The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-07-03

IN 0ld-Tims Comedy - Several
Other Quaint Character and
Phrases, and How they Orisina-
ted.
For long time, Mr.. Grnn.ly .iood alone
in the vorid-a mer name in the peoples
mouth, . by-vori by which society xas
just - in the wan which took
place in the reign Of Queen Anne, over one
hundred and City yesn ago. the peasants
used to quiet crying children BY calling ont.
"Here comes Malbrool. ~ that being their
way Of prououncin9 the name Of the famous
General (object Of Lord Mscsulyis pet an
tipathy,) John, Duke Of Marlborough.
"what will Ms. Grundy say ?" represents
the feverish exciting desire to know what
society will think of what we j" or say,
what We spend or wear. aud =" on. But the
question ari~e-. "who il Mrs. Grunsiy -
Not Juniu~ himself, that ian,o,s. letter
writer, - 40 decidedly u myth - Mrs.
Grundy.
Al this moment she stands ~ one of .
feminine quartette Of imaginary beings.
The other three, who are among the bert re-
membered creations Of Charles Dickens.
firss appeared in "Martin Chuzzlewi:," aud
are respectively Ms. Sairy Camp, that Mrs..
Harris Who vas 50 often quoted BY that de-
lightful nunse. and Mn. Betsy Prig. who hav-
ing taken more than her fair allowance at
memorable tea party, was emphssically
recommended to ''drink far Betsy Pris."
The ssrictess inquiry has been made - to
the personality Of Mr.. Grundy. have
heard il said she will never die" and "she
il the Immortal possession Of the Englisl,
language" Very good but did abe ever
live! Candor compels me TO acknowledge
that she il merely . child Of the imseina-
ton.
What Of that! Are not Dominic SamP-
son, and Dsndie D,mmont, and wilkins
Mic.vber. and Samuel Pickwick members
Of the ,ame Imaginary family? DO NO,
Beckv Sharp, and Colonel Newcomb. and
Capt. C@tigan, hear collateral relations
Are not lvanhoe and Rrbeccs, C:ari.sa
Harlowe aud Tom Jones Of the same blood!
Yet these live. Then Why not Mrs.
Grundy?
Over one bundled years ago (the precise
date il l7Ga) . man-child was born in the
English county Of Durham, famous for it,
oxe.. This infant duly rip~ned into man
hood and was educated to the profession O1
the Law but living in London at the time
when theatricsls we're fashionable ard popu
lar, he took it into his head to write for the
stage.
His 6nt piece was Columbus" written
when he was twenty eight. After that h
became . regular dramatic writer and va,
generally successful. Among Morton's pro
ductions are n veral which, - the saying il
sill hold the stage ss stock pieces. Thu
hest Of these are a Cure for the Heartache.
way u Get Married." Speed the Flow,
school for Reform" ''rown and Country,
all written between 1892 and 1867. His
LIST piece. "Ths Invincibles," produced in
-, was full Of life snd fun. lie wrote
fifteen pieces in all, received S5,O0O for ON.
Of them ("Town and Country") before il
was put in rehearsal, and died in 1888, aset
seventy-iour.
Il Vas in the comedy, "Speed the Plow,'
written in 1898, that Mn. Grundy-I vii
not say made her 6rss appearance, for sh'
was only spoken Of, not seen. Farmer ana
Dame Ashkeld are charactep in that play
and In the opening scene hold colloquy-
be, sitting as . table With his jug and pipe
she in an old-fsshioned riding dress, wIsh :
basket under her arm.
The dame has been 70 market. She ha
habit Of perpesaally trumPing her hus
band and daughter, when they say or pro
pose anything which does not exactly sui
her own taste, BY discouraginsly asking
But What will Nm. Grundy sayT
The Grundys. it sPpesr., are objects o
her highest adnirstion. Farmer Grundyi
wheat brings Eve shillinea . quarter NOR
than Ashields. Dame GrundyS butiel
was "quite the crack Of the market" Al
last Farmer Ash6eld turns on her. and, vel
nigh losing hs temper, e1clain's: 81
quiet, wool ye? Always ding-dhginl
Dame Grundy into my esn-what will
Mrs. Gsundy say? What will Mrs. Grnn-
dy think! Canss thee Be- quiet, let ur alon,
and behave ihy~eP prastyY
The constant repetition Of the one ssld
phrase throughout the play hit the ear. II il
did not satisfy the judgment, Of the public
In common conversation il was continually
introduced while the play had run
Through nearly al the years that sincs
have passed. Mn. Grundy has held her OWE
and i likely 10 hold It.
The late Doctor Irving. one Of the his
torians Of Scottish poetry, lived to good
old age, bat never forgot this terrible lady
When anyone asked him to do something
which he did not think quite correct, he
would shake his head, and say, NO. no
what would Mn. Grundy say ?"
She II known Tar and near. In Deem
Der, 1870, the Solicitor General Of England
(,he present Lord Coleridge, Chief Justice
of the Court of Common Pleas. In L0ndOu)
delivered IN eloquent aaltlre~ At Edinburgh,
on the opening Of the Philosophical l"sti-
tuition in the ancient and picturesque city.
In no measured terms he censured the
Numerous pes.oas Of the present time Who
seem merely "Fi~9ss eoass~ere naai-a
phrase in which Horace, the Latin poet and
saiiris1 expressed contempt for thoee Who
pan their livea il eating and drinking. bat
are comparatively useless to society. In
ordler IN imnpesa Il nn0re deenlv Sntn tie