New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-03
sTHE PROPLE,s COLUMN.

the COMMENCEMENT
A Lake Shore FrOlic.
BARNES HOTEL, July 80, 1872.
EDITOR REPUBLICAN:
Wearied out with the heat and dust of
the CITY. and nv Owl-like eyes half blinded
with the glare of the sun upOn its countless
bricks, was heartily glad to avail myself
of an opportunity to take flying trip to
Mississippi City and participate in the
amusements offered to the guests at Barnes
Hotel by the gentlemen who are now its
pTOpuetors. There was novelty about
the affair. tOO-"dramatiCs by the seaside
and ball'-(bOth tempting to a lover of
pIeasure) that attracted me, and a lurking
idea of the fun we would have in 'pOking
fun" at the club, should the thing prove
"Iniss:" little meanness that / suppose is
natural to all human critters" if they will
caDdidly own Up, to like the idea of having
a laugh at anOther'5 expense.
l must frankly acknowledge, however,
that | entirely lost that part of my fun,
for it did not prove failure, but most
excellent SUGGESTIVE very best Shake
speareau performance have had the pleas
ure of witnessing. l have been through
few The club might take a lesson here.
Colonel Nixon and Major Hurd placed
the ballroom, and materials for turning
part of it into a stage, entirely into the
hands of Mr.. COwan, and most admirably
did he succeed in making a. pretty little
DarIOr scenic of the east end of the room,
with the help of few pictures, curtain
or wO, a few flowers and work basket,
it was astonishing to see how little mate
rial was needed to give the desired pretty
affect The taking out Of:a window, and
running up three little partitions, making
all the entrances and exits necessary for
carrying out the very laughable farce OF
the Laughing Hyena," new farce here,
liz v.orh oil nj fro
quenter 1t was new to me, and it seemed
equally strange to all who | heard speak of
it. 1t kept the audience in commissions of
laughter, and made more than one side
ache, | fancy. The plot is based upon the
Jealous freaks of FItrneT, who fancies that
earth, air aud sky must be i'll love with his
wife, and she respondent to all; victim to
the
Green eyed monster, which doth make
The meat it feeds on
He finds food for his vile passion in every
sway of the curtain; in the change OF pO-
sition of flower pot, or in the hours. of
watering a few plants that stand upon the
opposite balcony, and gets frantic over the
proofs he fancies he finds of his wlte's love
for another, for
ut ia jealousy; peculiar nature,
To swell small things to great-nay, out Of naught,
To coniure with, and then to lose its reason
Amid the hideous phantoms II has tOrmed''N
aTrifes light as air
are to the Jealous confirmation strong
AS proofs of holy writ"
And laughable are the capers he cuts I'M
der the influence of his passion, and drives
his unconscious, imaginary rival, the apOthe
Cary's clerk, who lives opposite, into a rare
scrape with his widow lady-lOve, who has a
passion for presenting canes to her sweet
heart The part was most admirably
PLAYED by Mr.. Olmstead, as was HornbI0cer,
the apothecary's clerk, by Mr.. COwan.
Mrs. Pierce as PopSey the maid, who
talked grandly and fooled her master,
serving her mistress, did much better than
| have ever seen her do, and played very
we'll. She bids fair to make clever de-
lheatOr of that line of character Miss
Delas was pretty and sparkling. 1t was
most laughable farce, and most capitally
PLAYED.
The play over, amid the hearty laughter
and plaudits of the delighted audience, the
room was cleared for some ten or twenty
minutes, "prestO, change" there was the
theatre gone and the ballroom in all its
pristine glory, brilliantly lighted, and the
music breathing the sweetnOte of waltz,
inviting in the fair bellies and manly beauX,
who were straVing over the grassy lawn or
sitting beneath the trees. talking sentiment.
There is no mistake, those benches under
those dense shade trees, upon that grassy
ldWuV ODtuluR 70 bub uCCp' bluO oC6LJ hAO
very inducive to make one talk sentiment.
spout poetry, and make love.
There was a large number OF pretty la
dies present, and some beautiful costumes,
Mobile, New Orleans, and the little water
ing places along the lake, having sent rep.
resentatives of their beauty to do honor to
the occasion; and the gentlemen, for a won
der in these days, were really kind, and
selfsaCrifcing enough to make an appear
in tba hqlitOOn1 n nDO1ly
though | saw some delinquents on the,
lawn; still, there we're enough to keep the
merry whirl of the dance spinning on into
the "wee sma hours ayOnt the twal."
The hotel was crowded, until Major Hurd
seemed about at his wits end to find sleep
ing places for those who at length con-
Guided to wind up the night with a nap
Altogether, "dramatiCs at the seaside and
the ball we're a decided success, that will
bear repetition.
And now, as the preachers say in wind
ing up a long sermon, "let me say just one
word more" about this charming place. 1t
is really what has been so long needed on
our lake shOre-an admirably kept first
class hotel. The prOprietOrs have spared
no expense or trouble to make their guests
comfortable and give them all the pleasures
of home, as far as possible TODD so The
rooms are so neat and clean, the table so
excellent, the cooking, especially the fish,
bread and pastry, not easily surpassed IL
ate a Spanish mackeTel on Sunday that
could not be beat) and with fine lights III
the rooms, plenty of cool water, good
bathing and fishing, the most carping,
cynical sOiOurner here could have nothing
to complain of, unless it is that things are
so comfortable and time slips away so east
Iy that it makes them lazy and unwilling to
return to the hot city and take up again
the weary round of duties in the treadmill
Of life that they have briefly laid aside.
1t does make one so indOlent here, we
move around slowly with book in hand, but
do not read; the ladies take out their work
baskets, bat do not sew. We lounge upon
the benches under the trees looking altar
over the waters, or, at evening, watching
the meteor glow of the revolving light on
Cat Island, or the steady star on Ship Is
land, and noting the various consultations
as they come slowly up N glorious bright
ness in the horizon. The sunsets are very
beautiful, with their rosy, gold and ashy
cOlOrs. One don't feel like work or even
play, but is content to sit in dreamy idle
ness, drinking in the cool salt air and the
beauties of land and water that surrounds
YOU in this most attractive spot
August Back again at the old routine
of work l look back upon my little trip
with a heartfelt sigh, that so pleasant
time must ever have an end, and mark with
a white stone those three or four days as
very pleasant ones in my life, and try to
cheer myself with the hope that it will not
be long before Barnes Hotel will offer a
like temptation for a truancy, and that |
may be able to slip Oft the coil of duty and
take another lake shore frolicin that pleas
ant place. Y. G.
LOOK OUT FOR THEM.