The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-04-21

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA, SATURDAY

1--WE
GRAFTON, and somerset . century Of bat
tling. When dynasty survived through
whole age, and was marked BY . long sue
4 cession Of martial schlevemenss, the actor
came tumbling, like . shoal Of porpoises
across tho stage, performing gymnssticl
that practiced turner's would be proud Of
To represent that dynasty was famous fol
its orators, warrior msgnifcently dressed
strutted up and down, saying not . word,
but gesturing like fre-eater, leaping
spreading the eagle, beating the smoky air,
ALI in true time with the music 10 full
blast, which conveyed the impression to the
despairing ear, Of roof full Of cats, brace
of bagpipes, the summons to dinner at rail-
road station house, and three high pressure
steamers blowing of in harmony.
The appointments of the stage were not
extravngant. A chair, set on table, an
swered for throne. Two chairs, set be-
hind q screen, were . bed, . house, or a
temple. When the retreating army would
pass through a forest, they rushed under =
frame of reed, thrust forward BY an assist
ant, from which curtain, divided in the
middle, depended. It is fair to say that .
Chinese placard hung on cross-stick, an
nounced that it was forest. The assi@tants
with cigars in their mouths, mingled with
the actors, holding the thrones firm, com
posing decently the dresses of the dying
women, and putting pillows under their
heads if they had any singing to 60. When
good old man fell back dead in bis chair,
they covered his face with red bandanna
= then he got up, went out, and was seen
no more. When the demi gods or histo-
rian would see the process Of events, they
got upon chairs, behind screen, and look ed
over it upon the stage.
1t is some years since the San franciscan
Chinese have enjoyed an entertainment of
this sort, and they may not have the luxury
again for some time. On the second night
| ventured to risk my ears once more for
your sake, Messieurs Times, in considera-
ton of which self-sacrifce it is to be hoped
you will grudge me little more room
albeit it is reputed worth shilling line
for advertisers.
The historical drama was preceded this
time by a two hours comedy-a light fan
tAstic piece, which the Celestiale relished
more than can express. Perhaps if l
briefly outline its story some Of your enter
prising playwrghts will adopt it, and at the
Winter Garden reproduce it for the delight
of New York theatre goers. The hero 10 q
student fond of books Of magic. His young
and pretty wife failing to WOO him from
their dangerous study, waves the smoke of
opium under his nose, sDatches the book
and herself reads magic. He mounts u
tower, (a chair on a table, summons the
future into his presence and gets terrible
scare for his pains. She conjures up all
sorts and shapes Of monsters that finally
knock off her lovely little feet. Then they
repent, are loving and retire behind screen
to their beautiful home. But the fiends
they have evoked will not 60 down again !;
beauliiaii ii sampire appears, but before she
is sole claimant for tinc blood of her victim
she has sore trials to pass through, clown
thumps her with baubles, punches her with
spears, and at last himself collapses under
her we'll aimed blows. Then merry giant,
ten feet high, gives her chase. She thinks
she settles his hash at last by jumping up
and striking the eoles of her feet fat in the
pit of his stomach. The merry giant is
literally doubled up with the blow, but con-
tinues to run about on two feet, jolly as
ever, but now with two other feet dangling
and kicking aoft, while his face grins and
ogles her from the centre of his body. Mis-
tress at last of the field, vampire takes up
her position before the students door, and
with syren song would entice him out.
The wife comes first, of course, and with
one blow 10 Knocked dead on the ground.
Out comes the widowed student next, vam-
pire exalts her charms, and in FIVE minutes
is an accepted bride. They retire to the
cottage, when mercy! she is sucking the
blood Of her quivering, screaming victim.
Full fifteen minutes this pretty paniomine
goes on. She snutches out his heart, chews
and swallows it greedily down, returning to
the charge, she rips out his-tbe very or
gans with which we yearn over erring man.
She washes them down with cup Of ten,
snd staggers snrfeited off. Now risk every
thing, We stripged instruments here is n
prett ? Kettle of troubles for comedy. Sis
ter comes in, grieves over the dead wife,
and she comes to. A grimmed and dusty
pilgrim approaches, with staff and bag, and
in very .. .onchdlent way, offers to cure her
of all her grief IT she will take the only
remedy a poor wayfarer can offer. Pilgrim
pulls out tca-cup, brushes it half full Of
-feas, we will presum from his beard
and hair. She drinks it down with shud-
der-but in iaith, and now comes the de-
liyerer, a generous medlcine-mGn. lie
produces new heart from his store, rubs
it with life giving powder, puts it into the
dead mans chest and bids the wife be OF
good cheer; produces a new yearuing nppa..
ratus, tucks them into the corpse, sews al
up snugly, and mounts the table. lie beck
ons. and the dead man walks forth, very
much refreshed for his zap, aud all the
better for his new heart. OF course, be
takes tea, and in comes the vampire. The
doctor watts ons pinch of powder at her,
and she uses her nails like a beggar IN
Rome; another, and her yearning is over
forever; another, and all heart goes out of
her-siDging, meanwhile, such high keyed,
plaintive strains, that with the appropriate
music in accompaniment, you fancy your
self back in Connecticut listening to a
regiment Of school boys marching past, each
with pumpkin-viue trumpet. And So,
virtue being rewarded, vice paid off. and
meddl ng with magic rebukcd, tho orchestra
relight thsir pipes, and actually suspend
professional demo monstralops for fifteen min
utes, ut the end Of which time the historical
drama begins. Fresh air never tasted bet
ter, nor was the silence of our San Francis-
co streets at midnight more duly apprecia-
ted than after this second night ut Chinese
theatre.
CO CARL ScHuRz, horn in a castle upon
the Rhine, of which his father vas teLant,
passed successively through the preparatory
school and the gymnasium into the univer-
sity, he found himself, at the age of nAne-
teen years, Tin lS4S,) leader among the
students in q revolution against his legti-
mate government, which was for the time
. u
and almost Of seizurc-then a wandercr-
anon an officer in fortress, where, for
twenty three days, 6,OO0 youthful Germans
w,thstood an army Of 4O, 900 soldiers, com.
manded by the Prince of Prussia, in person,
which fortress was surrendered only when
provisions had given out, and intelligence
had been received that succor was impossi
bic. Escaping by means Of asewer which
IL kk ha al lfS fN n n