The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-03 00:00:00

LITERARY AND DRAMATIC- SOCIETY.

A private performance of this society took place last
night in the Clayton. Hall. An audience, crowding the
house, assembled to witness the performance. The pieces
selected were—a farce by a member of the society, entitled
"A Care for Jealousy ',•' Douglas Jerrold's comedy.
"Doves in a Cage "; and Mr. Robert B. Brough's bur-
lesque of " William Tell." We have not space to say_raore
of thb performance than that it was 'in every respect sac•
cessful, and received the cordial applause of the audience.
We give the irologue, written and spoken by Mr. Edvile
Young; and the epilogue to " Doves in a Cage," by the
same gentleman.

PROLOGUE.

By Mr, Edwin Young.
Since last, friends all, we bade you welcome here,
To approve, our efforts, and with smiles to cheer
YTs "onwards " in our labours to explore
The vasty store-house of the Drama's lore,
To sap the mine and gain the glitt'ring ore ;
Time, with untiring wing, has onward sped—
Anothei-year is mingled with the dead.
Old " Fifty-sii" has felt the tyrant's blast,
And glided shadow-like into the PaSt.
Still on the breeze we hear his funeral knell,
And Fancy lingers o'er his requiem's swell,
Peal'd from gay bells,—whilst on the passing wind
His soulis borne. We mortals look behind,
A.nd Mem'ry conjures up each happy day
That he, has ta'en with him to kindred clay ;
Days when we toy'd in Pleasure's fond caress,
The bright oases of Life's wilderness.

Farewell ! old year that brought to Europe Peace,
When Pity bade the storm of war to cease
May the New-year, that waked with thy last groan,
Maintain the Goddess Concord on her throne!
May Unity from pole to pole extend,
And nation greet each nation as a " friend !"
Here, on the threshold of the year that's new,
You'll wish us happiness,—the same to you.

Fond Memory, thou tablet of the mind,
With thee we'll cast a limering look behind ;
Review the panorama of the Past,
Recall each scene of sunshine, now o'ercast.
Amongst those sunny scenes, none please our view
More than the evenings we have spent with you
Within these walls, when canker care was drowned,
And Comus, god of revelry, was crowned ;
When your approval of each poor display
Show'd like a sunbeam to illume our way.

May we not hope that, if to-night we strive
Our best to please, this scene shall also live
Within our recollection's fondest page,
Till Memory sink beneath the weight of age,
And we all play " sans everything ' upon Life's stage I I

EPILOGUE TO "DOVES IN A CAGE."
By Mr. Edwin Young.
The Play concluded, enter Carbuncle, breathless and
greatly agitated.
Prbsper and Mabellah walk the stage at back.

Carbuncle.
I've run so fast from out the court below
That I am out of wind.—yet forced to blow,
Through bolting up those stairs,—at least two score
I never took such hasty steps before.
Talk of the Indies' scorching sun, egad
This is the hottest climb I ever had.
Give me a glass of—

I

Cherub. "
Eh ? won't water do ?
If so, I'll bring you one to bring you too.

Bezant.
.-- -1
No matter what it be,—bring what is handy.
Cherub (bringing a glass of dark coloured water.),; 1
Here is your eau de
,vie (aside) minus the brandy; 0
A first-rate sample. though 'tis clear 'tis muddy, 4,1- 4
And brown as any berry or brown study. 4,
' Cis thought by some, whom men regard as thinkers, 11
The very best of stuff for " water drinkers."
.P
Despite Professors scientific clatter
Of compound decomposed organic matter,
Others maintain that it is filthy,—dishy,—
And savours of the "Pike."—hem,—rather fishy !
'Tis a soft water—

`i J'
i~ '

Bezant.
Hold your idle prate !
I think it hard enough at any rate;
When we've some thousands, sir, to pay about it.
And still could do so very well without it !
But stay such cavil about public slops,
This gentleman is waiting for his drops. (Cherub hesitates)
Silence ! give me the glass at once, fool do !
Cherub (drinks and hands the glass to Carbuncle.)
I beg your pardon, sir, the same to you!
Carbuncle (drinking.)
looks towards you gents ! -

=

Cherub. AT)
Doctor, 1 bows 1, (bows profoull—
Be zant (to Carbuncle.) 1
of

Now, sir, you'll please explain this row of rows,—
The . ..
reason why you came so unaware, ~ . , ...0
, .. .
aut.; .t‘i,,,Lt..ty inuveCt, itbstalietl the chair.
Carbuncle (rising and pointing to Prosper.) 1
Why, what's all this ?

1

Prosper.
We ish to have some talk, " 05
And take an airing in;our "Bird-cage Walk." (wawS
before )

Carbuncle.
This, gents, is not the way to end our play,
You've left out something—

Bev nt (angrily.)
Left out what, I pray ?
Cherub (advancing.)
Aye, left out what ?

Carbuncle (to Bezant )
Oh, sir, your memory jog;
You, an Old Stager, lose the Epilogue 1

Cherub.

What's that ?

Carbuncle.
A sort of pithy, natty, speech,
In which you the good-will of all beseech.

Cherub.
Then I'm your man. I promise I'll be brief. '
Here goes at once. (Advancing.) Ladies—
Prosper (pushes him aside and hands forward Mabellso
Lady, by your leave—

Mabellah. . .
I ask no favour for this flutt'ring Dove,
Ensnared within the tangled net of love,
Save that all here will countenance my part,'
And read in it " a lesson of the heart.
Within a prison's cheerless walls I've found ~
A. heart that beats response to love profound, ! .
A love that buoyed me up amidst the strife,—
May " Prosper" be my watchword all through life I I

Prosper.
The poor gaol-bird is mated, and is free
To plume his wings, and soar in liberty.
No longer duns at every point assail,
Nor thirsty bailiffs dog my every trail.
" Prosper's himself again I "—aad Prosper must
Continue constant to his sacred trust,
If your combined good wishes shall decree
That Prosper here enjoy prosper-ity !

• Bezant.
" The spendthrift is reclaimed "—and you will not
O'erlook the arch-contriver of a plot,
To bring back reckless youth to virtue's way,—
Such is the moral pointed in our play.
Forgive the freak itself—respect the cause,—
And uncle pezant asks for you applause.

Carbuncle.
Since I've been Chairman here, of course it stands
To reason you'll give me a " show of hands."
I've done my duty,—in the British Fleet
" England expects that every man will I''—
Cherub (advancing and applauding.) „t,
Come, that's ne'
Though last, and least, poor Cherub hero will ask,
Within the sunshine of Tour smiles to bask.
If I have done amiss you'll not resent it ?
Withheld your hands ? ! Nature never meant it I
May all around,—youth, beauty, manhood, age,—
Be happy with us, like—

Omnes.
"Doves in a Cage." ,

A tile
One of the most important subjects that will engag-
a ttention of the Legislature in the session about to c°lo,
mence, will be the disposal of our convicted criroill°ol
It, will have to be determined whether transportatic°o
prisoners to a distant colony shall not be again res°Arpot
to, as at once the best means of securing society ag,,; of
their criminal practices, and of giving them a chap:- of
raising themselves from the felon class to the conditl°°o
men living reputably by the exercise of honest ind°,oo
Every day occurrences have forced this subject °;104:1
public attention during what may now almost be c!l4,
tho late recess. It has been well ventilated out a dv-for
and a pretty general conviction that a return to tran9hroo
tation is the true and efficient remedy for evils which
mainly grown up because of the discontinuance of 001:0
tation, is the result. That a similar opinion will inglletbe
the decision of Parliament, may be augured frc,..,°3 ttie
report of the Parliamentary Committee, issued darluP
last session. far

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