Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-12-24
:. ,rtfeasoN's PLAYHOUSE.
,,., Tells Of His iioyhood's
a Comed's" u,. p,,., p,.v

~ .-u..ndiugs anu p'' 800" w.
almost say that | was born in
nmy At all events my earliest
tR v's,;ons are entirely connected
' I'm one it was rlckety olu lrane
WI. Wiling with a broad gable, facing on
builadh e avenue, and situated m the
V'ae Washington. The door from
city o. entry opened upon the stage,
our oaos toddiing little chap in a short
and a. yas allowed full run Of the
frocS Co ..behind the scenes was my
place, sbousc. And whata playhouse
brsl Allied with all sorts OF material
! wa ~ exercise Of my youthful i'm
u ;nstion. At the back was the bay
b lNSanIes. with its conventional blue
o y. n ;,,st family clouded with the dis
sly j smoke of slumbering Vesuvius.
t anl s" one side stood long and stately
oP0 If Corinthian columns, tri
rows i arch. and next to that a
nmPna nalace. These marvels OF
hoi, ar, architecture were all lean
anc'sn "n AGAINST the wall. not only
mg ~ uncomfortable position, but
y q dangerous angle, looking as
y ,hsouch they had been toppled over
I a,;ac the last days Of Pompeii. Upon
a ssa nfber side, heaped in a compact
W. were many scenes OF various
ua, ss,r;es-there a five story brown
s e."ns front with modern improve
slo onis and here a tiny matched cot
!ura II the Eighteenth century, with
W lively little door in it just large
..n,gh for me to go in and out Of,
e eam1inp it after me and pretending
!; was mine. Then there was that dear
i;tte white paling fence, exactly two
t I high; no legitimate theatre OF the
Ia III school could possibly be complete
~;,bout this curiosity, and nobody
war saw such thing anywhere else.
men came the throne steps, with two
n~sh;c armchairs set thereon for the
I;rr and queen, and in front of these
.ha e old familiar green bank from
which II, stray babies are usually stolen
When left there by affectionate but
careless mothers. Upon the top of this
were two fat swans hitched in double
harness to a shell for travelling fairy
queens.
,ow and dismal vault having square,
dark opening with some mysterious
letters painted over it, setting forth, as
learned in after years, that it was the
nTyate Tomb of the Capulets. Close
70 this was another piece of real estate
belonging to the same family and
Known as outlets balcony" In a
dark corner stood a robbers cave with
an opening through which old Ali
Baba used to lug the bags of gold
he had stolen from the Forty
Thieves. Through the narrow and
secluded pathway of behind the
scenes" | have often wandered out
upon the open stage and wondered at
| this grove of wings and flats, and !
couldsee that many ropes were hang
. inc from above to which were fastened
boats and baskets, tubs and chande-
. ljers, and those sure tokens of bad
weather, the thunder drum and rain
| box.
These were the kind of objects that
nv childish eyes were wont to look
upon, and in this huge and dusty toy
shop, made for children of larger
growth, | got my first experience. l
bad seen many rehearsals and some
times got peep at the play, having
been taken on lin arms" as property
child in groups of happy peasantry.
Naturally, therefore, | was stage
struck at an early age; and, as / had a
theatre stocked with scenery and prop
critics, | could indulge my passion at
/ a en1o11 nSnao,all xy "
stock company were volunteers con-
sisting Of two little boys and their sis
ter, who used to play with me on Sat
urdays. This was before the star sys-
tenn had set in, and at period when
combinations were unknown.
Vi course | was stage manager by
right of possession, and had to compile
all Of the plays. The plots were very
simple and made to conform with
what set pieces we could get at, or
what properties we could secure and
hide during the absence of the prop
erty man. If the set cottage was
handy would come out of the door
asan old man (the age represented by
asplnal atfection) with daughter and
market basket; old man cross,
daughter rebellious; old man locks
daughter in cottage, goes off to
market shaking his fist spine
still weak. The favored lover
enters, claps his hands three
times daughter appears at win
dow, kisses her hand; old man coughs
outside, favored lover conceals HIM
SELF enter old man with market bas-
ket full of gilded pasteboard goblets,
accompanied by unfavored lover; they
slt down and drink wine out of COB.
lets till overcome. Favored lover
STEALS key from old mans pocket, re.
leases rebellious daughter; the sleep
efs awaken, general pursuit; favored
lover and rebellious daughter escape
over bridge, old man and unfavored
lover fall into the water. Curtain.
l1en there We're the private boxes
loplay hide-and-seek in, with mysteri
Gus hooks and ample curtains to creer
mto, and such chances to kiss the lit
aeglrI IN the dark. l am quite con
unced that there is no such play
ground as a deserted theatre in the
aayume.-Century.
Europeans in Brazil.
certain observations of DR.. Alfredo il