The National tribune., 1882-09-16
THE RISING GENERATION
Something for Our Young Folks to
Read in Their Quiet Hours.
IFron st. Methodist


| Many wears ago in little village among
the hills, lived some children whose names
you would know very well if you saw them
| here; but it would not do to make them
| public, for, to tell the truth, some of them
have not grown any Older yet in heart, al
though their merry faces are wrinkied with
the smiles of age, and the tops of their heads
resemble snow-drifts. AS they lived long
before The iron horse had dug through the
mountain barriers only one of them had ever
seen city. He had made trip to Boston
on the stage, starting before daylight, and
riding all the next day and night over the
route now Travelled by the express train in q
few hours. The hero of this remarkable ex-
| pedition was named Joseph, and, like the
dunceswho have been to Rome" he seldom
failed to allude in every possible manner to
his adventures abroad. So, when the chill
dren met to discuss the project of giving
theatrical performance in order to raise
money enough to buy Thanksgiving tur-
key for poor widow, Joseph wes, of course,
chosen manager, because he had seen real
play at tie Museum.
My friends" said the oracle, in his OPEN
ing speech, you will need a curtain, and a
place in which to hang it.
My father will let us use the mill
chamber" said blue-eyed Katy, the miller's
daughter; 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"
"Very well,' said Joseph; Tomorrow
viii be Saturday, and we will meet at the
mill TO build the stage and cast our plays;
so let lis all bring any pieces of cloth we can
borrow, and as many play-books as possible"
So that bright afternoon sun, as it shone
cheeriIy through the chinks and cracks Of
the Inill-garret, lit up the bright faces of the
children who were preparing for the OPEN
ing of their theatre. The boys first brought
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 moth
ers' rag bags--the odd combinations Of ma
terials and shades thus obtained producing
an effect very much like some OF the gro
tesque draperies which the modern art
lovers profess to admire. The most showy
piece was chosen for the central curtain,
upon the edge of which brass rings were
sewed. The boys next stretched 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 ring
before 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
I'LL the spaces from the posts to the back
of the room thus forming dressing-room
on each side of the stage, the entrances to
which were made by pushing away the
curtains at the front and rear corners, as
quired. The only change of scene from
interior to exterior was made by pine-trees
fastened into wooden blocks, which could be
placed in various positions The setting
sun lighted up the completed stage, and the
attitudes upon it, to select and cast the
play. Dramatic works had, at that time,
little place among the libraries of the
simple firm-folk, who were content with
Pilgrims Progress" "Fox's Mertys," and
the weekly visits of The Ploughman. But
the lawyers daughter, Annie, had brought
q volume of Shakespeares plays, and golden
| - A.
best and only play-bool she had ever known.
shakespeare" said Joseph" "is a good
writer, for 1 saw one of his plays myself.
| Hamlet was the name of it, and I will
be 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 be the
Queen because she was SO tall, and Dick
was unanimously chosen for the Ghost, be-
cause he was 80 thin. Bill Jones was offered
the part of Pol0niHs, because he liked to use
big words; and sweet Mable Drake took
Ophelie, because she had lovely long hair
and a brand-new white dress. LGertes was
given toSam Williams, because he was good
fighter-for they decided to have the combat
with fists, as swords were very danger
ous, even if they could get any, which they
could not. The only sword in the village
was somewhat damaged through long use as
n 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 chill
dren had two or three each, as there were so
many, and all were told to come again on
Wednesday, ready for rehearsal. But, when
Wednesday afternoon came, they did not
know their parts for the words were so long
and hard they could not remember them, and
it seemed impossible even to the energetic
Joseph to have Hamlet" ready by Satur
day afternoon, the day announced for the
opening of the show. So Shakespeare was
given up, and little Maud ventured TO say
that he was not half SO good as Mother Goose.
Struck with this idea the children gave up
their search for the unknown, and wisely
resolved to content themselves with some
thing less ambitious. Mabel Drake, in full
costume copied from the picture, read the
rhymes as they were acted with spirit by those
who knew and loved them. Joseph resigned
the part OF Hamlet for that of Bobby Shattoe,