The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-05-07
A Grand Success.
reported for the vIRGINIAN.l

| Although the young people OF Arpol
Hill have never failed to make a success
of any social enterprise they have ever at
tempted the dramatic entertainment giver
on Thursday night, at Arbor Hill, far sur
passed anything of the kind we have ever
seen. outside of regular organized theat
rical troupe.
The plays were good selections and vel
performed, and the excellent music fur
nished by Messrs. Price and Sister, and
Mr.. Willard Fix, of Middlebrook, made il
indeed an interesting and enjoyable oc-
casion to the large crowd of people that
made up the audience.
The rendition of the Social Glass, .
was, in our estimation, almost, If notqulte
perfection. 1t was temperance drama
of about two hours in length, during
which the audience was kept alternately
in tears and laughter The pathetic ap-
peals of Eva Thornley, for the redemption
of her drunken husband would cause the
house to be hushed in solemn silence only
to be broken with roars of laughter by the
humorous hits of Bob Brittle and Nettie
Nuttlebv, who tried to make folks happy,
and succeeded.
This play embraced the natural course OF
drunkard life. from the time he begin
to sip the beverage until, unless redeemed,
he sinks to his final doom.
The signing of the pledge by Chas.
Thornley,, after persistent and untlrlng
efforts on the part OF his wife, Harold
Hadiey and DIR. Slater, and the effect pro-
ducea upon him by the death of his little
child, was especially touching.
The part of James Hollis was well rep
resented. and the exposing OF his little
game of fraud by Bob Brittle. very inter-
esting.
The murder of Mrs. Farley by her nus
band and finally his own tragic end, was
natural and affecting.
And lastly, but not least. the closing
scenes in this life dramatic house OF
Chas. Thornely-after his restoration to
manhood and the wine bottle banished
forever from his house, when sobriety de-
thrones the misery that once existed, was
of itself a fitting representation OF the
truest happiness that gives us peace and
comfort, and lights our hearts and homes
with its refulgent beams.
The entertainment was closed with two
side-splitting farces entitled, ''Dreadfully
Alarming" and 1.-The Limerick Boy, i"
which kept the house in roar OF laughter
for over an hour.
Septimus Fussle. in 'Dreadfully Alarm
ing played the part of the nervous old
daddy ''a1 uery complete manner, = from
the firing of his "blanderbass" in the air
to his tumbling into the ''acater-6ott' to
escape from the clutches of the imaginary
burglar. And Paddy Mills. in the Linn
erick Boy, was the funniest boy we have
ever seen. He succeeded in hoodwinking
Job, the gardener, DR.. Coltes and his
'.Dar1ing," Mrs. Fidgit, and effecting a
meeting between the handsome couple,
Jane and Henry, and from the way he
handled the Irish dialect one would have
supposed he was really son OF the EN-
erald ISLE"
Upon the whole, the entire performance
was one of merit, and reflects credit upon
the entire neighborhood, as well as, upon
those who participated, and we feel sure
should they ever undertake anything OF
the kind in the future. they will have no
trouble in getting crowded house. Il
MIRTUA. I.