Oxford, he was making rapid advancement in his studies when the
stage-players came thither, and he went to the performance, and became
so corrupted that he almost entirely forsook his studies. He was saved
only by resolving never to attend another play. Even the infidel,
Rousseau, condemned theatres. He said, "I observe that the situation of
an actor is a state of licentiousness and bad morals; that the men are
abandoned to disorder; that the women lead a scandalous life; that the
one and the other, at once avaricious and profane, ever overwhelmed with
debt, and ever prodigal, are as unrestrained in their dissipation as
they are void of scruple in respect to the means of providing for it. In
all countries their profession is dishonorable; those who exercise it
are everywhere contemned."

CHAPTER XXII.

THE DRAMATIC SOCIETY.

"Let us form a dramatic society," said Nat to his companions, one day.
"Perhaps we can put an extra touch on 'Henry the Eighth' or 'The
Merchant of Venice.'"

"I should laugh," answered Charlie, "to see us undertaking the drama. I
guess it would be straining at a _gnat_ (Nat) and swallowing a camel,"
attempting to perpetrate a pun, over which he, at whose expense it was
said, laughed as heartily as any of them.

"Let Charlie laugh as much as he pleases," said Marcus, "I think we
could do well in such an enterprise. We might not eclipse Booth, but we
could get along without a bar and some other things as bad."

"You will find," continued Charlie, "that a play of Shakspeare will not
go off very well without scenery."

"Of course it would not," replied Nat. "But we must have scenery of some
kind."

"Where will you get it?"

"Make it," quickly responded Nat. "It will be an easy matter to paint
such representations as will answer our purpose."

"So you will turn actor and artist all at once," said Charlie. "What
will you try to do next, Nat?"

"As to that," answered Nat, "I will let you know when I have done this.
'One thing at a time,' was Dr. Franklin's rule. But say, now, will you
all enlist for a dramatic society?"

Frank and Marcus replied promptly in the affirmative, and Charlie
brought up the rear, by saying,

"Well, I suppose I must be on the popular side, and go with the
majority--yea."

Here was one of the fruits of going to the theatre. What had been
witnessed there created the desire to undertake the same, although Nat's
object was to improve himself in rhetorical