Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-05-18
"THE FAIRY GROTTO."
The Operetta at st. JOseph's,
Last Night.

The exhibition hall OF st, Joseph's
Academy was filled TO overlooking, last
evening, the occasion being an operetta,
the "Fairy Grotto," by the pupils The
stage settings and the costumes were
beautiful and appropriate and the vocal,
lists did great credit to themselves and
their teachers. A synopsis OF the oper-
eta, which was quite taking, would be
as follows.
Act IA band OF fairies with their
Queen Miss EWING are sporting In q
forest glade, when they are warned oy
Puck little Miss Kennedy, the queen 8
sprite, that two little mortals are APP
preaching directly toward their glen,
upon which, at the queens command
the fairies disperse, leaving the queen
and Puck, who, invisible to the chiidren'
remain to watch them,
Anna and Carl miss Helen Devriess
and Miss Nina Bosley), the brother and
sister. enter the glade which the fairies
have lust vacated, are struck by the I'M
usual beauty and quiet OF the scene, ex'
press 10 one another their admiration
and also breathe q wish that their poor
hard working, care worn mother were
with them and that together they might
remain there always.
The listening queen, in the goodness
OF her heart resolves 10 enrich the chill
dren and their mother; 80 by her magic
power she causes the children to TALL
asleep and then empowers Puck TO
change their May flowers, with which
they have filled their baskets, into gold.
The children then awake, one after an
other. and relate how they have dream
ed what has just taken place, and exam,
lining their baskets their surprise ana
delight at what they discover are. mex
pressible.
Act 2.-The young people OF the WI
la,e are out on a May day walk-are in
terrupted by Peter Grim Miss Katie
Wingerter) the misery owner OF the
cottage where Carl and Anna, with their
widowed mother Miss Annie Fitzsim-
mons) live; he maniiests his disagreea-
bic temper 10 them and leaves for the
cottage, there to demand instant pay
ment OF the amount due him tor the
house. He has but just lett when Carl
and Anna enter, carefully holding their
baskets and refusing TO stop Tor mo-
ment to Join their mates in their walk,
hut promise TO astonish them with their
disclosure, il they will go To their home
with them. The chorus soon conclude
to do so and to satisfy their curiosity
thus aroused.
Act 3.-Maria alone in her cottage Is
disagreeably surprised by the entrance
of the old miser, who rapplng on the
floor with his cane demands instant At
tenlion. lie then tells her il she does
not at once pay what she owes she must
instantly leave the house. Her prayers
for a little time are in vain, but at this
juncture OPPORTUNITY enter her children
bringing their baskets of gold which,
after dancing around the room Tor JOY,
they empty before their astonished
mother. The villagers enter at this mo-
ment and after Carl and Anna tell how
they obtained il. there is general eN-
preston of admiration.
Alter Peter Grim is paid and the
money secured, they all determine To go
together to the place, where il. was found
and see il they can discover the source
of such brilliant mystery.
Act 4.-The fairies are assembled IN
their Fairy Grotto, rehearsing the joys
ol,lairy land, &c, when Puck enters and
tells the queen that he has, by the exer-
else Of his arts, conducted the villagers
into the deep woods and they are now
approaching the fairy grotto. She de-
clares her intention to delight the
young people with view OF fairy land,
and then of the fairies themselves, and
thus close their May day festival in the
most brilliant manner possible. Ac-
cordingly the fairies disappear from
view-the villagers enter the grotto eau
tiously one after another with gestures
maniiesting their surprise and admira-
ton. Knowing this must be the FAIRY
Grotto, they long to see the fairy lnhab-
itants, and so gathering closely together
they earnestly invoke them to appear.
Upon which the waiting fairies instant
ly surround them, radiant in garbs OF
gold and gems.
An adieu chorus, in which the mutual
expressions Of love and esteem, closes
the act