The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1877-07-20
FORT BENTON, NJ T, FRIDAY, JULY. 20, 1877

personhted the youthful patriarch was Of
grave and earnest countenance, and b
carried his school-books with the air of on
to whom base ball and fishing presentet
no attractions, and who vas utterly incap
/ able Of entertaining the bare idea Of play
ing "hookey.'
/ Of course, the children meant we'll, anc
| that fact ought never to have been for ar
instant forgotten. No-one in the audience
foresaw the terrible catastrophe which was
to prematnrely terminate the representa-
ton of Joseph's remarkable career, and
hence It is absurd to say that the children
themselves foresaw it. It was sad, sad
business, as the event showed, but the
disappointment of the children ought to
have saved them from a sneering mis-
construction of their motives.
The second scene exhibited Joseph in
the grasp of his unnecessary quantity Of
brothers, who were about to hurl him into
yawning pit, the pit being represented
by Deacon Smiths family pew. This scene
excited the enthusiasm ofthe juvenile part
OF the audience, who cIamorusly insisted
upon its repetition, and loudly suggested
plans BY which Joseph could 'lay ont the
whole bilin' of EN-, " and avoid his impend-
ing fate. There were, of course, those who
regretted that Joseph was not bodily flung
into the pit, but it was we'll understood
that "tabblows has got to stand still, and
that this limitation forbade the active
finging Of Joseph or any one else.
The small boys who represented Joseph
and his brethren enjoyed the performance
quite as much as did the audience aud
only heartless person could imagine that
they intended to deliberately ruin their
owu entertainment. Undoubtedly they had
their faults, but they were young, innocent
and animated by the best OF motives.
Indeed, so far from blaming them, they
deserve our tender sympathy.
The sale of Joseph to the Ishmaelites
constituted the third scene. The Ishmael
ties had their faces blackened with burned
cork, and wore their jackets turned inside
out. Carping critics found fault with
these details, and said that they tended to
confound the ancient Ishmaelites with the
modern minstrels but the majority of the /
audience was perfectly satisfied. The
conduct of tl.p of Joseph-s urotners
who was shown in the Of biting 5O.cent
piece, just received in payment for Joseph,
n order to test its genuineness, was
applauded, and it was generally
admitted that this little incident displayed /
high degree of histrionic power on the
part ofthe brother in question.
-Four succeeding scenes were each
thoroughly successful; and the parents Of
Joseph, Of his brothers, and of the leading
Egyptians, were so delighted with their
.hildren that they mentally resolved to
AXE an early opportunity to express their
ceilings in candy. It was not until the
ighth incident in Joseph's life was placed
N the stage that this parental satisfaction
ras changed to amazement and horror,
nd the performance broke up in disorder
nd dismay.
The children had confidently expected
nat the eighth incident would be more
oudly applauded than any other. They
ad done their very best to make ii effect
'e. Joseph had even gone so far as to
sar the skirt of his coat, and the boy who
ad borrowed his sisters garment in .
rder--
But why 60 into details? There was
rave mistake made, and cannot now be {
nmade. Whether the occasion warrant
eleven maiden ladies ofadvanced years
inting on the spot, or eighteen middle
5ed men in dragging their families pre- /
pitately out ofthe church and in demand
g the return Of their money at the door, i
ay perhaps be doubted but there was :
rtainly no excuse for the unseemly haste !
IT'D which the Sunday.school snperinten- i
mt leaped on the stage, boxed Joseph's t
rs, and publicly promised a tremendous i
lipping to Mr.. Potiphar, who was the ;
perintendent's own son, and who was
aiting with large horse-pistol to take :
rt in the next scene. OF course, all )
'ownsville rang with the affair next day, h
d It is. intilnated that from twelve u i
teen boys held painful interviews with II
cir respective fathers IN the woodshed i
fore goingto bed that night. But that b,
J children meant well, ought To be J,
needed. If they we're indiscFeet, they i,
ve terribly expiated their error, and if !
J affair leads to the purchase ofa Sunday II
lool library, without The aid of . prev in
IS show Of any kind, perhaps Browns Ii
le will have no cause 10 regret the
lure of the tabeaux. II