Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-30
How the Children Raised Money for
Charity.

MANY years hkOg III n llIllt Nlldkt dlnOnE
the hills, lived some children whose names
you would know very well if you saw them
here but il would not do TO make them
have not grown any older yet in heart, al.
though their merry faces are wrinkled with
the smiles of age, and the tops of their heads
resemble snow-drifts. As they lived long be-
fore the iron horse had dug through the
mountain barriers, only one of them had
ever seen a city. He had made a trip to
Boston on the stage, starting before day
light, and riding all the next day and night
over the route now travelled by the express
train in a few hours. The hero Of this re-
markable expedition was named Joseph,
and, like the "dunces who have been TO
Rome" he seldom failed to allude in every
possible manner TO his adventures abroad.
So, when the children met TO discuss the
project of giving theatrical performance
in order no raise money enough to buy
Thanksgiving turkey for a poor widow,
Joseph was, of course, chosen manager, be-
cause he had seen real play at the museum.
"My friends" said the oracle, in his open
ing speech, "you will need curtain, and
place in which to hang it."
"My father will let us use the mill-cham-
ber," said blue-eyed Katy, the miller's
daughter I" for the stream is so low that he
will not work there for month, and there
are lots of boards which we can use if we
do not spoil them"
avery WELL" said Joseph "to-morrow
will be Saturday, and we will meet at the
mill to build the stage and cast our plays ;
so let us all bring any pieces of cloth we can
borrow, and as many play-books as possible"
So that bright afternoon sun, as it shone
cheerily through the chinks and cracks of
the mil-garret, lit up the bright faces of the
children who were preparing for the opening
of their theater. The boys first brough up
the boards and carefully piled them at the
western end of the room, until they had
formed platform three feet high across one
end of the chamber, while the girls sewed
into three curtains the motley strips of
cloth which they had borrowed from their
mothers rag-bags-the odd combinations OF
materials and shades thus obtained produc-
ing an effect very much like some of the
grotesaue draperies which the modern art.
lovers profess to admire. The most snowy
piece was chosen for the central curtain
upon the edge of which brass rings were
sewed. The boys next stretched a wire
across the room at Just the same distance
from the stage as the height of the curtain
on which the girls had strung the rings be.
fore it was fastened in place. A post was
then put up at each side of the curtain, and
securely nailed to the stage and to the TOP
beams of the room, and the two other pieces
of cloth tackled, one on each side, to the
post and to the sides of the room. Two
other curtains were made, large enough to
fill the spaces from the posts to the back Of
the room, thus forming dressing-room Oh
each side of the stage, the entrances to which
were made by pushing away the curtains al
the front and rear corners, as required The
only change of scene from interior to exte
rior was made by pine trees fastened into
wooden blocks, which could be placed in va
rious positions. The setting sun lighted W
the completed stage, and the busy children
grouped themselves in restful attitudes upor
| it, to select and cast the play. Dramatic
works had, at that time, little place among
the libraries of the simple farm-folk, who
were content with Pilgrims Progress,
"Fox's Martyrs" and the weekly visits Of
| The Ploughmdn. But the lawyers daugh
| ter, Annie, had brought volume of Shake
speare's plays, and golden-haired Mabel had
her Smother Goose" the best and only
| plsy-book she had ever known.
Shakespeare" said Joseph, ais gooC
writer, for l saw one of his plays myself
Hamlet was the name of it, and | will bt
Hamlet for know how to act"
The children, of course, agreed, and each
accepted the part which the manager as
signed to him or her. Maggie was to b.
the Queen, because she was so tall, anc
Dick was unanimously chosen for the Ghost
because he was so thin. Bill Jones was of
fered the part of POloniuS, because he likeC
to use big words and sweet Mabel Drake
took Ophelia, because she had lovely long
hair and brand new white dress. Laerte!
was given to Sam Williams, because he wa
good fighter-for they decided to hav'
the combat with fists, as swords were very
dangerous, even if they could get any, which
| they could not. The only sword in the vii
lage was somewhat damaged through long
use as a poker by old Squire Hawks, who
was mad when he was not chosen captain
of the militia. The minor parts OF the play
were given out by lot, and thus some OF the
children had two or three each, as there
we're so many, and all were told to CONT
again on Wednesday, ready for rehearsal
But when Wednesday afternoon came, the,
did not know their parts, for the words wer'
so long and hard they could not remember
them, and it seemed impossible even to tn,
i energetic " nave iSotl
by Saturday afternoon, the day announced
for the opening of the show. So Shake
speare was given up, and little Maud ven
| tured to say that he was not half so good a
Mother Goose. Struck with this idea, tn,
children gave up their search for the un
known, and wisely resolved to conten
themselves with something less ambitious
Mabel Drake, in full costume copied from
the picture, read the rhymes as they wer
acted with spirit by those who knew AM
loved them. Joseph resigned the part o
Hamlet for that of ''ojSy Shqttoe, and swee
Efie Jones brought ars to the eyes of al
as she knelt at the fax-wheel in grief TO
the drowned sailor, who returned triumph
ant in the next scene, in neat sailor-sui'
which seemed to have passed through tn
shipwreck uninjured. Maggie looked anC
acted the tall daughter to perfection, am
little Maud was lovely as the bride, in poke
bonnet, as she rode proudly in the whee
barrow, the chosen bride of little Eddy, VIII
preferred her to the short, the greedy, or tn
progressive girl of the period. The hal
was filled by the delighted parents of tn
children on that memorable Saturday, an
the entrance fee Of ten cents each gave tn
Widow Simpkins such Thanksgiving din
ner as she had never had before.-S. NichO
las for September.