--The theatre being closed,
the play-bills of many nights ago are posted up against its walls.
July 4th.--A very hot, bright, sunny day; town much thronged; booths on
the Common, selling gingerbread, sugar-plums, and confectionery, spruce
beer, lemonade. Spirits forbidden, but probably sold stealthily. On the
top of one of the booths a monkey, with a tail two or three feet long.
He is fastened by a cord, which, getting tangled with the flag over the
booth, he takes hold and tries to free it. He is the object of much
attention from the crowd, and played with by the boys, who toss up
gingerbread to him, while he nibbles and throws it down again. He
reciprocates notice, of some kind or other, with all who notice him.
There is a sort of gravity about him. A boy pulls his long tail, whereat
he gives a slight squeak, and for the future elevates it as much as
possible. Looking at the same booth by and by, I find that the poor
monkey has been obliged to betake himself to the top of one of the wooden
joists that stick up high above. There are boys, going about with
molasses candy, almost melted down in the sun.
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