The mountain Democrat., 1865-10-28

Arabella Alma every suecess.'
That's pleasant for Q father To read,
remarked Mr.. Alma, drily.
That accounts for q good DEAL said
Horace, but it doesn't explain the 'oveT
the wafer business, be added mentally.
Why, Pop, this is the night Of the per.
formance, continued Mr.. Alma, referring
10 the newspaper. 'Greendale ia only half
an hC.Y = ride on the North Kent line.-
Run down there this evening, my boy,
keep yOurSelf-dark, see the performance,
and -
'Whati' asked Horace, seeing rOgu.
ish twinkle in Mr. Alma.
Write the critique for the local paper,
and cut up Juliana,' replied Mr. Alma.
'That'll cure Arabella Of her passion for
the stage, III wager Q pound; or at all
events, punish the sly Puss for her Sc
cresy.'
After little further consultation, Mr..
Alma's scheme was agreed upon, and in
the evening Horace POppytOn took his de.
parture for Greendale.
The amateur theatricals in aid of the
funds OF the Greendale volunteer corps
proved q great success in pecuniary
sense. Charity, under any eense-Char-
ity, under any circumstances, is said to
cover a multitude Of sins and at Green.
dale on this particular occasion it most
certainly sheltered some bad acting. Pos.
sibly the audience who witnessed the per,
formance were perfectly aware that the
Honeymoon vas vilely rendered but
then they reflected that the goodness Of
the cause for which the 'poor'-and the
adjective in one sense was extremely ap.
plicsble-' players had exerted them
selves, should rob criticism OF its keen
edge. The proprietor Of the Grcendale
Comet, hitherto man universally respect.
ed for his mild, hebdOmAdel leaders, be.
came an object Of universal execratiOn fol
the heathenisO attack upon the 'theatri
calls that had appeared IN the columns o.
his journal And what could he urge in
extenuatiOn Of his imp0rtinence?
Nothing saVe \ story to the effect that
about an hour previous to the commence
ment of the performance, young gentle
lnan had entered the Office representing
himself as being connected with the Lon
don press, and expressed desire to criu
else the efforts Of the GreendAle Thes
plans.
1t was granted, and the result was th'
explOSian OF . bOmbshell in Greendale. -
1t ran down the performance in general
and Miss Alma in particular.
Il should like to know the name Of th'
| .h1 ahnk s,l, a . sOlo ahnaa
meY' exclaimed Arabella Alma, in th
presence Of her father, on her return Il
London. 1T vas cruel--wickedr
Nonsense, my dear dare say tn
writer spoke his mind replied Mr.. Alma
and the truth, too, he added. soto voce
} BY the way, Arabella, is it on or of witI
young POPpytOnf'
Don't know. How you worry va
the Sulky rejoinder.
She's beginning to talk plain English
q decided improvement thought her "a
ther. You had better marry him.
We'll, suppose l bad, returned Ara
bella.
'One question more, love, said her ia
ther.
What were you doing in Lambeth
over the water'-the other day, when
Horace met you accidentAllyy'
For . moment Arabclla looked very
much inclined to cry.
Well she said at last, If you mus
know, | was taking lessons in scting o
some one connected with the stage. Th'
man in the snuff colOreG coat was an &C
tor, the woman his wife, and the glrll
ballet people. When Horace saw me leave
the house with them, We were going tC
the theater where received my instruc
ton and rehearsed. And now, papa, bt
good enough never again to allude to my
folly, Of which am heartily ashamed
hate the sound of the word theater.'
Quite cured. thought MIR. Alma. Hor
ace win be delighted.
When Arabella Alma became Mrs. Pop
pyton she settled down = quiet, sensible
woman, and Horace, instead Of being I
henpecked husband, is one OF the happi
est men, while his wife's conversation il
ornamented with the simplest words. She
seldom visits theater, and business never
takes her Over the Water