e Barmecide_ is being played, Alnaschan and Ina will be
"discovered" standing in an empty room, at the back of which a placard
will bear this inscription in large letters--A STREET IN BAGDAD.

It is possible, however, that your company may include some
water-colour artist, who will try his or her hand at scene-painting in
the barn. Well: he will want canvas or unbleached calico, which must
be covered completely with a "first wash" of whitening and size, mixed
to a freely working consistency, and laid on with a white-wash brush.
When dry, he must outline his scene on this in charcoal. The painting
is then to be done in distemper--all the effects are put in by the
first wash; lights and shadows in their full tone, &c. He will use
powder paints, mix them with size (which must be kept warm on a fire),
and add white for body-colour when he wants to lay one colour over
another. I will add four hints. _For a small stage avoid scenes with
extreme perspective. Keep the general colouring rather sober, so as to
harmonize with the actors' dresses. Only broad effects will show. Keep
stepping back to judge your work from a distance._ In a wood, for
instance, the distance may be largely blue and grey, and the
foreground trees a good deal in warm browns and dull olive. _Paint by
candle-light when convenient._

_All the lights in your theatre must be protected by glasses. The
footlights should have reflectors behind them_, or a board about
eighteen inches high with block-tin nailed on it. Failing this, a
plain polished fender, in which candles or lamps can be placed, will
serve. _There must also be sidelights_, or the footlights will cast
shadows. _Long strips of coloured glass, in frames, can lie flat in
front of the stage when not in use, and be raised up when wanted,
between the footlights and the stage--blue for moonlight, yellow for
sunshine, rose-colour for sunset scenes and fairy effects._ A shade
may be quickly thrown up between the footlights and the stage, _on the
same principle, if darkness is required. For thunder, shake a thin
sheet of iron behind the scenes. Powdered resin or lycopodium thrown
on to the flame of a candle from a quill_ is said to be effective as
_lightning_. But any tricks with naked lights, in the confusion of
private theatricals, are objectionable, and should never be used
except by some grown-up person not among the actors. _For rain, shake
parched peas in a box with irregular partitions. For a full moo