Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-05-15

But the way in which the odious Irish
man knocked over the pheasants and
rabbits, and particular snapshot, fired
from the hip, which was fatal to a wood
cock, forced me to own that there was a
deep truth in the ingenious assertion so
constantly repeated in newspaper arti-
clcs, that private combat is n "cowardly
practice"
But had my turn of being placed en-
rappors with the enhancing Ada. The
fine old hall of Winton Park was to be
our theatre, 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 the only person whose coun-
sci was Of real service in case of diff
Guilty, | was perpetually obliged to APP
peal to her. Dangerously Intoxicating
were those conferences, which, l con-
TESS, prolonged ncedlessly; indeed, |
used sometimes to get up a veXatious OPP
position to her wishes, in order to give
our discussion matrimonial flavor.
Heigh-ho!
The plays selected were Belle of Penz-
dnce, followed by the farce of Eyes and
Nose, and the distribution of parts was
work for Job or Solomon, most of the
company at first declaring theirutter in
ability to take the simplest characters,
and coming around gradually to demand
ing the principal rOies AT our first
general meeting, it really seemed doubt
full whether it would be possible to cast
the mldast and lightest pieces in the
British repertoire but at the end of a
fortnight, if OthcUO could have been re-
written with three Moors, four BESIDE
monias, and two lagos, our little COM
pany 'had stomach for them ~
When we came to actual trial, however,
the powers of each performer got to be
estimated by the others at somewhere
about their right value, and we got set
tied into our places accordingly.
was cast for "Fortescue," which was
too prominent part for my taste for
besides that, on principle, | very much
prefer that other people should amuse
me TO reversing that proceeding, hated
to have so much to learn by heart.
That was another odd effective all
seemed to have gone back to school. At
every turn in the house or grounds. YOU
would come upon a young lady or gen
tlcman, with knitted brows, and eyes
fixed on either earth of sky, muttering.
81 say, Chevers, just hear me my part,
like good fellow" Captain Seymour
woul say Then a young lady would
make a similar request, and put her
hands behind her back while repeating
her task, from sheer force of association.
Two to one, if, when playing at billiards,
the striker, after using the long rest,
said: just give me my cue please"
some one exclaimed: clark, they
come ~ or, "But more of this anon ~ or,
awe will speak further upon the mat
ter.O
Soon matters began to run smoothly,
and we had our first rehearsal BY recall
ing to mind the different actors had seen
in my part, and endeavoring to initiate
them, | succeeded better than had an
ticipated, and gained considerable APP
plause. But" said O'Brian, "yOu
FOrtescue" with those whiskers is too
absurd"
Now, my whiskers were black pen
dant, silky, and had cost me an infinity
of trouble. 1t had taken five years of
constant care and scientific training to
bring them to their present state of per-
fiction. Any one without experience
in the matter would hardly credit the
amount of time and labor, not to men,
ton the mere money, that had eXpen-
ded upon them. Little soft brushes,
delicate combs, bottles of peculiar oil i,
more delicate than is ever used for the
head, and called "Brilliantine,n were
appropriated to their service. When [
visited my haircutter, that artist would
deliberate for at least five minutes be-
fore he could come to a definite cOnclu-
sion upon the important point whether
he should take the "hends" off. When
l took my walks abroad at Scarborough,
and the breezes fiuttered them over my
shoulders, scornful indeed was the beau
ty. whose eyes did not light up with adj
miratiOn as she passed. Even enviOus
men were unable to withhold their trib-
ute of praise. "Chevers, my boy" OBJ
served Rivers, who has spent his own
fortune, and is looking out for wife's,
my figure is twenty thousand; but, by
CAD, if! had your face-hair, I'd make it
forty !"
You may judge my feelings, then,
when it was seriously proposed that /
should share. l repudiated the notion
with an earnestness which seemed to
amuse some of the company, and they
all set to work to argue me out of my OBJ
lection to the sacrifice.
"They will grow again." said one
Miss Winton.
81 am sure Mr.. Chever's face would
look better without Them" added the
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 part" And to that resolution I
stuck in spite of tlattery, persuasion, and
satire for three days. And got it hot
too, at times.
First one and then another male citi-
zen was tried in my part, and found
wanting.
On the fourth morning after break
fast, Ada Dart expressed wish to learn
how to play at billiards. O'Brian was
not in the room and / seized the 0nnor.