Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-23


al will be charged
AN INDIGNANT ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR
When we first became acquainted with Skinner
he was the leader of the orchestra at one OF
the theatres Aud while he was acting in that
capacity they got up so:ne kind OF fairy spec
tare for which Skinn:r provided choice music.
He was particularly proud OF an overture ar
RANGED ly himself. 1t was copied on, by hand,
AMI il happened most unfortunately that the
copies were not finished III tine for rehearsal.
AMI 80 Skinner had to take the chances OF the
musicians getting it right on the first attempt
IN the presence of the audience.
\ couple o. hours before the theatre opened
skinner went around and placed lhs music
pnon the stands of the orchestra. Ten min
ntes aferwa:d when Sinner had gone away,
friend of his named Brown came In aud
saw the music ald for the sake of playing
l,tlc Ike on Skinner he gathered up al that
music. AMI replaced it with an Old lot of
sheets containing ragm2ntary nluslc OF about
,ysntv different kiudS, which lie found in
rn<ct in the orrhestra-ronm, After awhile
the audience assembled. Skinner brought in
his musicians, took his place. and whispered
To ,he players 20 exercise exceeding care
Then Skinner gave couple OF taps with lis
b.ton. anl the orchestra wc;.t into action IN
furious earnest 1t was awful. There was
most terrific diScOrd with SIX or seven
different kinds Of time, twenty varieties OF
tunes and such juggling. and footing,
and Scraping, that al! the women III the a!!,il-
cace iump~d to rh.ir fee! and screamed. The
i;r>t violini,t cxcrtcd himself t. >aw out pas
>as. from "Martha:' the man with the flute
strained himself until he WIS red ~ the i"ce
over an air from ''S-ajat Mater; the douhe.
bass nan engaged in IA futile eft 10 Interpret
the Last Rose Of Summer the claronct
>i.ricked out the Little Brown jug. while
III. drummer, finding that he could not play
he Faust march. hammered away at ran
,lrn Skinner was wild with amazamcnt and
rage He looked cross eyed fora moment at the
from" nc-man. who Was attacking See, the
Couqncring Hc,o Comes with intense earnest.
ness. and then throwing down his baton. he
cave one ierocions yel!, and leaped upon the
trombone man with murder in his eye. / ey
hid il cut right there iu the orchestra, and 1t
lasted just five minutes, amid the cheers oil the
audience. until Skinne:. having iainnle one 'eg
trough The drum. aud torn away quarter ot
a nile of fiddle strings with his list, landed the
trombone man in the body Of the ba>e viol, and
smashed that sweet Instrument into kindIlng
w,ud. They had DO overture that evening, and
another man had to lead what was left of the
band for Skinner went home. lie is still hunt
ing for the man who changed the music. When
he finds Mr.. Brown there will be a still more
terrific combat -PitSbnrQ Leader.
NR. BEEcHER on BEING Born IN Bust ~
Henry Ward Beecher writes to the l. dger: :
flow vain and tugacious are the consultations
with which, on dismal days, one comforts hir-
>.i in this wise The whole world could not
he born in Boston Somebody had to the born
outside Of this blessed center Why not /?
True, the lack can never be supplied; but by
good conduct aud patient endcavor, mauy men
have lived creditably who were born in other
places. Everybody can not he first. Every
one can not be even eminent. Cesar was not
bnru in Boston, though he is thought we'll OF
here, especially in bronze and canoes and mar
hies. Yet, had he been born here. his glory
would have been enhanced. Every good thing
is divine in Boston There have been nun,
herless names of great credit to the world born
outside OF this celestial city; Daute. Luther, NJ
Angelo, Albert Durer. Shakespeare, Bacon
DcScarte, Spinoza, Bonaparte, and a few 9th
ers But had they been born III Boston il
would have been still better for them than it
was aud Is.
''One may be poor aud unfortunate, but
what has he to envy in the rich and prospe-
rou>. if only they We're not born in Boston, and
he was? This is a patrimony that never can
nr squanlered Every time Que thinks OF it. it
i as good as a new birth
II am pleased in spite of my secret envy, to
see how well the happy people carry thcnlscl-
YES whom God selected TO be born IN Boston.
1t is not often iutruded upon you. ludeed it
is not usually mentioned III your presence. 1t
would not comport with poteness to bring
home to you your iguoble birth. 1t is after
You are gone that people say. with genuine
Christian pity Did you hear him speak Of
being born in Litch6eld? | wonder whether
he does really not feel the mi1o tune, or wheth-
cr he puts on that IN difference as IA way OF
hravng II out.
SOCIAL CRIME IN ENGI AHD.-Somc pha e,
o' English life among the better classes have
been lately developed, which are not calculat d
10 give people on this side of the water very
elevated idea of the present condition of the
morals Of the nobility and gentry of the mother
country Lady Dedlock, in Bleak House,
is lot au improbable character by any means.
1t was only the other day the Twiss scandal
>ho, k every drawing -room in London with lis
details, aud now Mr. Richard Darlington, "a
gentleman OF wealth and culture, furnishes 4
parallel one Sir Travers Twiss and Mr. Car
u,ton both married vulgar, il)iterat", hand
>'ue women. who lad been guilty OF llalSons
with men Of their own class iu life, and after
wards married the silly gentlemen, dazzled by
their physical beauties and enauored OF their
mele personal charms. Sir Travers IwlSs, 5
secret, like Lady Dedlock's, fell into the hands
"ia lawyer who extorted money with 1t, and
made Lady Twiss disappear. Mrs Caring
ton 5 secret burst upon the world through po-
Ice courts, her paramour, devoured by jeal-
"usy. having attempted to kill her when Of
Course the whole thing comes to the ears OF
Mr.. Darlington for the first time with crushing
force, and he learns of his wifes habtual NH
'"hIy 10 him aud receives no balm for his
Wounded houor n the twenty years penal SER
Wilde given Mrs. Darlington assassin lover.
he social caliron in England must be 10 a
'ad way when men of family, fortune and cut
lure. who could ccartaiuly choose modest, Vir-