The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-06-26

The Story and Plot Of the Opera
Presented by the Rlchings-B er-
nard Company ct Smiths Hall
Next Thursday Night.


Anne, there existed custom OF holding
annual fairs in the different county seats,
ior the double purpose Of engaging servants
and procuring employment. All servants
Who received a piece Of money ~ an earnest s
of contract, We're. by the law Of the times,
bound for one year from the day the pay
ment Vas made. Lady Harriet, lady Of
rank at the Court Of Queen Anne, tired Of
the amusement which court life affords her,
forms the plan To visit the Servants Fair,
in the disguise Of . servant girl, in search
of employment. She mentions her inten-
ton To- Nancy. her maid, who il only toO
delighted at the prospect III escaping from
the dull hunl'irum III court lille. Lord
Tristan, who is advanced in years, - cousin
of Lady II. rriet'S, n we'll rs her ardent
a.imircr, being anxious to please her lady
ship, arranges series Of sports which he
hopes will find favor in her eyes. Lady
Harriet, who has set her mind upon going
To the Servants Fair, pays little attention
To his plaEs, but informs him Of her inten-
ton Lord Tristan objects, but Is 81 thor
o,,yhly confused by the actions Of Lady I
Harriet and Nancy, that, before he II aware |
oi il, the ladies have made their escape
from the castle, and are ON their way to the
Fair.
Lionel and PIunkett. two young farmers
and oster.brothers, visit the Fair for the
purpose of engaging help for their farm
Lionel j. the adopted child Of Plunketf>
parents, now both deceased. His parentage
Is unknown. His father was found, one
evening, at the door Of the farm house,
l. I
then a small boy, was with him: both
were taken in and provided for, but the
father soon died, leaving his son To the
charity Of Plunkett's parents. lie lett to
his son nothing but ring, with the injnnc-
ton to present 1t to the Queen II ever ne
should be- in distress. During the progress
Of the Fair, Lionel and Plunkett, becoming
tired ii the sports, stroll out oi the grounds
into the woods, where We irst behold them.
| As they are about returning to the Fair Tor
the purpose Of selecting their servants, they
discover Lady Harriet and Nancy, who
have also grown weary Of the sights, coz,
ing i'm their direction, both dressed n ser-
wants. Lionel and Plnnkett stand aside,
but. thinking the girls are servants, speak
To- them. Lady Harriet and Nancy, trust
ing To their peasants disguise, assume that
they are servants. Lionel and Plnnkett
offer to engage them for n year, namin.
their duties, and stating the wages to In.
paid. The Lady and Nancy, who relish
the Joke exceedingly, accept the earnest
money which is offered them, unaware thai
thereby they are bound by law to serve
them for the term at one year. The bar
gain teing closed, the girls are told Z" pre-.
pare for the journey. Lady Harriet and
Nancy now discover the true state Of affairs
AMI not wishing tn reveal her ladyshIP
name and character, lest her reputation
should suffer, trust tn future chances Vi e.
cape, and allow their present masters u
take them To the farmhouse.
: Arrived ut the farm, the fOster-brotherS
AEON iini that their new servants know ab
D solutelv nothing Of their duties. But, n
Lionel il quite smitten with the Lady, ant
). P!unkett pleased with the maid, their do
nestle incapacity isexcused. Nancy tease
Plunkett, who IN turn gets angry. Th'
= maid, frightened, runs away to hide IN th'
i kitchen, pursued by Plunkett. Lionel. Ief
|, alone with his new servant (wHO has adopt
: ell the name Of Martha), makes advances
Lady Harriet answers evas;vsiy. Asked I
u sing. the Lady treats him to the old Iris
e ballad, ." The Last Rose Of Summer" Ii
: onel. who j, nOw completely enamoreti, ask
4 her to become his wife. Lady Hsrrie
Laughs ut him. They a-e interrupted b.
Piunkett and Nancy. the latter just caush
y after \ hard chase. The clock strikes mid
- night. and masters and servants part to &
i, To- rest. During the night, Lady Harrie
and Nancy, aided by Tristan, who has fo
e lowed them, make gosd their escape an
y return 10 the court, where they lind thel
n friends anxiously awaiting them.
IL A lev weeks after this occurrence, IN
Queen, with the ladies Of her court, anon
4 whom are Lady Harriet and Nancy, hun
J. IN a forest adjoining the village OF whic
n plunkett's farm forms q part. AccidentaIl
Plunkett fa;ls in With Nancy, Who has wal
,lered away from the party. He Recognize,
y her. AMI tries 10 induce her TO return to hi
'e service. She refuses, and a. Plunkett r
m sorts to force she turns upon him her hun
ing spear and drives him into the WOO
Lionel afterwards recognizes Lady Harrie
" who denies all knowledge Of him. Ane
ID citing interview takes place: Nancy r
le turns to seek Lady Harriet, and Piunket
:, Oyerhearing the voices, comes upon II
~ .cene. Lady Harriet il at last touched
u Lioners Wild grief, and refrses to call
NJ her guard, simply stigmatizing them
No madmen unworthy Of serious notice. L
!. ouel. driven almost to madness by the cru
calmncss With which Martha pretends n
n to know him. bethinks himself Of the riI
il left him BY his father. He intrusts it
of PIunkett, Who seeks the Queen, and d
livers it to her. BY means OF this ring 1t
discovered that Lionel II the only sOn Ut Il
late Earl Of Derby, who ended his days
disgrace into which he had uniustly falle
Queen Anne causes the title and all u
n possessions Of the late Earl to be restore
el 10 the son by an act Of Parliament
!. Lady Harriet has, after the unfOrtuna
xs meeting in the forest, become aware tn
), she is deeply in love with Lionel and no
~ anxious to re-establish herself in The fav
n II the nexly-creatcd count, cOntrives to
M the first one to cOmys unicate to him,
Piunkett's house, the news Of HE parental
But Lionel receives her coldly, and VIII
ne the lady, Who il q prey 70 the most viole
h feelings Of affection towards Lionel, and
. remorse for having repulsed him so hanhl
offers her hand to him and prays him
accept her, he cannot overcome the 0ito
feeling in his heart towards what seems
h. him to be the conduct of q false and cru
:, woman. But the indefatigable Lady Ha
u riet, with the assistance Of Plunkett, wh
cd in alarm for the health Of his foster-brotht
nd il persuaded to take part in any scheu
III which would bring about reconciliati0
=, persists in laying siege to the heart Of
y. Onel. Plunkett and Nancy have an int
Of view, in which they discover that Pinnket
~ house would make . good home for q
=. former servins-maid. While he, mOurniI
- over the probable coming loss Of Lion
eagerly embraces the prospect Of makiI
-. Nancy his wife, Lady Harriet again en'e
W the house aad IN questioned BY Plunkett
n. to her qualifications for . serving girl. s.
Ia replies
ar IL can, ungreving, from sPlensl"r sever,
Renounce the hollow world forever;
ly,l lean. tn whom my love ~ plIyhtei,
en- His faithful servant and his loving WIFE,"
Lionel's heart II sOftened, and, oil his O
love returning, he awakes from his del