, 1875-01-10

play, and never thought abost retiring until he
was entirely shut out. Uu>ontrolied laughter
from the audience inform ID llim OF his Eituation.
Ills costume was thorousln ny en- resle. Hs had
II old caubccn, with vell-colo1ra etaJ plpe
sticking through the rim, on his bead gray
frieze coat fastened round tho waist By Wlsp OF
STRAW, corduroy brooches. and sni1elaa IN nus
hand. His facs was adorned with as good
black eve as ever found favor in Donnybrook
Fair At first be looked dazed and bowildered:
He walked in dreamy way up ant down pehlno
the footlights, then looked daga:ers " despair
at the curtain winch had so suddenly excluded
him. At last he removed his eau been. scratched
bis head as il for idea+ started into conscious
ness, and, bowing to the audience, sad: ''La-
dies and Gentlemen This is bit OF bull, but il
sor'e all we'll plaized wid dhin thst plays John
Euu, why thin may the Devh fioy away wid that
curtain" Some minutes elapsed before the
laughter abated and the announcement could be
made. There we're not wauhng taose who st
t1tbuted the blunder to premeditation for the
sake of effect; hu., as tho Jolly, essy-soing Cap
tain Was never known to mediate at all, the
theory was not long-liyed-
And now to the play which it ID my purpose
moro particularly to describe may premise
that tho proceeds Of these garrison perform
ances wero invariably given to such charitable
have the best claim to assistance. It occurred
to tho management that, il an original play or
tmo could bo had on purchase, the fresde OF
some poor author might b made by so much
the happier. Pubic notice vas duly giEen and
an Original play asked for. La about q week
manuscript was received accompanied by . let
ter which ran, as nearly ~ I can remember,
thus:
GrsrLE,sE or TIE ARMY STAGE: You advertised
for pay- As there's nothing Ike the classics and
the ancient Romans. 1seul you play composed my
SELF, and the dor better one can anyone else co-
pose And 1t eomposes the aud:ence, aud comroses
Ta composed rnysef when receive the bounty Of your
premium reward (cit,er will do> Pretty well on
lie compose anyho. yauz obeaicnt servant to COM
nv wife sisters husband in tho battle-ground
furnenst the Barraclzs. Sure you 1Eow Jem Fosa1i-
Yours obet.iently, TIMOTHY ocA114snAa, =,
Here, there, WIS an original play written by q
hedge schoolmaster in the ancient Kingdom Of
Kerry. Tho rapidity NTH which this Literary
effort was produced Vas doubtless It's ch1ef
merit: but courtesy to the author demanded a
fair read;ng, which was therefore appointed for
aftar d,uuer at the regimeatal mess of tho
Fortv-third the next evening after it's receipt,
where and when the Committee would be present
to decide It's fate, As my friend vas OF IL thls
regiment, was present It the reading. The
play was entitled 4'The Roman Maiden; OF,
The Lacedn1nonian Lion" The scene Was laid
in u Mileeium." Act I. Enter Centurion of the
Guard, who orders 10000 (inyisible) Roman
warriors to enter aud stand at ease On the stage,
whilo Cuius Nd5tius 1s to dellser Al orstlon
But this order was Immediately counter-
uaapded in most magniloquent terms, for
the reason th1t there was not room Tor them
TIE soldiers are then told from the wing BY
Gaius Marfs.4s that he has no conne1ion with
auv other OF the same name. but stands on bus
own responsibility entirely. Taat he has fallen
in love with Roman maiden OF rare beauty,
whom he h.s just como from LacedRmon to
WOO and carry away. That eomc petty Jealousy
OPPOSES his wishes, aud that the army are to
proceed With him to Rome to overcome au oppo,,
sitioo. The nrmy answer with one voice aod
three cheers that they are ready to obey his coma
mands, and after sharp vo1iey OF musketry
they retire, the muaic playing Garry Owen.
Coi7ts Ncrtius then sollloquizcs for twenty min
utica, aud winds up with a forcible expression OF
his determination to get the colleen in spoitc
Of the divil-" To this part Of the text was ap-
pended an explanatory note, the purport OF
which was ttat though we don't hear much Of
the devil in those tunes yet he WIS there all the
WHILE
Tia the second act the scene changes to Rome.
pathetic interview takes place between the
Lacednmouan Lion aud Fbrmosa, the Roman
maiden in the centre Of the Coliseum. Vows Of
lnterminable love are exchanged, and the place
and hour OF fight h1od upon Immediately |
after rhich q heavy firing of ordnance is to |
be heard, showing that the Romans have begun |
to dispute tho liberty which Mr. Nartins is |
taking with their rights rs Roman citizens.
Mdrtius feels 1t to be his duty to join his |
style which the Philomath was sure would take
The folds ont OF every pocket-handerchief in tho
theatre, After much outside firing Caius |
A1rtius rushes actoss the stage crying, *sAl
is lost; but. by japers' I'll have for"'0sa for my
wife anyway"
The third {and fortunately the lastl act opens |
Tith court-martal, before which Udrtlus |
stands condemned, but With great magnanimity
announces his undyins love for For1nosa, aud
it,at she shall yet be hls "as sure as death % and
Apptus As4toninus, and the dread discovery is |
nasie that sho is half sister to the LacedDmo- !
nian Lion, and that maulage with him would
therefore be utterly impossible according to the
laws Of the Church! formosa Is toleraoly Dug
ni6ea ut this startling announcement. but her
hoart breaks before the Court has yet dispersed
md she falls dead, to slow music. in her fathers
arms. Tho death OF Fornosa! for the sake OF a |
foreigner, pggTagates the members OF the Court, |
which sits assln ana condemns na's'1s q ts,so 20
INTO custody, but SO greas is bis ptoWess that he
escapes from his guards and flies to the Tar |
peian ELL, where, in solilo9u5 OF some ten
minutes length, he deprecates the folly OF tho
II the Sabine bracelets, was ready to
rot what ahe deaarved for it., I'm
Eh1nking..' The guards recruit apd redouble
heir numbers. He first makes an eloquent sp-
,esl to Cascr and then. in the ngoniee OF de-
t1sir. leaps from the Tarpelan Rock. But be |
,at only Just made the effort to jump, when re-
lection suddenly seizes his mind. and, IN Md
ir, he is to e1c1aim (aa IN the verltable text OF
he play. Thunder an turf, where am going
o."
I feu I have done tho worthy Phi1omath'a
,lav ouch Injustice for whnt OF better mem- |
,ry. I can. only SAY that nothing could have
,roduce1 moro hearty uer11ment than ats read
ng, wha:h, by the way, was very we'll done by
ho officer to whom that duty had been Entrusted.
The anachronisms we're absurd enough OF them
elves; but tho amazing obiiquity Of expression
yhich characterized the language OF the whole
,iece was completely irresistible. 4 very polite
lots was written to the author, in which he vas
banked for his manuscript (hcrowith returned) /
mt fears we're entertained Of their ability, being
'nly amateurs, to do justice to the piece. |
A subscription was, however, made on the ]
Dot, before the laughter had yet ceased. and |
N inclined to think the Philonath came on
nuch better in pocket than if the production bad
zen less Irish and more in keeping with the
lnitles
SOMETHING NOVEL IN ART.
TIE Uses OF TIE DRoP-cURTAEs. L
The subject of drop-curtains, which the elab-
,rate and ambitious work Of art at the Adelphi
:~w$,S4 r. no f1aay