Nor have I despised those
little ones whom that devout worshipper of Nature in her exceptional
forms, the distinguished Barnum, has introduced to the notice of mankind.
The General touches his chapeau to me, and the Commodore gives me a
sailor's greeting. I have had confidential interviews with the
double-headed daughter of Africa,--so far, at least, as her twofold
personality admitted of private confidences. I have listened to the
touching experiences of the Bearded Lady, whose rough cheeks belie her
susceptible heart. Miss Jane Campbell has allowed me to question her on
the delicate subject of avoirdupois equivalents; and the armless fair
one, whose embrace no monarch could hope to win, has wrought me a
watch-paper with those despised digits which have been degraded from
gloves to boots in our evolution from the condition of quadrumana.
I hope you have read my experiences as good-naturedly as the old Master
listened to them. He seemed to be pleased with my whim, and promised to
go with me to see all the side-shows of the next caravan. Before I left
him he wrote my name in a copy of the new edition of his book, telling me
that it would not all be new to me by a great deal, for he often talked
what he had printed to make up for having printed a good deal of what he
had talked.
Here is the passage of his Poem the Young Astronomer read to us.
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