A memoir by William Livingston Alden, originally published in 1872. The memoir recounts Alden's experiences during a two-year tour with P.T. Barnum's circus, where he worked as a clown and general performer. Alden provides an inside look into the workings of the circus, as well as his personal thoughts on the nature of performance and spectacle.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.