New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-01-09
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occupy portion of our space this morning
more aeceptably to our readers than brief
eontrastive synopsis of that charming domestic
prose carol Of Charles Dickens The Cricket on
the HEARTH, which, in its tIramatized form upon
the stage Of the Varieties, has excited 50 general
interest and kept possession of the boards since
| Christmas, crowded houses attending every per-
formancc The drama tells the whole story, and
its text is the language of Charles Dickens, with
scarcely an alteration though much of the descrip,
tive matter Of the story is omitted 81 course being
better supplied by the movement Of the drama the
scenery and the costume and action Of the aunoats
pe'sohe. Almost if not all, the language is lite
rally that of the original book and those who have
read that little gem OF literature will acknowledge
The extraordinary excellence and truthfulness of
the adaptation in every detail. Each of the three
| chapters of the book il an act Of the play, and
every character is introduced with the described
appearances and the veritable words On their
tongues.
| The fairy prologue of the opening drama is sug-
gested by the opening chapter, interpreting the
songs of the kettle and the cricket, which ryalled
each other in making music on the hearth Of John
Perrybingle (aIr. couldoek) and his little wife Dot
\ Miss Charlotte Thompson), who is introduced in
/ book and drama, in the interior of her cottage
coming the scene with the KETTLE IFS lid falling
OF, place il on the fire, where il sings its fairy
song of home, the cricket Ginning in. Dot sits and
listens to both waiting the coming Of John, who
enters with Ills bundles hugs his wife, wants to see
| his bahy-and the cricket, and the baby, and
laughing Dot, and happy John, and awkward Tilly
slowhoy, the nurse, all make fireside music. And
here the story yindicates Tiliy Miss Marshal) from
| the charges of the dramatic critics that she orig
mates all the hard usage to which the blessed baby
IL subjected In fact, she does not treat it half as
badly as she is justified by Dickens in doing, for
the story reads:
There there's the teapot ready On the hob! y
said Dot; as brskly busy az child at play at
keeping house. And there's the cold knuckie of
ham: and there's the butter; and there's the
erusty loaf and ALL Here's the clothes basket
for the small parcels, John, If you've got any
there; where are you. John2 Don't let the dear
child fall under the CRATE, Ty whatever you
1t may be noted of Miss slowboy in spite of her
rejecting the caution with some Yiyacity that she
had a rare and surprising talent for getting this
baby INTO difficulties: and had several times i'm
periled it's short life in quiet way peculiarly her
OWN. Being always in Il state of gaping adj
miratian at everything, and absorbed, besides,
IN the perpetual contemplation Of her mistress's
perfections and the baby's, Miss Slowboy, III her
little of Judgment, may be said TO have done
equal honor TO her head and I'd her heart; and
though these did less honor to the Bahy's head
which they were the occasional means of bringing
into contact with deal doors, dressers stair-rais
bed-posts, and other foreign substances still they
were the honest results of lilly Slowboy's corr
slant establishment at finding herself so kindly
treated, and installed in such a comfortable home.
For the maternal and fraternal Slowboy were alike
unknown to fame, and Tiliy had been bred by pub
lie charity, Founding; which word, though only
differing from Fondling by one vowel's length Is
very diierent IN meaning, and expresses quite
another thing.
Then John and Dot sit and talk what the story
says, while Tilly puts the baby through, and in
their talk they speak these words:
1t spoke the truth, john when the Cricket
seemed to say so; for veu have ever been, j am
sure, the best, the most affectionate of husbands
to me-. This has been happy home, johns and
love the Cricket for its sake ~
" Why SO do |, then. said the Carrier. so do
/, Dot.,'
I" love it for the many times have heard it, and
the many thoughts its harmless music has given
me. Sometimes, in the twilight, whenI have felt
q little solitary and down-hearted, John-before
baby was here to keep me company and make the
house gay; when have thought how lonely YOU
would be it should die; how lonely should be-
III could know that you had lost me, dear; its
ehlrp chlrp chirp, upon the hearth, has seemed to
tell me Of another little voice, so sweet so very
dear 70 me, before whose coming sound my trouble
vanished like a dream And when used to fear
did fear once, John; was very young, you know
that ours might prove to be an ill-as9urted mar
riage: / being such child, and You more like my
guardian than my husbands and that YOU might
not, however hard you tried, be able to learn to
love me, as Eon hoped and prayed Won might; jts
chirp. chirp. thrp has eheered me up again and
filled me with new trust and confidence. / was
thinking of these things tonight, dear, when sat
expecting you; and | love the Cricket for their
sake y
And John, who is public carrier by profession,
refers to his bundles, and points out package
which he says is wedding cake, and Dot wonders
whose-and wonders more when he tells her that
it's old Taekletons CIR. LefIingwelD and goesinto
fits when she learns that the fearful village ogre is
going to wed her fair young friend, May Fielding
(Siiss Couldoek), who was affianced to Edward
Plummer (Mr Copland), old Galebs son, who went
sailoring to the golden South Americas, y and
is supposed to be dead. Then strange locking
old man, whom John picked up Way-faring on the
road from the city, comes on the scene, and so he
il described
The stranger, who had long white hair, good fea-
lures, siuguarly bold and we'll defined for an old
man. and dark, bright, penetrating eyes, locked
round with smile, and saluted the Carriers wife
by grayely inelining his head.
His garb was very quaint and odd-a long long
way behind the time. Its hue was brown, ali over
and Miss Slowboy, hastily rising from the low chair
by the re to seek protection near the skirts of her
mistress, and coming into contact as she crossed
the doorway with the ancient stranger instinct.
lively made charge or butt at him with the only
offensive instrument within her reach. This nstrl-
ment happened to be the baby.
This mysterious stranger is the missing "saiIeur
boya who has returned home incog., to see how
the land lays and il his love is true to him. And
there is some talk and the boy is displayed to the
old man, and soon old Caleb Plummer the toy
maker, (Mr. John OVENS Edwards father, comes
in to see if John has brought any packages for
him, and this is his appearance
A little meagre, thoughtful dingy-faced man.
who seemed to have made himself d great-coat
from the saekcloth covering of some old box; for
when lie turned to shut the door and keen the
weather out he disclosedupon the back of that gar
ment the inscription G & Z in large black capitals
Also the word GLASS in bold characters He had
wandering and thoughtful eye which seemed TO
be always projecting itself into some other time
and place, no matter what he said; description
which will equally apply to his voice.
John asks him how business is and
Why, pretty well, John, y he returned, with the
distranght air of a man who was casting about for
the philosophers stone at least pretty much So
There's rather run on Noah's Arks at present |
could have wished to improve the family but
don't see how it's to be done at the price. twould
be satisfaction to ones mind, to make it clearer
whiehwas Shems and Hams, and which was Wives
Flies amt on that scale neither as compared with
elephants you know. All, WE'LL Have you got
anything in the parcel line for me, John?"
And they go on to talk in the play as in the book