The Portland daily press., 1868-04-25

been carried by the general excitement
Nv theatrical tastes had not as yet led me to
take a part in any performance, and, indeed,
of the ladies and men forming the present
company, Ada Dart and O'hrian were the
only two who were not about to make thelr
first appearance upon any stage. VI coutse'
these experienced members took prominent |
lead, besides being necessarily dfa"n togeth-
er in confidential way Whlch IL was very
unnleasant tor me to witness. Jeal Susy and |
enVc so stirred NV bile that | was inclined to
reoret the good old days of dueing, when |
niGbt have picked quarrel with my rival, |
and so had chance OF removing HIM from |
INV path. But the way in which the odous
rshman knocked over the pheasants and
rabbits, and the particular snapshot nred
from the hip, which was fatal to the WOOD
cock, forced me to own thai there was deep |
truth in the ingenious assertion so constantly |
'epeated in newspaper articles, that private
combat is s cowardly practice.
But had my turn OF being placed en- rap
mort with the enhancing Ada. The fine d
| hall of WintCn Park was to be our theatar
and it was my particular province to take the
best advantage OF the many natural facilities
OF the place; TO arrange about the scenery;
to find out what were the proper dresses for
the PLAYS we were to perform, &C.; and Ada
Dart being tie only person whose counsel was
of real service in a case OF difficulty. was
perpetualIy obliged to appeal to her. Danger
ously intoxicating were those conferences,
which, | confess, | PROLONGED needlessly; IN
deed l used sometimes to get up vexatious
opposition TO her wishes, in order to give our
discussion matrimonial flavor. Heigh-ho!
The plays selected were The Belle of PEN
zdnce, followed by the farce OF Eyes and
Nose; and the distribution OF parts was
work for Job or Solomon, most OF the compa-
ny at first declaring their utter inability to
take the simplest charctels, and coming round
Il, aiTNal asnT0
At our first general meeting, it really seemed
doubtful whether it would be possible TO cast
the mildest and lghtest OF pieces in the Brit
sh TepertOire; but at the end of fortnight,
| if OtheHo could have been rewritten with
three Moors. four De-. d monas. and two lagos
our little company bad stomach i'r them
| ALL When we came to actual trial, however,
| the powers oil each performer got to be eS-
timated by the Others a somewhere about
their right value, and we settled into our
pases ac ;ordingly.
was cast for ForteScue, which was too
prominent a part for my taste; for besides
that, on principle, very much prefer that
other peonle should amuse me to reversing
that proceeding, hated having so much TO
learn by heat.
That was another odd effective all SEEM
ed to have gone back to school. At every
turn in the house or grounds, you would
come upon young lady or gentleman, with
knitted brows, and eyes fixed on either earth
or sky muttering. g say, Chevers, lust hear
ne my part, like a good fellow" Captain Sey-
mour would say. Then a young lady would
make a similar request, and put her hands
behind her back while repeating her task,
rom sheer force OF association. Two to one,
II, when pla ing at billiards, the striker, after
! Using the long rest, said: Just give me my
cue, please" some one exclaimed: "Hark,
| they come" or But more OF this anon;' or .
-We win speak farther upon the matter"
In a little time, matters began to run
smoothly, and we had our first rehearsal. BY
recalling TO mind the different actors bad
seen in my part, and endeavoring to initiate
them, L succeeded better than 1 had antici- 1
pated. and gained considerable applause.
But said OBrian, you must shave, you
must shave, you know. The idea OF FoItes-
cue with those whiskerS is too absurd.'
Now my whisker5 were black, pendant,
silky, and had cost me an infin ty of trouble.
1t had taken five years OF constant care and
scientific training to bring them to their pres
| ent state oi perfection. ANY one without ex-
| perIence in the matter would hardly credit
the amount Of time and labor, not TO men
tion the mere money, that had expended on
them. Little soft brushes. delicate combs,
bottles OF a peculiar oil, more delicate than is
ever used for the head, and caled'' Brillan-
tine,' were appropriated to their service
| When | visited m haircutter that artist
| would deliberate for at least five minutes be-
fore he could come to a definite conc lusion
upon the important point whether he should
take the "hends" off. When | took my walks
| abroad at Scarborough, and the breezes flut-
| tered them over my shoulders, ScoInul in
| deed was the beauty whose eyes did not light
| up with admiration as she passed. Even en-
| Tious men were unable to withhold their
tribute OF praise. "Chevers. my boy" observ-
ed Rivers, who has spent his own fortune,
and is looking out TOR a wile's, "my figure is
twenty thousand; but by gad, if [ had your
iace-hair, I'd make 1t fortyn'
You may judge my feelings then, when it
was seriously proposed that should shaue.
| repudiated the notion with a shuddering
| earnestness which seemed to amuse some oil
The company, and thev all set to work to ar
que me out OF my objection to the sacrifice.
They will grow again." said one Miss
| Winton.
81 am sure Mr. Chever's face would look
| better without them,' added tie other.
| .YeS; there is particularly fine contour.
which is completely hidden at present." said
| O'Brian.
"How do you know that Paddy?"
Contour or not" said firmly, "if you
cannot put up with whiskered Fortescue,
some one else must take the palt." And to
that resolution L stuck in spite of fattery
persuasion, and satire for three days. And /
got it hot, too, at times.
First one and then another male vsitor,
was tried in my part, and 'ound wanting.
On the fourth morning, after breakfast,
Ada Dart expressed wish to learn how to
play at billiards. OBrian was not in the
room, and seized the opportunity OF offer
| ing my services, which were accepted. She
had been singulariy relicent upon the razor
question, circumstance which led me to
hope that she would not have seen the sacri-
flee eX pected from me without gang; but
now, while was engaged In the too perilous
occupation of teaching her how to make
bridge, she broached the subject.
81 am so sorry, MIR. Chevers," she said,
'that YOU cannot take the part Of Fortescue.
You must change with Mr.. o Brian; that is
the only way in which we can manage it, and
even that will spoil the play"
AS it quite necessary that Fortescue should
be whiskeress ?" L asked family.
HWhy judge for yourself; how would
powdered wig look with-them? The worst
OF it is" she edded, "that when undertook
the-the part OF Maria, it was with the sup
position that you would be the Fortescue."
Those who are unacquainted with the
Belle OF Penzance must lie told that Fortes-
cue is the lover OF Mara, and several half
Iomping, halt-amorous scenes are enacted be-
tween them; knowing this, ii they had heard
how Ada hesitated, and seen how she blush
ed as she spoke, they would not wonder that
my breath came short, and singing arose IN
my ears. My lett hand closed upon the fin
gers which were forming that bridge; my
right arm stole round her form; l felt intoxi-
Gated by the magnetic halo which foated
about her hair.
Take care! she said cannot make my
stroke IT you come so Close"
l knew there was skch a thing as throw inc
away race by making the running too early.
Hit your owown b-b-b-ball in the exact
center. and rather high" stammei Il, sand
you-you would not like O'Brie-that is. any
other ieiow to TOTO take that part, in fact.'
Il declare | won't answer Aouw she cried.
'Of course, know you, and never saw most
OF the others before, and such things make
all the difference, you know. To be kissed,
even in make beileve, by a man one has seen
Tor the first time week before, makes one
feel nervous; but therew Ecstasy she class
ed OBran with the men "sbe had only
known ior weekp Then she had not no.
ticed him at all those parties.
And she had noticed aud remembered me.
"Uh, that you knew ne still better! Oh,
that it was not make-beieye! Let US re-
hearse our parts"
Where is the use," she murmured, "if you
will not make small sacritce?" And she
looked so deliciously shy aud conscious, that
/ cried in rapture: 'Ill do it.'
"What! part with these?" and she lid
finger more beau tnul than Auroras on one
o my waiskers
"Yes.'
ou must give me one as a memento. Get
up; there's some one comiDg!"
1T Was Miss Mintnn and Iiantoi,, Sovn,onr