Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-01-28
Miscellany.
How The Heavens Fell.
A STORY FOR CHILDREN.
BY ROSSITER JOHNSON.

The golden age of boys dramatic Tx.
hihnions' was past before | became old
enough to take part in those fsciDati,,
entertainments. But my elder brother
was one Of the stars Of our stage. and
have reason to remember vividIy the last
exhibition in which he was an actor. 7,
took place the night before he left bowe
for college. John Barnard, who was also
going TO college ha'! "a part in it.
Fred Barnard and | were very deepIy
interested. We watched all the prepara.
tions, and anticipated wonderful exhibi.
tlon. The performers enlarged the plat.
form, to make sufficient stage; they
hung some curtains to serve fer scenery :
they carried in three or four swords (rcaI
swords) and Two horse pistols they brought
several large bundles done up III paper
and. where one Of the papers were broken.
we saw the brass buttons and scarlet fac.
ing of military uniform. There was al
so small tent, and We caught sight Of a
shepherds crook and heavy chain with
All iron ball attached 20 it.
These revelations intensified the inter. s,
which had already been excited BY the
talk among the boys. 1t had been ru.
mored that the principal feature of the
exhibition would he drama, acted in
costume, and that IN one of the scenes oc
cured a terrific combat, to be fought
with real swords. according to the
laws of fence. What WAS the subject OF
the drama, or It's plot, or its moral, we
neltcer knew nor cared !; but we deter
mined to see the fight
Very early in the evening we were at
the school-house, and we gided in with a
hush of awe, pulled off our caps and qui-
etly took the front seat. No one else had
yet arrived. We amused ourselves hy
studying the stage arrangements and the
great chandiIler that hung from the centre
of the ceiling, with carved wooden fishes
and s4rpen's all Dver it, the candles beng
stack in the serpcnts mouths. The room
was carefully swept and busted, and ex-
ira seats had been brought IN to acconno-
date the expected crowd.
After while enc of the larger boys
came IN from another room, with n can.
die IN his hand, and began to light up.
We watched him with deep interest, and
would have been glad to help him. When
| e arrived at the place where we were
sitting, he stopped before us. aud deIiv-
cred the crue. sentence "You small Toys
will have to get out Of this, until the la
dies come. After they are seated, then
you nay co.:ie in"
This piece Of unnecessary gallantry
fell like u mlllstoue upon our hearts.
knowing too well how small would be the
chance of getting any place where we
could see he stage. after the ladies (aud
the gentlemen accompanying theml were
all seated. we took our caps, and sorrow.
fully obeyed the order.
But Hope springs eternal in the human
breast" Fred and felt sure that some
how we should yet gain admission and
witness the tragedy. We sat down on the
steps, and watched the people, who room
began to arrive.
First, old Mrs. Whipple and her little
granddaughter. We wondered why that
old woman, who was nearly blind aud
quite deaf should want to be ut the per.
formancc.
~ es, and that girl" said Fred. -
"whats the good of exhibitions to girls
They can never take part in eul-onIy
TO read composition. may be-" and his
tone IMPLIED that reading compositions
was very tame business, compared with
taking part in a terrific stage combat, in
soldier clothes, with real swords.
Next came old Mr.. Penaergast. walk.
ing s'owly and leaning on bis stout cane
with the buck horn haude. He ha been
soldier of the Revolution; and as we
imagined be would delight in witnessing
the excitement Of bloody scenes, such az
he bad passed through 10 his youth, and
would moreover be the best critic present
OF the correctness of the performance.
we readily admitted his right TO a front
seat.
Then came two young ladies. But when
they looked in at the door, and saw how