Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-12-16
The Free School Entertainment
Last Friday Evening.

Free school scholars was on the even.
ing OF the llth., in Graybil's Hall.
Ihat was the time, and that was the
place designated by the teachers for
holding the annual entertainment of
the Free schools of Mifintown,
taught respectively, by David A. Har-
man, principal. Miss Lizzie r. Har-
man. D. Holmes Dysrnger. Miss
Clara V. Daugherty
There Was murmer in the Hall at
the time We entered that was different
from that usually heard in large audi
ences, which required a thought of in
quiry to understand that its peculisrity
was owing to the voices of children
mingllng with voices of grown people.
There was abundant time to look
over the audience, as attention was no,
Immediately drawn to the stage, a. is
generally the case on entering play
rooms, for there was nothing doing on
the platform that could be seen; the
curtain was down. We took a seat
with self congrarulatory feeling that
We had arrived early, and was in to
see and hear all, from the beginning.
1t was vast audience, that is when
the capacity of the room is considered.
There we're six to eight hundred peo-
pie present on this occasion, all told,
big and little.
" bile there was peculiar murmer
IN the audiance during pauses in the
entertainment, there was also on its
face singular expression, it was plain
that IT vas full of the most pleasant
anticipations. 1t looked for all the
the world as if seated to a ban
quet of the mind aud heart, who will
say that it was not.1
The audience was not there, in a
cynical, critical frame of mind; it was
evident that it was ready to receive
anything and every thing from the per-
formers, just as presented, without a
word of discount: taking all at a pre-
MUM, for it realized in the play of
the boys and girls the reflection of
Its own performances IN by-gone-days.
The mind could not be disappointed
with such an entertainment, and the
heart went out full to the young PER-
formers in the purest affection, for they
we're kin folks.
1t was happy time. All were hap
py. The children were happy, in pre-
pairing for the great drama of every
day life. Parents and kin-folks were
happy in seeing themselves as they
were seen in girl and boyhood days.
1t was indeed banquet for the mind
and heart
Perhaps few were there who felt
like saying ''Much learning hath made
the mad" or that "a little learning
is dangerous thing" If they were
there they were SO oversbadowed that
they were reither seen or felt.
Such observations had scarcely I'M
pressed themselves, when the curtain
was drawn and dialogue announced
1t was called "Playing School," Its To-
cation On the programme indicated to
certainty that instead of being in as
a spectator for the whole of the enter
taiument We had arrived too late to
witness a number of "pieces," they
had already been said and played.
The dialogue was higly enjoyable,
and most everybody felt as if they we're
once more attending school.
These are the names of the players,
Lizzie Magouigle, Belle Derr, Mag
gle Weller, Ettie Fasick, Coda Simons,
Ada West, Andrew Parker, Harry
Bonsali, Oscar Do,y, Stewart Ellis,
Darwin Crawford, Cloyd Pannabaker,
David Slaughterback, Eddie Watts,
Lewis Deem, John Ellis, Seward Mu-
thersbaugh. Harry Mcclellan, William
Remffer, Harry Haller, George Hef-
flefinger, Ira Wilson, Milton Ricken-
oaugh, Philo Panabaker.
The school was dismissed, and suc-
ceeded by a Tableau, the name of
which indicates, what all should do in
the evening, namely take slight Sup
per-" Every body thought the Tableau
pretty enough to have been gotten up
by Titania, Queen of the FAIRIES. 1t
was so vanishing and fairy like, that it
passed as a sunbeam, and was gone
almost before il was seen. Those who
tableaued we're Miss Bertha kepuer,
Jennie Loudon, Junia Pannebaker,
Clara Deem.
The next was declamation-" l. t.
tie Boys Speech"-by Charley Black
welder. The title might have been
changed to"A Speech by Little Boy
He looked like a mere speck on the
platform. He said his piece we'll, and
everybody felt like giving Charley
kiss. Charley withdrew amidst mur-
mur OF approving msrriment, and was
followed by
Minor Drana-"Two Beggars"-by