Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-12-14

was we'll located in busy city of 10O,
900 inhabitants. | was q stranger in the
city, stranded there by a blizzard, and,
looking over the evening papers to see
where l should go to be entertained,
saw an advertisement of this Christmas
Entertainment" | went to the church,
and it was crowded with grown folk and
eager, bright-eyed, expcctant little
ones. And this is the way the commit
tee on amusement entertained them.
l. Dirge on the organ. The pro-
gramme did not give the name of the
dirge, but it was played with a wailing
melancholy that made your flesh creep.
thought | must have stumbled upon a
Good Friday exercise, butnot q glance
at the programme again assured mo that
this ''dirgc" was the initial number of
the birthday exercises. Queer way to
celebrate birthday" thought, but as
it was none of my funeral l said
nothing, which was perhaps tho wisest
thing | ever said.
,. a middlc-agcd mourner followed
the dirge with recitation about little
boy who died rather than tell lie The
moral was grand indeed, but somehow
the introduction of an early and tragic
death in the second number of tho zen
tCrtainmcnt" seemed to have dcprcss-
ing effect upon the congregation. Still,
| thought, perhaps tho committee had
wisely decided to kill Off all the objec-
tionable characters early in the evening
and have lots of fun at tho wake.
3. A sunburst of childish brightness.
Seven little girls gave a charming little
exercise about the days of the week. :"
June sunshine couldn't be brighter or
more welcome in December.
4. Sad recitation by boy with a
toothache. lie leaned sideways and
turned perfectly rigid when he faced
the audience. After moment of en-
barrassing silence he unlocked his Jaw
and let her go, lIo slipped an eccen-
trio on the first line, however, and
worked only ono side after that, saying
his piece out of the northeast corner of
his mouth till he came breathlcssly to
the end and duclleG himself off the
stage. His performance throw the con-
gregation into a state of bewildermcnt
from which it seemed difficult to ex-
tricate them. To complicate matters,
girl of about fifteen years came on
without any warning as the boy went
off and chantcd, in melancholy recita
tive, narrowing narrative of Tho
Drunkard's Home"
5. The organist covered the girls re-
treat with the dead March in SAUL"
and dull, sickening shuddcr thrilled
through the room.
6. A singing society of eight young
people sang Il Would Not Live AL
ways" a nervous-loolling brother sit
ting near me asked mo in a low whisper
for the loan of my razor "to kill rats"
| refused somewhat stcrnly, because, as
l told him, don't carry razor on my
person, and besides | disapprove of
suicide in places of entcrtainmcnt and
at gatherings of mirth and festivity.
7. A beautiful song, flute obligato,
sung like a bird by a beautiful girl,
cntranccd the congregation and dis
PEELED the air of resignation which was
settling down upon the house like a
cloud
s. A girl recited ''Nobody's Child" so
forlornly that it cast a gloom over the
entire community.
.. A young man sang dublin Bay"
in good dramatic style, and the way he
strewed the fatal beach with CHASTITY
corpses when tho flowing tide came in
would have chilled the heart of veter-
an undertaken.
10. A young lady recited a poem in
which an old man died sitting bolt up
right in his chair, after which his faith
full old colored servant doubled himself
up in heap at his masters feet and
died hard. This was encored, and they
both died again-a little harder this
time.
IL. A bright young lady, with a clear
voice and excellent dramatic action, le-
cited The Burial of Moses" by this
time tho congregation had caught the
spirit of the meeting, and the burial"
was rapturously encored. The elocu-
zionist returned and gave THE Maniac"
in spleadid st.IH