen useful em¬ 
 ployments ? 
 
 A little while since, I saw a man with a hand- 
 organ swung upon his back, passing through 
 the streets. He would walk a little way, and 
 then stop and play on the organ. The people 
 who came to the windows, and the boys who 
 collected to hear him play, would give him a 
 few cents each, to pay him for his music. I 
 have known a man and his wife travel on foot 
 from one town to another, stopping in front of 
 the houses on their way, the woman singing 
 songs, while the man accompanied her on a 
 tambourine. 
 
 I remember, when I was a child, I saw a 
 man who came along with two or three dogs, 
 a monkey, and a little stage with a wheel on it. 
 The monkey was dressed like a man, and 
 one of the dogs wore a saddle and bridle, 
 like a horse, and the monkey rode on him. 
 Where the people in the houses were willing 
 to leave their employment, and pay him money 
 for it, the man stopped before their door, to 
 show them what he and bis dogs and monkey 
 could do. One of the dogs turned the wheel 
 
OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 19 
 
 with his paw, and the man played on some kind 
 of an instrument, while the monkey danced. 
 
 Perhaps all these men supported themselves 
 by their business, but do you think they were 
 useful ? I do not think they were. They might 
 amuse people for a little while, but I cannot 
 believe any one was made wiser or better, or 
 received any real benefit from such exhibitions. 
 
 I hope none of you will choose an employ¬ 
 ment that is not useful , so long as you can find 
 so many that are . You may think differently 
 about what is useful. - One of you may suppose 
 you can do the most good in one way, and 
 another in some other way; but I hope you 
 will all try to choose such an employment as 
 you think will be useful. 
 
 Fourth. As every one should gain a liveli¬ 
 hood by his industry, you must choose such 
 an employment as icill support you. You work 
 to earn your living, and it would not be right 
 for you to spend your time in working for one 
 person and another, who did not pay you, 
 while, in the meantime, you were supported 
 by other people. 
 
 I knew a man who was a shoemaker. If he 
 
20 
 
 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 had been willing to work constantly at his trade, 
 he might have supported himself and his fam¬ 
 ily comfortably. But he did not like to earn 
 money in this slow way ; he thought he could 
 get it faster by trading. So he laid aside his 
 awl and hammer, and his shoemaker’s bench, 
 and became a trader. But he did not under¬ 
 stand this business. Almost every bargain he 
 made was a bad one, and instead of growing 
 rich, he grew poorer. Then he got into debt, 
 forgetting, I suppose, that the Bible says, 
 “Owe no man anything, but to love one an¬ 
 other.” Time passed away, and with all his 
 efforts he did not succeed in his new business; 
 and, as his family must be supported, he plun¬ 
 ged deeper and still deeper into debt. When 
 his creditors came to ask him for the money 
 which he ow r ed them, he had nothing for them 
 but hopes and promises. It is an old saying, 
 that “a shoemaker should stick to his last.” 
 Yet he did not go back to his trade. He still 
 thought he should make money by the next 
 bargain, though, (ifhe had been willing to see 
 it,) he might have known there w r as no prospect 
 of it. Thus he lived, taking the money that 
 others had earned by their hard labor, to sup- 
 
21 
 
 
 OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE 
 
 port his family, hoping that he might sometime 
 be able to pay them. 
 
 This man did wrong. It is almost as bad 
 as robbing, or stealing, to borrow money, when 
 we have not good reason to think we can repay 
 it. Let it not be so with you, my readers; 
 if others have money which they wish to spare, 
 they will prefer giving it to poor people who 
 need it, rather than lending it to you, while 
 you are able to earn it for yourselves. If you 
 are sick, and unable to work, never be ashamed 
 to receive assistance from those who are able 
 to give it. We ought to be thankful that in 
 this country there is so much care taken of 
 poor people, who cannot take care of them¬ 
 selves ; and even if we are obliged to go to the 
 poor-house, we should go there with grateful 
 hearts, that God has provided us with such a 
 home. But while you have health and reason, 
 the best way is to depend on yourself, and the 
 assistance of God, for support. 
 
 Fifth. When you choose your business, 
 be sure that you choose such an one as you 
 think your Heavenly Father icill approve. I 
 have placed this reason last, because it is the 
 most important of all, and I wish you to re- 
 
22 
 
 { 
 
 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 member this, though you forget all the others. 
 We read in the word of God, “Go to now, 
 ye that say, To-day or to-morrow I will go 
 into such a city, and continue there a year, 
 and buy, and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye 
 know not what shall be on the morrow, I or 
 what is your life ? It is even a vapor, that 
 appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth 
 away. For that ye ought to say, If the 
 Lord will we shall live and do this or that. 
 
 cc Trust in the Lord and do good, so 
 shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou 
 shalt be fed*. 5 ’ “ Commit thy way unto the 
 
 Lord, and he shall direct thy steps.” 
 u Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye 
 do, do all to the glory of God.” Thus you 
 see from the word of God that it is not right 
 in his eyes for us to do any thing unless we 
 suppose it will be pleasing to Him. 
 
 Suppose you should think it would be easy 
 and profitable for you to be a distiller, that is, 
 a man who makes rum, brandy,^fcc., or a wine 
 importer, who makes it his business to pur- 
 chase wines in other countries, and have them 
 brought to this country, to sell. Or suppose 
 you should be ‘ a clerk in a dram-shop, or a 
 
23 
 
 OR) A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 
 
 bar-keeper in a tavern, where intoxicating drink 
 is sold. Can you suppose that any of these 
 employments, by which you would assist in the 
 ruin of your fellow men, would be pleasing to 
 God ? You will, I doubt not, answer, 
 “No>” 
 
 Now, suppose your parents give you your 
 choice, to learn a cabinet-maker’s or a watch¬ 
 maker’s trade. If you learn to be a cabinet¬ 
 maker, you can remain in the town where 
 your parents reside, and have their advice and 
 counsel, as there is a man who works at that 
 trade in your town ; but as there is no watch¬ 
 maker near you, you will have to leave home, 
 if you learn that business, and go to a distant 
 city, where you cannot have the aid of your 
 parents in doing right, and where a youth, like 
 you, would be exposed to a great many temp¬ 
 tations, and in great danger of being led away 
 by wicked companions. In this case it would 
 not be right for you to be a watch-maker, 
 though you might much prefer it. We are 
 commanded to pray, “Lead us not into temp¬ 
 tation,” and it cannot be the will of our Heav¬ 
 enly Father that we should place ourselves 
 where we know we shall be in constant temp- 
 
§m 
 
 
 A TEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 tation. Let me hope that you, my readers, 
 will try to be guided, in seeking business, by 
 the will of God. Pray to him for his assist¬ 
 ance, search his word, and you will be guided 
 in the right way in all things. 
 
 And now let me ask, have you forgotten 
 what we were first speaking about ? 
 
 O no, I dare say you have a better mem¬ 
 ory than to forget so soon. It was the 
 circus. You remember, perhaps, that I asked 
 you if you would like to ride in the circus, as 
 those little boys did, whom I saw. I told 
 you that if you did, you must take this as an 
 employment, and learn it, as you would any 
 other business. I then said that if you wished 
 to take this, or any other business for yours, 
 you ought first to think of three things. Do 
 you remember what those were ? I will name 
 them again, that I may be sure that you under¬ 
 stand me. 
 
 When you are selecting a business, you 
 must choose, 
 
 First. One which you can learn to do, and 
 do well. 
 
 Second. One which your parents aud 
 friends will approve. 
 
25 
 
 OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 
 
 Third. One which will be useful . 
 
 Fourth. One which will support you. 
 
 Fifth. One which your Heavenly Father 
 Will approve. 
 
 If you wish to be a circus-rider, you must 
 think of all these rules, you know. Well, let 
 us apply them, and see if this will be a good 
 business. 
 
 First, then, could you learn to be a good 
 circus-rider ? Yes, it is probable you could, 
 though you would not find it so easy and so 
 pleasant as you now suppose. You would 
 not find it so much like play as it appears. 
 You would be obliged to be up late at night, 
 losing your sleep ; and you would run a con- 
 stant risk, not only while learning, but ever 
 afterwards, of breaking your limbs, or losing 
 your life, as is often done in the circus, by 
 some accident. 
 
 Second. Would your father and mother 
 approve of your doing this ? If all the chil¬ 
 dren who read this book were to ask their pa¬ 
 rents if they were willing they should become 
 circus-riders, I believe very few if any of all 
 these would answer, “yes.” 
 
 3 
 
26 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 Third. Would this be a useful business ? 
 I think you must almost smile when I ask this 
 question; for of what use can it be, to any 
 body, to go and see men and women and 
 horses, trying which can leap with the most 
 ease, or look the handsomest ? 
 
 Fourth. Would it support you ? I suppose 
 you might obtain your clothes and food by it, 
 though I do not think it would make you happy.. 
 You would lose those peaceful and happy 
 evenings, spent in the bosom of your family, 
 which you might enjoy in other business. 
 
 Fifth. Would your Heavenly Father ap¬ 
 prove of your spending the time be has given 
 you in which to prepare for eternity, in this 
 way ? The cats and the squirrels and mon¬ 
 keys leap about, and we love to see their 
 sprightliness \ for their Maker has so formed 
 them, that it gives them pleasure, and assists 
 them to obtain their food. But can he love to 
 see ?nen, whom he has made with souls to live 
 forever, making it their business to ride and 
 leap for no other purpose than to be looked at ? 
 Why, it makes me sad to see even horses kept 
 for nothing else but to prance about, and shew 
 
OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 27 
 
 their beauty, though they are but beasts; for 
 all the horses thus employed, might do ser¬ 
 vice in the baggage-wagon or stage-coach, 
 help many a man to plough, and carry many 
 people to their work, or to meeting on the Sab¬ 
 bath. But to see man thus employed, O it 
 is dreadful! They have little opportunity, if 
 they wish, to attend meeting. You could not 
 have pious people for your companions ; for 
 the truly good will not wish to attend a circus, 
 or take its performers for friends. You would 
 be under temptation to become a drunkard and 
 a gambler, and to imbibe many other vicious 
 habits, which would constantly trouble your 
 conscience if you have any regard for doing 
 right. I very much fear that God is not in all 
 their thoughts. I am certain you cannot 
 choose this occupation from a wish to do all 
 to his glory. And now, my readers, I feel 
 almost sure that none of you will ever again 
 wish to be circus-riders. 
 
 But there was another question that I asked 
 you, which we have not yet considered. Can 
 you recollect what it was ? If you do not, 
 look back to the place where I asked you 
 whether you would like to be a circus-rider, 
 
28 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 and you will find that I first asked you 
 if you would like to go and see them. Per- 
 haps you may think that, though it would not 
 be best to be a rider yourself, yet there may be 
 no harm in just going occasionally to see others 
 perform. But I think that even this would 
 be wrong. I wish you to have all the amuse¬ 
 ment it is right for you to take, and I would 
 not tell you that any thing is wrong, unless I had 
 good reasons for it. If my reasons are such 
 as you can understand, I should like to give 
 them to you, that you can think of them for 
 yourselves. 
 
 The reasons why you should not attend 
 the circus, are, First. It is a waste of time 
 to go there. Time is very precious. We 
 know not how long we shall live, and we 
 ought so to number our*days, as to apply our 
 hearts unto wisdom. Children need some 
 amusements, but they should seek such as will 
 exercise their bodies as well as their minds, 
 and be preparing them for work, or study. 
 
 Second. It is a waste of money. Did 
 you ever think that it was wicked to waste mo¬ 
 ney ? That which you would spend in going to 
 the circus might buy you a useful and interesting 
 
OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE 
 
 29 
 
 book, might purchase food for some poor 
 hungry child, or send to some heathen, who 
 has never heard of God, a Testament, to 
 teach him the way to Heaven ; while, if you 
 spend it for the circus, no one will be benefitted 
 by it. 
 
 Third. You will be likely to meet many 
 wicked people in such a place, and to hear 
 much bad language. 
 
 Fourth. If you go and pay these men 
 money, and see them perform, you encourage 
 them to continue their useless business. If 
 no one went to the circus, except the riders, 
 it would soon be given up ; for nobody would 
 take pains to train horses, or learn to perform, 
 unless he could make money by it. Well, if 
 it is wrong for men to spend their time in cir¬ 
 cus-riding, then it would be best for every one 
 to stay away, so that they would be obliged to 
 seek some better business. But perhaps you 
 say, “I am but one, and only a child, too ; I 
 cannot prevent the circus, if I try ; if / do not 
 go others will, so I may as well allow myself 
 the pleasure.” No, this is not right. Just so 
 men say who sell rum. They tell us that if 
 
 
30 
 
 I 
 
 A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS, 
 
 they did not sell it, others would. But it makes 
 no difference to us what others do, we must do 
 right. What it would be wicked for many to 
 do, it is wicked for one to do. At the Judg¬ 
 ment day, when we shall all be called to give 
 an account of the deeds done in the body, it 
 will not be asked what any other one has done, 
 or what all others have done, but what ice have 
 done, ourselves. Let me hope that you will 
 never, in any way, encourage others in doing 
 that which you would not think it right to do 
 yourselves. 
 
 Now let me say a few words about work. 
 Most probably all of these circus-riders might 
 have found other business, if they had chosen 
 it; but I suppose when they were boys, they 
 preferred to walk about the streets, smok¬ 
 ing cigars, and to go to places of amusement, 
 rather than to work ; and as they grew older 
 they did not lose their idle habits, and so, as 
 they must do something, they took this busi¬ 
 ness. 
 
 Many boys and girls have wrong ideas about 
 work. They think it much more honorable 
 not to labor, and if they must earn their living, 
 
31 
 
 OR, A BUSINESS FOR LIFE. 
 
 they would prefer to be merchants, lawyers, 
 or teachers, rather than to work. They are 
 mistaken. All could not be merchants, law¬ 
 yers, or teachers, and if they could, they 
 might not be any happier. If you and your 
 parents think you can be more useful and hap¬ 
 py in some such business, choose it; but 
 never avoid work, because you think it dis¬ 
 honorable, or mean, for it is not so. 
 
 If you read the history of the great and good 
 men whose lives are recorded in the scriptures, 
 you will find that they were not ashamed to 
 labor. Adam and Eve, the first man and woman 
 who ever lived, while their hearts were yet pure, 
 and God communed with them, as familiar 
 friends, were placed in the garden of Eden, to 
 work in it. Abraham, the friend of God, was 
 a farmer, and we read of Sarah’s baking cakes 
 upon the hearth. Rebecca drew water, and 
 Rachel was a shepherdess. 
 
 If we look into the New Testament we find 
 that many of the disciples of the Saviour were 
 fishermen, and one of them was a tax-gatherer. 
 The Apostle Paul, a great and learned man, 
 was a tent-maker, and worked at his trade. 
 
A PEEP AT THE CIRCUS. 
 
 Jesus Christ, He who was God manifest in 
 the flesh, is called a carpenter, and we have 
 reason to suppose that He, who was the Ma¬ 
 ker of the universe, worked with Joseph, who 
 was called his father, at the carpenter’s trade. 
 
 Will you ever feel ashamed to work ? 
 O no, I hope not. Be willing to labor, and 
 then you will not wish to choose so foolish and 
 sinful an employment, as that of circus-rider. 
 
THE BEST STORE. 
 
 u Wise men lay up knowledge .”—Proverbs x. 14. 
 
 As the bee lays up honey to feed upon in 
 the winter, so the wise man lays up knowledge. 
 Some lay up money, but “riches make unto 
 themselves wings, they flee away as an eagle 
 towards heaven.” Rich men may lose their 
 riches, but wise men keep their wisdom. 
 “Whatever knowledge may at any time be 
 useful to us, we must lay it up, because we 
 know some time or other we may have occa¬ 
 sion for it.” “ We must continue laying up 
 as long as we live ; and be sure to lay it up 
 safe, that it may not be to seek when we want 
 it.” 
 
 You may observe that men is printed in 
 italics, which is to show that it is put in by 
 those who translated Solomon’s Proverbs 
 from the Hebrew language. They supplied 
 
34 THE BEST STORE. 
 
 “men” in this place, but we may equally 
 supply children , and say, “ Wise children lay 
 up knowledge. 5 ’ Solomon would have said 
 the one as well as the other. But what knowl¬ 
 edge will they lay up ? Why, they will lay up 
 all the knowledge they can about reading, and 
 writing, and ciphering; and geography, or the 
 places of the earth; and astronomy, or the 
 wonders of the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon 
 and stars; and a thousand other things. All 
 these things may be of some service at some 
 future time, and it is impossible to tell which 
 may not be wanted. So that children should 
 always be picking up knowledge, as chickens 
 are always picking up little stones. There is 
 a little simple rhyme made by some of our 
 great-grandfathers, and though simple, it is 
 nevertheless very true, and we do well never 
 to forget it: 
 
 “When house and land are gone and spent, 
 
 Then learning is most excellent / 7 
 
 The present king of the French, Louis 
 Philippe, was heir to the largest and richest 
 estates in all France; but owing to that coun¬ 
 try being for many years a scene of bloodshed 
 and revolution, he was driven about as a wan- 
 
THE BEST STORE. 
 
 35 
 
 derer in the world, and was at one time without 
 a penny. In this forlorn state what did he do ? 
 Why, he, who was then Duke of Orleans, 
 turned a sort of school-master to get his daily 
 bread. What were all his estates then worth, 
 when he could not get at them ? Why, his 
 knowledge was better to him than “house and 
 land,” because it served to keep him alive. 
 Therefore, as we have before said, “get 
 knowledge.” We cannot urge this too much : 
 Solomon repeated it again and again, no doubt 
 that it should be well remembered; and for 
 the same reason, it is repeated here. 
 
 But above all, “ wise men lay up” the 
 “knowledge” of Jesus Christ. The Apos¬ 
 tle Paul, though he was a very wise man, and 
 was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, that is, 
 in other words, was the scholar of that most 
 learned man, and became exceedingly learned 
 himself,—he valued this knowledge so much 
 above all others, that he said, “ Yea, doubt¬ 
 less, and I count all things but loss for the ex¬ 
 cellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, 
 my Lord.” To know him as he is taught us 
 in the scriptures, is our highest knowledge, 
 and he counted every thing else but “as 
 
36 
 
 IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION. 
 
 dung,” as the vilest thing in the world, when 
 compared with this knowledge. A man may- 
 know all languages, and all sciences, and all 
 arts, and his soul be lost; but let him know 
 Christ, and he shall never perish.— Cobbin’s 
 Scripture Proverbs . 
 
 IMPORTANCE OF RELIGION. 
 
 Religion is the chief concern 
 Of mortals here below; 
 
 May I its great importance learn, 
 
 Its sovereign virtue know. 
 
 Religion should our thoughts engage, 
 Amidst our youthful bloom ; 
 
 ’T will fit us for declining age, 
 
 And for the silent tomb. 
 
 O may my heart, by grace renewed, 
 Be my Redeemer’s throne; 
 
 And be my stubborn will subdued, 
 His government to own. 
 
 Let deep repentance, faith and love, 
 Be joined with godly fear, 
 
 And all my conversation prove 
 My heart to be sincere.