Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1867-03-09
A sCkIPTURAL PANORAMA.

|
Mark Twain, in the Alta Californian
tells the following entertaining history Of
| the Scriptural panorama
There was a fellow travelling in that
country with moral religious lava
sort OF scriptnr'l panorama-and he
hired woodeb-bead old slab to play the
piano for him. After the first nights per-
70, FINANCES the Snowman saidl:. My friend
you seem toknow pretty much all the
tunes, and you worry along frst-rate.
But then didn't you notice sometimes
last night, the piece that you happened
to be playing was a little tough On the
| properties SO to speak didn't seem, to
| jibe with the general gait Of the picture
that was passing at the time, as it were
-as you didn't follow suit nor trump, you
| understand
Well. no. the fellow said. He had
n't noticed it, but it might; he bad play
ed along just as it came"
So they put it up SO that the simple
old dummy was to keep his eyes on the
picture after that, and SO soon as stun
ming picture rolled out, he was to fit it
to a dot with piece of music that would
help the audience to get an idea Of the
subj ct and warm them up like camp
meeting revival That sort ofthing would
corral their sympathies, the Snowman
said. ssa
There was big audience ont that
nigtt-mostly middIe-aged and old peo-
pie, who belonged to the church and took
a strong interest IN Bible matters, aud
balance were young bucks and heiiers-
they always came out strong on panora-
mas, you know, because il gives them
chance TO kiss enc another's mugs in the
dark. ~ -
Well, the Snowman began to swell him
s If up for this lecture, and the old mud
dobber tackled the piano, and run his
fingers up and down. once or twice to see
that she was all right, and. the felIer be.
hind the curtain began to grind ont the
pictures. The Snowman balanced his
weight on bis right foot, dropped bis
hands on his hips, flung bis eyes on the
scenery, and said
p " Ladies and gentlemen, the painting
now before you illustrates the beautiful
and touehing parable1of the 4Prodigal
Son. Observe the happy expression break
ing over the features Of fhe poor, suffer.
ing youth. worn and weary from his long
march notis Q also ecstacy beaming from
the uplfted conntenaDceT Of the aged
father, and the joy that sparklss in the
eyes Of the excited group Of youths and
.maideDs, and seems ready to burst 10 q
4aelcome chorus from their lips. The les
son, my friends, is as solemn and instsac-
tive As the story is tender and beautiful"
The mud dobber was all ready, aud at
the conclusion Of the speech, struck up:
"Oh, wen all get blind drunk, asst
~ When Johnny comes marching bone ps
Some Of the people giggled, md some
groaDed little The Snowman could
not say word. He looked at the piano
man sharp, but he was all lovely. and se.
rene-be didn't know there was anything
out Of gear. So ~ "a
The panorama nsoved on: a xdi
Ladies and gentlemen, the fine pic.
tnre now unfolding itself to your gaze,
exhibits one Of the notable event : D.
bic history Savior and his
upon the sea Of Galilee Ho
how awe inspiring are the re
which the subject invokesp "a
All around the house tbnv
pering, Oh. how lovely,I
and the orchestra let hin
3ts" Oh a life on the ocean
And q home on the roliD
There was.a goc r.
ering turned ont
4 IL. Al