Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1859-08-04
Written for the Civiaian and Telegraph
ssThe worlds a Stagc.o

aisappointments, be but tissue which spreads
being divided and sub-divided, until it yam
ishes into nothing2 Why may not each
build his own air castle, beautify and adorn
it, and having accomplished this, live, cat
| and die therein But so the Wise Creator
has not arranged this great play which We
are enacting upon the boards. Fearless, still
dependent: bold yet sometimes cropping our
way. we, pass through the drama and finally
"the golden cord broken" we step aside, and
others come upon the stage, ELL our places,
and we are forgotten.
This great 'Vanity Fair" which we all fire.
quent, is full of little episodes, incidents, and
private theatrcals. Divers characters CONS
in, some masked, some tinseled and all in
costume ready to gil the programme.
Here are people of every variety, good,
bad, benevolent, lazy sentimental, comical,
proud, sharp, humble and simple. For in
stance, Charming Juvinelia, having "reallzed
her parents fondest wishes" having by dint
Of patience and application, been enabled to
dance divinely-sing like nightin gale, en-
broider beautifully, spell indifferently-speak
the pure Partisan French, and fiirt after the
most approved plan, is with due honors grad
uated from the "Misses Smiths school for
"les jeuues lnademoiselles" and is forthwith
pressed to the paternal vest pattern with
such an amount of praise and fattery as
could not fail to satisfy her, dear, delightful
Juvinelia2 Only think of her sixteen init
mate friends each one of whom she cloves
better than any one else in the world, indeed
she does" said sixteen girls pining away
within the walls of the before mentioned In
stitution. "How she is missed there" The
| light Of the class is gone"-so read those
sweet cpistles of thirty pages which our
graduated Juvinela receives sem-weekly
from each of the sixteen
But think what star is added to the great
armament in which she is about to shine.
| But here she may not rest, The noble am
bition of D1atrimony now takes the place of
every other-she must needs frequent the
watering places-poor thing; to dance until
| FIVE, to drink the odious mineral water, dress
| tlirt, polka, and bring down those ''dsSiTaJle"
young men, with her killing toilette, and her
'ten thousand year" Thus, she has begun
her part in the great play-success attend
| her.
Then only once ,ooll at that elegant Will
! n ,1,nr
we were all schoolmates together, poor Bill
could nj learn his Latin verbs, and :tould mt
learn the rule for computing the interest in
Partial payments" don't you romem-
Der how he leould eat apples behind the desk
and how he could whip every boy in school?
But Why allude to these things nov? Bill
finally became master VIII, then William
and III due time was whislied off to College
with ten new shirts, his Bible, u dozen cakes
of ginger bread, a box Of Brandcths Pills
two quires Of foolscap and Cicero under
his arm.
Need we follow him through the mazes
and difficulties of Freshman and Sophomore
years, during which he studies for stand
.furks occasionally, is late to morning pray
eis, wishes himself home again, revives, buys
choker and beaver, smokes mcershaum.
carries a cane and revolver, becomes aware
suddenly that he is about to be Star,
eats peanuts, writes sonnets, forgcts the val
edictory and remembers to cultivate his in-
cipient moustache, which lowing to the soft
ness of the sol) gives promise of future
growth. lie dotes on Byron and admires
Miss Resale Sercphina Brown, who sings
"Wil!ie we have missed you" when he pass
es the'aoor on his way to evening prayers.
He is 'rusticated' and finally conYalcsence
having set in, returns to his "Alma Mater"
only to discover that, contrary to his expec-
tatioua, the Institution has flourished in spite
of his absence Need we tell how irrcsisti-
bic lie has become being qtoted by the
young ladies at the Seminary as perfectly
divine" splendid" and the Glove of E. man"
But then things must have m end, an., Ju-
Nor and Senior years pass by, at the end of
Which latter lie delivers a long speech on the
"science Of the Heavenly bodies" casting his
eyes towards the misses as examples Of said
heavenly lodies, causing Miss Resale Ser
apli ia to faint from intense Feasibility, then
str;ightway having obtained his sheepskin
he packs his trunk, writes his name William
Z. q. Jones, a. b., and goes home, forsets
that four years ago he was considered rer-
dant, becomes HOPEFULLY engaged and takes
his place upon the Stage. Donot look about
you for cases and characters. We all have
our places, our parts-soIhe enact the tragi-
cal, others the sentimental and few, bless
themN the droll and comic, for what would
the play be worth without little splicing of
the ridiculous, just enough to give relish
Some of us are "encored" and some are Kissed
off. Would you know more of this "feeting
show" Look about you-study human ma
ture-note the doings and sayings of the busy
actors Which dwell on this Mundane sphere,
and you have the whole.
Albeit, with stage built upon founda-
ton of Morality, Temperance and Generosity
with scenery painted upon canvass woven by
industry, and tinted with "true blue" with
costumes sparkling with gems Of thought, and
a mantle of Charity draping the whole, and
made brilliant by the foot-lights of Knowl-
edge and Wisdom, shall we not be able to
do justice to the Drama and retire from the |
stage, victors with honors? Let us try.
ZANTIPPE. |