Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-12-26

~ tuC SUI VI tuc cNcliibS, tuOuSu, ""Sh
she went out at Miss Bobsey's request to
Gil up pause by singing Mrs. Brown
ing's Little Ellie" or The Romance of
the Swans Nest" in costume. The uu.
dicncc hushed expeclantly, for this was
something novel for Il song.
They saw slight, girish figure, in u
dreamy. reclining attitude, upon the riv-
er bank, playing with water-lilies. She
wore short, full blue skirt, with black
bodice. Her arms and little white feet
were bare, and her wealth of nut brown
hair fell loosely over her shoulders. and
almost touched the painted water at her
feet She began in II clear, girlish voice
81 will have n lover
Riding on his steed OF steeds,"
and sang only sweetly and prettily, till
she came TO the lines
"For the world must love and fear him
Whom gin with hear and hand"
Then she forgot everything but the words,
and sang glOriously-uo louder. but with
an earnest, half pleading swell in her
voice; and rs she leaned forward slight.
". and claspcd her hands invountarily,
her iace was beautiful with its still purity.
and the dreamy tenderness OF her brown
eyes. rs she booked away of, away from
the audience, away into dream land.
Thcn-but shall let Blethen herself ell
~hat happened then.
should Just enjoy describing the
startling original characters that those
irrcpressible girls personatcd that night =
the real. truly artistic pictures into which
they grouped themselves. and the flashes
Of true dramatic genius which sparkIed
out. every now and then. in the plays;
but must hurry ON Ia attend 10 BlCthen's
troublesome little conscience; so | will
only stop to tell how Ben Dayton redeem
ell himself in Lute's eves-how, between
acts, as Lutte was behind drop curtain,
arranging her glten crimps after q
ballad III which she he'd been the "bonnie
Mary" of Bcn'S tenor solo, Bert Harley
came up, and, twirling his fierce nous
tache, said obscquiously, Heres wine
glass that didn't get emptied in the tenn
pcrance play, SO III drain il 10 the
prcttiest gin! that's been on the stage to-
night" Now little Lutte was very much
clated at this, and could not help show
ing it in The gracious way in which she
said,
Nonsense, Monsieur FIattercr; you
don't deserve TO have me tie your officers
sash So nicely, after telling such a polite
iib :" and she smiled saucily on the poor
halt intoxicated little cOXcomb,-because
he was one of "Our set" and had given
her compliment. But alas ior tetc'a-
teles and unconscious tableauX, Close
TO Lutc's chair was u barrel, rolled OH us
side. No sooner did our youth seat him
self thereon, than out it rolled from un-
der him. tipping him completely over
backwards, red top boots up Lutte
heard l. tumultuDus roar OF laughter, and
somebody announcing "Marley's Ghost,
and looked up TO iind,-O horrors! the
drop-scene was being unlntcntlonalIy
raised with the heavy curtain; and there,
in full view OF the audience, were Bert
Harley and she No, she wasn't either
O. she would heartily thank the one who
had the presence of mind TO drop that
side curtain in front Of her so quickly.
Who was it? None of the stage.hands
certainly-they were perfectly convulsed,
for there was Bert still, or at least, his
boots and moustache, and the barrel,
struggling and rolling ANONYMOUSLY on
the stage. o, il was irresistibly funny!
WAS it you. then, Ben Dayton?
There YOU were just good to think so
quickly o, thank you" And she told
him afterwards, in her quick, frank way,
that she ''must ilirt, but she dill hope she
should remember to tlirt with some one
who hadn't SO much conceit in the back
of his head, that the moment he sat down
he would topple over backwards ~
Blethen found her mother waiting for
her in her own warm, bright little parlor,
and was so pleased with her "Come.tell.
me .all.about.it" smile, that she put on her
scarlet wrapper, and cuddlng down on
an ottoman at her mothers knee, began
with,
"Do You know, mamma, when | mind
ed my conscience, and tried TO make q
little more peace and goodwill for this
Christmas than there would have been if
| hadn't, | never had an idea that 'twould
make me so perfectly peaceful aud good
willfu myself! But perhaps you'll say
it's because I've had my bit of romance
to night, that I'm all SO happy. Just
see, though, if 'twasn't romantic thing
TO happen TO girl like me who never
did horoics. Well, I'd been flirting, just
as hard. Yes, Ma dear, twas the
siliest kind of coquetry. really did try
to make folks say soft things to me- But
it's such a splendid place for moonshini-
ness-behind the scenes. suppose it's
because It's all glamoury and red lightish,
and youhe dressed up and look pretty,
and know it, and you iesl as il you were
an angel or some other impossible thing,
walking on air. Well, after I'd wasted
half the evening. and made every one
think my head was turned, what do you
suppose happened to think OFF Why,
that benodiotion mamma n kpnt say-