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CHINA MAIL CHRISTMAS SUPPLEMENT, 1929.
"WHISTLING WILLY'S" CHRISTMAS TRIUMPH
was Christmas Eve, and the little village
Ior Cedborough lay sleeping.
Across the long straggling High Street
was stretched a canvas banner on which was painted the legend, "Roker's Christmas Circus Three Days Only." A solitary figure somewhat short in stature could be seen ascending the hill. His footsteps crunched through the snow, which sparkled in the light of the full moon hanging in a starry sky. As he walked the man whistled, and it was because of the remarkable nature of his whistle that he bore the name of "Whistling Willy.”
There was a strange harmonious lilt in his notes, and he had the gift of creating in the minds of his hearers a swift response to his music. To hear him whistle made people want to be happy, and especially wonderful was his effect on children. As soon as he appeared in the ring for it must be mentioned that he was one of the "star" turns of Roker's Circus a great shout would be raised by the entire audience, espe cially the juvenile element; and as soon as comparative calm was restored the merry notes from his lips would set everyone rock- ing with merriment: for added to his gift for whistling was an instinctive aptitude for clowning.
A Lonely Life
Outside the Circus he had but few friends. Indeed, he lived a lonely life, and this night as he plodded along through the snow he was in a brooding mood. Here and there a light burned in an upper window, and as he came slowly by one house the cur- tain was lifted and the occupant peered out to see who was the passer-by who whistled at that late hour.
On this night of all nights in the year he yearned more than ever for some place where he would receive a welcome after his day's labours were ended. Lodgings are but a poor substitute for one's own home, and the prospect of a lonely Christmas did not add gaiety to his heart.
"Whistling Willy" was by no means an old man.
As a boy he received quite a fair education, and spent some years in a Liver- pool shipping office, until the drums of war throbbed out their call. He answered it, and his natural gift for entertaining helped to amuse his comrades in billets overseas. Here he met one day Henry B. Roker, an. American showman who had had some cor- siderable experience of that business in his own land, and contemplated a start in Eng- land when peace çame. He persuaded "Willy" "to join him, and so for some five years Roker's Circus had wandered up ́and down the land. It was not, perhaps, as well known as one or two other enterprises of a similar nature, but there was a distinctive- ness about Roker's which always attained a sufficient degree of success to ensure a re- turn visit being arranged.
Something Of A Celebrity Roker's Circus had become an event which would be looked forward to with keen delight in numerous homes in a score of counties. 30 it naturally follows that "Whistling Willy" had a not unimportant reputation, and in a small way he counted as something of a celebrity.
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It was the first time Roker's Circus had visited Cedborough for Christmas, and on this occasion they had opened on Christmas eve in a large field at the more populous end of the village. Willy had opposed the start on Christmas Eve.
"See here, Mr. Roker," he had said. "I can't help feeling that on Christmas Eve folk will be wanting to finish their shopping, and be too busy in completing all their Christmas plans to want to come to the Circus. You won't get a good house if you do open. That's my honest opinion, sir."
Roker, fortified by years of experience in the showman's business, and not a little piqued at the clown's suggestion, retorted:
"Young man, when I ask you for your advice, that will be the right and proper time for you to give it. I think you would be better employed in thinking out new 'busi- ness' in your turn. I've been meaning to tell you about it before. You're getting stable, Williams, and you'll have to freshen up a lot if you want to keep in my outfit. Your contract with me expires at the end of the year, and I want you to realise that you have got to get some brighter stuff across if you want it renewed. I'll decide at Christmas!"
audience, and in a burst of temper told him if he didn't find better "stuff" over the Christmas holiday he could consider himself sacked on the spot.
The clown restrained his desire to an- swer his employer back and, returning to the ring, did his best to improve his per- formance; but it was a curiously unrespon- sive audience that night, for even the final acrobatic dives and leaps in mid-air failed to thrill it. After the show. Willy said "Good night" to his colleagues, and set off up the hill to his lodgings, puzzling his brain to know how to better his part. He began automatically to whistle as he walked, hoping to gain inspiration, but none came, and in- stead his mood was one of great sadness that Christmas Eve.
Whistling A Carol
Christmas morning dawned bright, sunny, and very cold. Snow lay everywhere. presenting a very pretty "old-fashioned Christmassy look," and Willy descended to breakfast whistling a carol.
He took his meals with his landlady's
family, and listened to the prattle of the two little boys discussing the gifts which Santa Claus had brought them. They were not aware that their lodger had contributed The big American put his cigar back largely to the toys which had been discover- - into his mouth, and as "Willy" moved awayed in their stockings, and to their delight he smiled grimly and said to himself:
he displayed an eagerness to know how lucky "Nothing like keeping fellows on tenter they had been. hooks! Makes 'em keener if they can't feel their job is secure."
A Mighty Despair.
Yet
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"Look, Mr. Williams!" cried the elder lad. "Father Christmas has sent us all tickets for the Circus to-morrow! Shali we Le able to see you?"
The clown was dreading the morrow, but he cloaked his anxiety, and replied in a cheery voice:
"Yes, rather! I'll think of something specially funny to make you all laugh!”.
A Grim Jest
It was a grim jest, for he knew that if he did not succeed in carrying out his pro- mise his stay in Cedborough would be even shorter than had been arranged.
But Willy went away with a mighty despair in his heart. He had grown to love the circus, with all its excitement, and hard- ly cared to contemplate whatever he should do were he suddenly thrown out into the world. Never more could he go back to the high stool of a clerk after tasting the free dom which a travelling circus brings. Roker's words brought a terrible chill to his spine, for though he intuitively felt that he had been giving complete satisfaction, it hurt him now to learn otherwise. Although the plaudits of the crowd pleased, yet, after] all, it was Roker who paid him, and unless he catisfied his employer he could not continue. Thus it was that he felt depressed that Christmas Eve in Cedborough. The show had duly opened that night, and, as "Whistling Willy" had ventured to predict, But being funny at a Christmas party the attendance at the first evening perform- | is not quite the same thing as trying to do ance had been very meagre. For one thing. so in the circus ring on Boxing Day after- the weather had been against them. A noon before a large and expectant audience blizzard had raged all day, and, once having and a highly critical employer. gained the comfort of their homes, few people cared to sally forth again, especially to visit the Circus. It was to be in the vill age for two more nights, and they felt they had other opportunities of going.
The Chosen Scapegoat
Roker, who was a man who hated to find his own judgment at fault, was not manly enough to own it, but hastened to find some- one on whose shoulders to throw the blame, The rest of the company were not surprised when they learned that the chosen scapegoat was their clown. Roker began by finding fault with his antics in the ring. He storm ed, declaring that they didn't cause a second's amusement to a single member of the
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His promise satisfied the two children, who had never before seen a real Christmas circus, and later in the day, when by special invitation the clown stayed to Christmas dinner and the party which followed, he rc- paid the good-hearted hospitality by his happy jokes and gay fun-making.
When Willy arrived at the Circus on Boxing Day after an early lunch (he had not been near the place since Christmas Eve), he found that a small boy had paid no fewer than four visits to the tent with the object of seeing him.
"He's got an important message for you, he says," explained the man who took charge of the box office; "but I couldn't remember where you said you were lodging, so I couldn't send him to you.”
Willy thanked him. and a couple of minutes later the boy arrived and was con- ducted to the clown, who had begun to dress for the performance.
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