The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-22

fearful and wonderful ''Eenglis" to bring back
to life old Pliny, who has been dead 1905 years.
This hand-bill is such work of art in Ferguson
English that l give Its prefacing instructions
entire begging your readers to notice the eXqul-
site spelling and the more than exquisite turn
of th9 phrases. The beauty of it is that the
writer thought he was writing English equal to
that of the masters of the language Here it Is,
spelling, punctuation and all:
GREAT CONCERT
OF SING AND BY INSTRUMENTS
Who will take place at 25 of st meanng Instant at
s. clok in evening, if any Gentleman wishs to pro
tect Ipatronizel the harmony of the youth who has
the honor of playing and singing at the presence OF
tho ileect, and his officers. they see gentleman
above can come to honorate them 1.-THE youth ana IN
the time paying frances for everyone at ex-
pences necessary to have the instruments and trans
port of the Professors lof music from Naples.
If any one lik'd to without bill ticket he
should pay at the door of Palace Sgnor Spagnuoo at
St so Wis a Wis of Paris Coffee house in place where
National music plays sometime in evening. A por-
ton of this last sentence needs explanation The IN
depreciation thereof is follows If anyone is not
prepared with ticket he procure one at the door
of the hall, which is in Signor Spagnuolos building,
No 80 of the street Cat st. 30) opposite the
Cafe de Paris, on the square (''pace) where the
National band plays during the EVENING" The pieces
of musiD are eleven
But will not stop to give each piece-only
mentioning some of them. 1t is curious fact
that the writer's English in number Of the
"eleven pieces is tolerable still there are some
Things quite ricl. Inc CtlVaIlna ialfl, from UuS
Beatrice di Tenda of Bellini, sung by the bari
tone, Signor Gion CHA, is thus given with the
cart before the horse with a vengeance: "Bellini
cavatina of Baritone tthe Beatrice OF
Tenda sung by Mister Gion CHA"
The next piece on the programme is
also characteristic viz: 'Ascer Fancy with piano
from Lucrozia Borgia. executed by Mister
Denza" which reads to the uninitated that MIR.
Ascer Fancy is to be executed by Mr.. Denza at
the same time with the piano belonging to the
81 hut 20 ,,4,o of mn
than three centuries ago Whit the writer meant
was simply to say that for the second piece on
the programme Signor Denza would play
pano-forte fantasia, of the composer Ascer, on
a theme from Lucretia Borgia. The eighth
piece is thus elegantly and definitely described:
"Donizetta-air final into the Lucia sung by
Mister Caracciola" He must have "A strong pair
of lungs to impel the wind into poor Lucia. You
will notice that the writer puts Mister to all
these Italian names of singers and players, which
sounds as ridiculous as to say in English Sig
nor Smith, ''Signor" Jones or ''Signor" John
sing. A fantasia by Pontino, theme from
the Traviata, executed on the clarionet by Sig
nor Fucito appears thus in thu programme
'Pontillo fancy on clarino upon Traviata ex
ecuted by Mister Fucito." Number ii, or the
the last piece on the list is given thus: III.
Verdi air with Baritone into the Ball in Masche-
70, sang by Mister CHA" How the Baritone
got Into the ball" or out of it, | know not-but
the getters-up of this concert-( the youth who
has the honor of singing at the presence of the
fieect and his oficers'J must have given as
much amusement to the said ''feect and his
officers" by the programme as by the music.
These are but two specimens Of many that
have before me, some of which are more ridicu-
lous than the above, but are not one whit less
serious or less indicative of the authors entire
faith that their ''Eenglis was writ as she Is
spoke"
am glad to see by one of the last
indianapolis Journals that there is to be
a course of lectures given at the May,
flower Church." and that the lecturers
are to be of "home talent" Success to it! l
see, amongst the lecturers, Harry Milligan is to
figure with the grand theme of London" If
his lecture has not yet come off | would suggest
that the managers Of the lecture insist on Harry
giving his experience with cast-iron, slab sided
Yankee named Wheeler. who nearly killed our
Shaksperan Harry, who H. e.. H. NJ. had been
brought up on good, Christian food, both in his
native county and when he at school in
Charlottesville. Then, there should also be given
in his lecture a description of the excitement
over the first sight of Landseers lions in Trafal-
gar square, the day spent at the Queens review
and the plentiful feast that awaited the return
of the prodigals (Milllgan and Wheeler) |
charge nothing for these suggestions, but | tell
you if Harry would put these things fully into
his lectures there would be, in the language of
Charles Dickens, richness, boys, richness"
j. c. FLETCHER