The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-03-21
cARRIs,s COMEDY.
Crusoe Dramatized by
aTen.Year.OId Girl.

ure. Al the age Of six she could read
with great ease, and before reaching her
eighth birthday she had developed = de.
clded taste fOr. novel.reading. About the
period she made her frat attempt
at authorship, aud soon achieved an en-
viable reputation in some local nurseries,
where her fairy tales were recited with
immense applause. In her ninth year
she wrote a novel, Of which, unfortunate.
", there are no copies now 10 existence,
and began an epic in six books upon "St.
Bartholomew,s Day"-which sanguinary
event she classed among the ancestors OF
her family. The epic was discontinued
after the completion Of the second book,
owing TO the premature determination oil
the Huguenots, but the young author
dashed the Catholic party with great Wig.
or, and denounced Charles TX a. the
scarlet person mentioned in Apocalypse.
The latest effort Of Miss Bartholomew
was in all respects her GROWING work. 1t
was = drama In blank verse and in FIVE
acts, entitled, "Robinson Crusoe; or, the
Exile Of Twenty Year, and it was pub
.Iicly performed in the Baptist lecture
room by accompany Of children drilled by
the author. The proceeds Of the enter
tainment were designed for the CONVEX.
sion Of the heather, and II was attended
BY a large and hilarious audience.
The entire work Of mounting the drama
fell upon The shoulders OF the author.
The Stage was beautifully ornamented
with borrowed shawls, and three fire.
screens, covered with wall paper with
tree and flower patterns, did duty "a
cenery. The costumes were unique and
beautiful, and a piano ably played by a
grown-up young lady supplied the place
OF an orchestra. The curtain rose at The
appointed time, and displayed Csusoe in
his English home, in the act OF taking
tea with his wife. Acradle in the corner
held a young Crusoe-played with much
dignity by Miss Bartholomew best doll
and q wooden dog reposed on the
hearth-rug. Crusoe, after finding fault
with the amount Of sugar in his tea-a
touch that was wonderfully 10 life-an-
nounced that be was TO sail the next
morningfor South America. Mrs. Crusoe
instantly burst into tears aud remarked:
.our welded life has searcs tegunt
Bat three months since you led me 10 The altar,
And now yon leave me fhendleH and totlotn y
Crusoe, however, soon comfor;ed his
vile, and bidding her teach her snrpris.
ingly precipitate infant 10 revere his alb
sent father, put on his ulster, and alter a
last passionate embrace, departed Tor
South America.
The second act presented Crusoe in his
island home, clad chiefly in seal,skin
jackets, and much given to pacing the
ground aud soliloquiziug. According 10
6is account, he had now been on the lsl-
and three years, aud was beginning 10 feel
rather lonesome. he referred In the
most aFsctionale terms to The sole com
rade Of his Joys and SORROWS, his gentle
poat-which animal, hired for the occa-
sion. from a Towanda Falls lrishman,
was ~couspicuously tethered in the back:
ground, and would obviously have butted
Crusoe into remote futurity il he could
have broken loose. Presently Crusoe
heard a faint yell in the distance, and de.
cided that II was made by q cannibal pic
mic party, Whereupon he announced that
he would 20 for his gun and sweep the
wicked cannibals into the gull.
Act three was brought 10 an unexpect-
ed but effective climax. It opened with
the entrance Of n dozen assorted canni'
balls dragging two helpless prisoner, who
were securely bound. After an eifectipg
war.dance one OF the prisoners was killed
with 0 club, and was placed on q painted
FIRE. Just Is the chief cannibal had an
nounced that the dinner was nearly cook.
ed, Cfusos,s goat, which had managed to
escape from The green room, burst upon
the cannibals. Two Of them were knock.
ed over into the audience, where they
wept bitterly; others were strewn over
the stage, while q remnant escaped be-
hind the scenes. The prisoner, in spite
OF the fact th It he wa dead and roasted,
i.d At the ftst onset Of the goat, and the
curtain was dropped amid wild applause.
After the goat had been captured by
some male members Of the audience, q
Crusoe himself had explained that his
uroposed massacre Of the cannibals had
been Internationally anticipated, the
stape was set for the fourth sci, and the
This particular act: was q magnificent
proof OF The authors originality. The
rising OF the curtain displayed Crusoe sit
ting on q grassy bank, surrounded ~ four
children, whom be calmly alleged TO be
his own. Beyond vaguely abiding to
them as the gift Of heaven sent to cheer
.hie lonely hours, that astonishing father
did not offer TO account for their origin.
The authors chief object 10 Introducing
them was, however, 5000 Disclosed. Fri
day, who presently appeared, aud whese
lack OF any ostensib!e origin was doubt
les due to the recent interference OF the
goat. was requested 10 sit down and un.
5ervo instructions In the Westminster
Caiechism. The scene that followed was
eIosely modelled alter the exercises OF an
ordinary Sunday school; and Crusoe's
four inexplicable children sang songs TO
an extent that clearly proved thstsinging
was the object OF their remarkable ctea'
lion. Leaf this scene should appear
somewhat too solemn, the author Judi.
ciously lighted Il BY the happy expedient
of making Friday \ negro, who constant.
.ly aid aye! Massa," and "yah, yah y
and who always spoke Of himself ~ "dls,
shiidH Altoeether, the act wa adelight.
'fsi SSs. and V6sasSsf csds0GxaS2sS
bis adear children and regretted that
they had never seen their dear mamma
The audience hovled with rapture.
HOW Crusoe and his interesting family
escaped from the island the author
omitted to mention. The nth and last
at denicted his arrival home and his
fnai reunion with the bride Of his youth.
M. Crnsoe was sitting At her original
4 Wan In thR habit