Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-11-24
L. i r I: TX 4 R Y :.
From Household Words.
PASTIMES AND PLAYS.

We have but few pastimes now, even Tor our chill
drGn we are too gray" nnd sensible 10 play a! turlcs
or blind mans butf or puss in the cornr" at Christ.
mas Time or any OTHER time. They used rlauugc
:h">" things better IN France: unl M Christmas tin
even respectable English used 10 be- av and live
iy: but enjoyment has become vulgar in bn:h
trlrs.
lmirt perhaps lee objected that there yras but liz.
lie iu;r!!rcf d!-piayr in social al-"mrnt- an! ,ha;
progress would have done IL work br: H. wrr, y..
I" IntToduc" "n our Christmas Ewes and our New
Years Ewes sports such were in vogue once. upnn n
time. For instance, there once a very l.opuia
gh!lic, which consisted ~ one ut the company being
seated "na stick which placed over nail %. wa.
te: and WAS 10y no means steady: ia, candidate for
honor hchi in has hand taper which his object
and his glory tn Eight nj another ;iyc! n the "Xrr!i-
y "i IN" saIi stick. and which r .'nUll only rr:.r
10y delicate and wc!baiancCd 'huril" towards the
u|I us,u csu'', G't '":I: :'Gni-" - .,,h.r md
Ike Clancl.cr This lively amusement. it must 5c
confessed! would not suit The velvet carpets nI Bel
..rayia ur elsewhere; bu: i'll the days when 1t most
obtained, tie !lnur WAS probably Strcwn with sand,
or al best with rus!cs Ii the gam" oi the Pail WAS
livc.y wha; WAS that Of the Bucket This WAS play
ed thus bv our long haired anc"s'o-s: ynuth who
nrlIrishr locks nj sufficient length. or who wore Il
wi. of the proper dimensions placed himself on
Il board over the bucket ot water prepared: At
:. given signal he dUckcd backwards, without
losing his bullncr, and managed I" dlp the
lips nf his long lock- into the pure clement, and III.
sian,v recover himself. A. he sc.'om accomplished
this .cat without variety Of failures he cp!!:c H.
Chcrrv-bub and oran; e-buh were both considered 1T
charming gamrs and one which held IL own up 10 Il
iu,r period thus performed. y gentleman put
the end ni coil ot string into his mouth gGiianiy
presenting the o:hcr cni To selected y"HnS la"E
the duty nt both /" absorb the s;r!u5 with their
lips till bv degrees th"y Approached cac!! other, IL II
attracted bv magnetic Influence: Gid KISS, II one
could be- accomplished i'll spite OF the mutual Imped!-
mcn;, concluded tie ALTAR. Manners were certainly
somewhat rough in those dag; could wc now b:
.,ultv of playng at king, anil queen and guest when
the latter prrson;gc:ln innocent chosen IL ." th
victim-rcccivrd by their mnj j"-tics Oh their tw"
thrones was invited t. seat himself between iEci'
vLru fh, ll!iulles, rlsiu. ~ do hn greater honor,
rmoy.I the two ends of the trcachcrous covering o;
his hollow seat, aud the guest fell To tho ground
| amidst shouts oi laughter.
p.nplr in those rood Oil times would submit 10 in
fri,c Inconvenience 10 tl"v play. The pit II: that
u.r;o deserved lis name Tor it was literally hollow
inrc below the stage, which lowered before II, ana
! from whence the standing audience was obliged 70
crane the neck and pom. the toe tn get glimpse ci
th" hIm"ra "t the s"ri". Instead OF pF'Ea'c uoNrs
and al, their iuXirc, little square windows only per-
mi,r,i slclrs view IL Numerous heads thrust anx
inl-v forward. T!rn n;rr'l pit was PIT, and box
WIS box II, least there deception Oh the sub
iert. -.
i How sinlIlc our theatres in those primitive
times, we amy know by the prints OF llocnrth and
others who depict the orchestra OF wo tdiics one or
cach side of the stage anl the talnc-snuitcr Showrt
his urt as the tallow candles nj the chandelier de
sc,.icd Ia receive ti rtiIuNh'n hI HIS
This unctiunnry necessarily have been maj
nt nerve .nr he became ;Hvuritc ~ an OIrc Oi d'
rSion Ia the impatient audience, according aS ne per
formed his office deity otherwise i'll iHe !"@ l''cr
walls between the acts. la; II Was not merely !" '
rapncity that the candle leucd: as tlc mum
Der ot performers wis limited h" was frequently re-
Uu;rrh 20 fill up some insignificant, hN h'ces.hf.
character, such messenger ar con!idat: III ii''
nuv ncrsona.c more acted "n i:an acting; ''i'' u
prnnGr;un 10 hi. popularity. il" was greeted on III
sine,
;ilitv uf his accomplishments. Authors w,r" n,ci
offended NJ the recognition "i iNs "fecn dis,ho'i
the gravity "i their dr"lna. and Cnrn"I!c Wa" 90
cr,.d lnu" il, declares III one "i his lrc!hceh INA
he hns no desire To- writ. parts Tor canGesiilrrs.-
,ltrr his time, the ihcr" presented very dIticre
subjects for the amusement oI the wcli-rnc kc h"u,e
but even when mysteries and mJraes had gone OH
very extraordinary scenes were represented ai'hos
iucrcdibl" i'll their simplicity.
One of tie ::nS: remarkable pGstl!ncs ever at
tenpted on the stage, the 2ny-crnvii! offered b
Catherine ic Me,iIc TO her Guests at the weddin
festivities OF her daughter with Henry "t Navarro
VA. no other than rehearsal of the horrors mtcnde
10 be acted on the night o the massarr- OF ST. Ba
tholpmcw. which came of in due fine. The shuc
L,riur Court were sent home their beds, wOnderIn
yLat could h;y. induced the Queen to imagine sue
n scene uf buo,shcd; and II was only aaT or l"
nftcrwav. that tIrs. who survived the rc;tiy ul'.
stord the admirable Joke. Al still later dhtr, how
ever il sas thnu.ht lively To ninuSc IL br!d" wit
something similar in character tpr ii * related That
sixteen hundred ana iDrit.nNr, AZ III" HlhriiGc
= Marie &c Gouzaga, play was presented ~ Alnstc
dam in thi, stTie
d, Firs, ca.nc Roman triumph, succeeded By Pni
lc,nouium and the EUres; thci! grand ictc; titi
u which o murder Of two gentlemen, both ot wh0
u Were, urccpititcd into pix: then "cane "andcrn
" by" Twn princes who met Their death ~ HSoi-Sln
i: T. vivil.v prcscncl-thcr !nc shared Ill the uc
SCENE by their nrarr.. relative. the king ai!G qu.c
Il The u,rrIvri"m u; youTc fc'ia.r c...uci ami Il
pun.-hrnen OF M n'idr Moor: and th"-e ,!cl"ctnb
y entertainments ciOsci hv sccc -! madness enart'
10 the life This was .l1rt toy ladies in those rcHsa
tIE's. .
: II was tu thai magnificent son Of the Church. GA
= dine! Eirhelicu that our p!ayloving neghhors, Il
:! French owed their first wecOnstruCtc; theatre b
is this theatre exclusive aud destined To be ,i'
" ica;"d 10 ilis own glory as all author the inh!st
lav~hcd care ana cost witAIGt calculation -" IL ere
- ;juu and aLnrni..-ut H.. had written II play "i!.
= his fiattercs told lin the pcr.ccti"it "t arr
solved III lis mind, tha rude tIu'I aI1"H!d u!
= pei the lofty dream he hal entouT"SeG' nc Hu'I.
theatre chose the Gcto.s and -cccIe! 'Ac Puo''c
il. :,
= Ir that bui!din. which i n"'H--pr rat!cF "'S-s
~ paais po-.l n new hail was Cun-ru' lc! actoroii
.Ic - ,.,s ~. .,,.n - ~. .r- ar"h.,,":S o. IT," :
! riol. All ,he luxury of .'uiptor- hi.. drc"fHt"
J. I'M, rin,ri,n wn- expended "a the capric: ot Il
clerical ccoti,, who prepared - gorgeous a iTAr
III, Immortal Mramc. thus characterised by r oa'
: W;-aue j. Il princess of somewhat dnabtta! pf!n
MICS her father hc kins of liythu.a, Is stupid