Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-08-11

Sunday morning should he devoted to
hearing Jouadab submit the various read
ings possible, and taking decision there.
upon.
Sprouts WIS at home ut eleven o'clock,
and helped his mother to prepare the
room for the private rehearsal. II was
Sprouts notion that it was emiuently de-
sirable to reproduce the real theatre as
nearly as possible. SO, getting together
all the chairs in the house. supplemented
by boxes and the bucket turned upside
down, he banked his brothers and sisters
in the remotest end Of the room. This,
he announced, was the gallery the
rrdisCmJiance being considerably pro-
NOTED by n strong perfume of oranges.
This arose from Il jOrum OF peel-water, Il
drink which has not yet been largely All
vertised, but which was highly popular
in the Dibbins household, and, indeed,
generally throughout the neighborhood.
1t was produced by the process of boil
ing orange peel in water, adding IL little
treacle or brown sugar, and there you
were. The street provided a never-end-
ing supply of orange peel the only diff
ficulty was to obtain sugar. On day
like this il was forthcoming beautifully ;
and though the general notion of what
was going to happen was but vaguely
shaped in the mind of the Young Dib-
binses, they were quite certain of the
peel-water, and moreover enjoyed this
excitement of being set forth in rows as
if they were personagcs of Importance.
Sprouts had brought i'll with him bot
tie of ginger-beer. which ne proposed to
open presently when the curtain was run
up, knowing that its pop would sound
pleasant and familiar in his fathers ears.
Sprout himself was the pit. Mrs. Dib-
bins and the baby, seated little to the
right, were the boxes. AS it was emf
nently desirable that profound peace
should reign during the rehearsal. the
baby was provided with the kitchen po-
ker, the smooth knob OF which it made
violent attempts to swallow. 1t was an
indomitable child, not to be repulsed by
early defeat, and it wasa wcll-known AK
ION of the household management that
if you gave baby the poker it would he
quiet for the hour together
When ali was ready Jonadab entered.
1t was full dress rehearsal, and by the
skilful application of burnt cork Jonadab
assumed most professional appearance,
which was added to by the skirt of Mrs.
Dibbins's black dress, loosely thrown
across his throat and over his shoulder,
after the manner so familiar to doctors i'll
everyday life AS l have mentioned,
the difficulty with JonadaD was rs to the
choice of the precise word on which the
emphasis should fall. As there were
not many, he meant to try them all. En-
tering now and coming to halt right III
front OF the stage, Jonadab, purporting
tn take watch out of his pocket, which
he held in his right hand, fixed his eyes
gloomily upon the occupants of the gal
lery, and said in solemn tones;
lie has but five minutes to LIVE.
This was admirably done, though per
feet success was marred by IN untowart
accident. 1t was Teddy, the youngest
boy but three, upon whom Jonadabs eye
gloomily fell Teddy. not primarily al
ease in view of the transmogriiication Of
his father, and fascinated by his regard
took the remark personally, and since il
appeared he had only five minutes to live
he would occupy them in bowling. He
was Immediately joined by his younger
sisters then by brother a little higher
up, till finally the whole gallery was
bowling, the chorus being complete whel
the baby, after brief struggle with Its
natural preference, temporarily aban
doned its attempt to swallow the poker
and lent its tuneful voice to the uproar
Take them children out, said iona
dab throwing off his cloak. 81 have nc
peace with them night or day. Out witt
you, every one of you !" And they wen
forth shrieking, grateful for their owl
escape, but fearful that they should neve
more see Sprouts or their mother OF thu
baby.
After this the rehearsal went on quictl.
and profitablv. 1t was objected to thu
first reading that it singled out the dyini
man with unnecessary distinctness, ant
seemed to imply that others of the by
ISLANDERS might have seven or eight, o
more minutes to live, whereas he had oni.
five. A kindred objection was raise'
when Jonadab proposed to read it,. III
! has but fee minutes to live. To lay tn
emphasis on either "has, "but,, or "to
was to waste point. Mrs. Dibbin
rather liked the reading. 'He has bu
!, five minutes to i've" But Sprouts iron
| whom all these criticisms have come
though of course not stated in precisel
the words set down here ruled that on
of the question.
1t was finally arranged that Jonadai
} was 20 begin in n low solemn voice, t
] slightly hesitate when he came to civ
minutes" rs if he were precisely calcu
, lating the time, and to lay what emphasi
might be left ON the word olive Tbi
} settled, the burnt cork was washed of
J the children were readmitted, and the
Sprouts finally, though not without diff
: Guilty, convinced Teddy that father wa
only playing, and had no designs on hi
young life.