Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1866-05-15
A sCRIPTURAL PANORAMA
How 1T WAS FITTED TO Mus1o.

NJ" II WAS FITTED TO M USlC.
"Mark Twain" in the Alta Californian
tells the following entertaining history Of
the scriptural panorama:
There was fellow travelling in that
country with a moral religious lava sort
of Scriptural panorama-and he hired u
wooden headed old slab to play the piano
for him. After the first nights perfor-
nance, the Snowman said:
MY friend, you seem to know pretty
much all the tunes there are, and you wor-
ry along irst-rate. But then, didn't you
notice that sometimes last night the niece
you happened to be playing was little
rough on the proprleties, so to speak
didn't seem to jibe with the general gait of
the picture that was passing at that time,
as it were-was little foreign to the sub
Ject, you know-as if you didn't neither
follow suit nor trump, you understand"
"Well, no" the fellow said. "He hadn't
noticed, but it might be; he had played
along Just as it came handy"
50 they put it up SO that the simple
old dummy was to keep his eyes on the
panorama after that, and as soon as a
stunning picture rolled out, he was to fit
1T to dot with piece of music that would
help the audience to get an idea of the
subject, and warm them up like camp
meeting revival. That sort of thing
would corral their sympathies, the show
man said.
There was big audience that night
mostly middle aged and old people who
belonged TO the church, and took a strong
interest IN Bible matters. and the balance
were young bucks and heifers-they al
ways come out strong on panoramas, you
know, because it gives them chance to
kiss one another's mugs in the dark
Well, the Snowman began to swell him
self up for his lecture, and the old mud
dobber tackled the piano, and run his fin
gers up and down once or twice to see that
she was all right, and the fellows behind
the curtain commenced to grind OFT the
panorama. The Snowman balanced his
weight on his right foot, propped his
hands on his hips, flung his eyes over the
scenery, and said:
now before you illustrates the beautiful
and touching parable of the Prodigal Son
Observe the happy expression breaking
over the features of the poor suffering
youth-so worn and weary with his long
march; note also the ecstacy beaming from
the uplifted countenance of the aged father.
and the JOY that sparkles in the eyes ofthe
excited group of youths and maidens, and
seems ready to burst in welcoming cho-
rus from their lips. The lesson, my friends.
is as solemn and instructive as the story il
tender and beautifully
The mud-dobber was all ready, and
the second the speech was finished, he
struck up:
sob, we'l all get blind drunk,
When Johnny comes marching homer
Some Of the people giggled, and some
groaned little. The Snowman couldn't
say word. He looked at the piano man
sharp, but he was all lovely and serene
he didn't know there was anything out
of gear.
The panorama moved on, and the show
u IN drummed up his grit and started in
fresh.
Ladies' and gentlemen, the fine picture
now unfolding itself to your gaze, exhibits
one of the most notable events in Bible
history-our Saviour and his disci pies
upon the sea of Galilee. How grand, how
av e-inspiring are the reflections which the |
subject invokes. What sublimity of faith |
is revealed to US IN this lesson from the |
sacred writingsl The Saviour rebukes |
the angry waves and walks securely upon
the bosom of the deepln
All around the house they were wills |
perlng, "0h, how lovely, how beautiful ~
and the orchestra let himself out again:
"Oh. a life on the o-ean wave,
Aad home the rolling Deep
There was good deal of honest sniek- |
ering turned on this time, and consdcra- |
BILE grooming and one or two old deacons |
got up and went out. The Snowman grit |
ted his teeth, and cursed the piano man to |
himself, but the fellow sat there like q |
knot on log, and seemed to think he was |!
doing frst-rate.
After things got quiet, the Snowman /
thought he would make one more stagger |
at it anyhow, though his confidence was /
mighty shaky. The supes started the |
panorama to grinding along again, and |
be says; |
Ladies' and gentlemen, this exquisite
painting illustrates the raising of Lazarus /
from the dead by our Saviour. Observe
the half confused, half-inquiring look, |
upon the countenance of the awakening |
Lazarus. Observe. also, the attitude and /
expression of the Saviour, who takes him /
gently by the sleeve of his shroud with /
one hand, while be points with the other |
toward the distant city"
Before any body could get off an opinion
in the case, the innocent old ass at the |
piano struck up:
"Oorne rise up William Riley,
And 60 along with mes
All the solemn old flats got up in a huff
to go, and everybody else laughed till the
windows ratified.
The Snowman went down and grabbed
the orchestra, and shook him up, and said
"That let's you ont, you know, you
chowder- headed old claml Go to the
door keeper, and get your money, and
ant stiek fii