FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131  
132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   >>  
up, and the appointments excellent. The play was, "The Schoolfellows,"--a beautiful little drama, by Douglas Jerrold, I believe; and it was admirably cast. Mr. Murray as Tom Drops--a good-hearted, liquor-loving _vaut-rien_--was inimitable. He was waiter and hostler to a village inn; and the scene in which he, upon wine being called for by a customer, produces, condemns, and consumes, a bottle of the "_black seal_" was the perfection of acting, the different phases of ebriety were well portrayed, and in the course of the play, additional red patches appeared upon his face, to show the effects of his habits. Box and Cox was the after-piece; and Mr. Clavering as _Mrs._ Bouncer, was the very beau-ideal of a landlady, "fair, fat, and forty." The prologue was excellent, and well delivered, and the amateur company had just reason to be proud of their performance. Having been favored with a copy of the opening address, I transcribe it. Of course, it loses much from the effect given by its composer in its delivery. "Fair ladies, and kind friends, who deign to smile On our attempt an hour to beguile, I'm hither by the actors sent, to pray A gentle judgment on a first Essay. They bid me state, their novel situation Has set their hearts in such strange perturbation, They dare not raise the curtain till they've pleaded First, for the pardon will be so much needed. I'm shocked to say, it sounds so of the oddest, Our ladies want much practice to look modest; The rough, strong voice, ill suits with feelings tender, And 'tis such work to make their waists look slender! As for the men, the case is little better; Some, of the dialogue scarce know a letter: All unacquainted with each classic rule, We feel we've need enough to go to school; And trembling stand, afraid to come before ye, And of the Schoolfellows to tell the story. Yet need this be? I see no critic here; No surly newspaper have we to fear; Our scenery may be bad, but this is certain, Bright decorations are before the curtain, Under whose influence, you may well believe, We do not sigh for Stanfield, grieve for Grieve! Yet not too far to carry innovation, And to comply with settled regulation, Prompter we have, our memories to ease; But our best prompter is, the wish to please. Then kindly say, to stumblers in their part, What they have _got_,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131  
132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   >>  



Top keywords:
ladies
 

curtain

 

excellent

 
Schoolfellows
 
shocked
 
practice
 

dialogue

 

strange

 

letter

 

perturbation


scarce
 
sounds
 

unacquainted

 

pardon

 

tender

 

pleaded

 

feelings

 

needed

 

strong

 

waists


slender
 

modest

 

oddest

 
innovation
 

settled

 
comply
 
Grieve
 

grieve

 

influence

 

Stanfield


regulation

 

Prompter

 
kindly
 
stumblers
 

memories

 
prompter
 

afraid

 

trembling

 

school

 

classic


critic

 

Bright

 
decorations
 

scenery

 
newspaper
 
actors
 

acting

 

perfection

 
phases
 

ebriety