THE COUNTRY BOY 175 



do anything half as funny that evening. It 

 was some days before I recovered; but in a 

 circus they use you all the time. While I was 

 laid up with this stiff neck, I had to take care 

 of the children that belonged to a husband 

 and wife who were trapeze performers, and 

 every time their act was called somebody had 

 to mind the baby. 



But somehow a fellow soon tires of circus 

 life, and I came home and found that my 

 drawing had improved some, as I had made 

 lots of pictures in the circus. So, finally, 

 father thought I had better go to San Fran- 

 cisco, as he said that was the art center for all 

 the United States. So, the following winter, 

 after it had been raining about a week, we 

 commenced to get ready for the San Fran- 

 cisco trip. 



People had been coming to the house all 

 morning to say good-bye, and finally father 

 came up from downtown carrying a valise. 

 It was really a beautiful valise. He explained 

 to me that it was better than these stiff dress- 

 suit cases, as in case it became necessary, I 

 could use it as a pillow. On one side of it 

 was a scene in a garden, and on the other side 



