The Colfax chronicle., 1900-08-18

The opera house was one great bower,
for the whole framework of the stage,
boxes and galleries was hidden by trail
ing green branches, dotted with roses.
Every seat in the house was filed and
people were even packed in the aisles,
when the curtain finally rose, and the
audience suddenly stopped complain
ing about the heavy fragrance of the
flowers, in their wonder at the beauti-
full tableau on the stage.
A lovely girl, dressed to represent
the goddess of flowers, was lying asleep
On moss-covered rocks, and, clustered
all about her, were little children
whose costumes made them look like
yellow poppies, and whose soft little
eyelids were folded like hers. The
time was supposed to be California
autumn, when, after long, dry sum-
mer, everyone was watching and wish
ing for rain. Presently, the awful
Observation-Disclosures came stealing in.
He was man in suit of dark green
tights covered with bright spangles,
and his face had been painted the color
of ashes. 1t was horrible sight to
see him painting and curving and twist
ing about in his wicked glee at finding
the Goddess Flora fast asleep. Sudden
~, the soft music of the orchestra grew
loud and warlike, as the Breath-of-the-
Desert, by wave of his sword, called
his army to follow him. In they
trooped and what do you think they
were but a crowd of boys, dressed to
look like the ugly cactus that grows
all over the desert! A moment more
and they would have killed the lovely
Goddess and all the poppies, too, but
flash!-like a streak of white light
ming, down from the mountains at the
back of the stage, came the glittering
Rain God-all in dazzling white and
silver-and the way his bright sword
went cleaning about, killing one cac-
tus after another, was enough to make
you hold your breath. Last of all, he
fought the Breath-of-the-Desert and
when he had him, like the rest, lying
dead upon the stage, the Rain God
looked up and smiled, for he saw COM
ing toward him the Maiden Spring,
who was really q sweet girl dressed in
green gauze, with bare white arms
holding high above her head an inn
mense green fern. Behind her came lit
tie children in white gauze and shin
ing wings. They were the Fairy Rain
drops, and, moment later, the God
dess Flora and the poppies reused from
their sleep and all joined in a happy
dance to joyous music.
Beautiful" ''Perfect!" people were
saying, as the curtain went down.
But you just wait until you see
Stella Bird and Ethel Douglas!" whis-
pered Pasadena boy to the stranger
beside him. This is only the begin
ming. Now, after the Rain God comes,
you see, they'll have all the California
wild flowers represented, and then the
different kind of roses, just in the Or
der that they really come. And Ethel
and Stella take part in every thing. My,
but they can dance. Mrs. Hackett wrote
the story of the Pageant and planned
the whole thing, but she says she
doesn't believe she could have made it |
go without those two girls. Stella Bird |
used to be called the prettiest girl in
Pasadena, but since Ethel Douglas |
came here, it's tie. 'Sh! there goes
the curtain"
And the audience seemed to agree
with this enthusiastic boy, for as Ethel |
and Stella, dressed like purple bios
SONS, came leading the wild-fower
carnival upon the stage there was a
sudden, deafening burst of applause
and people began to murmur: "Oh,
give me the opera glass, quick!"
Some one threw great bunch of vio-
cts that fell at Stella's feet and she
caught them up SO gracefully, without
osing step in the march, that every
body cheered. She smiled and bowed
title before reading the name on the
ard with the violets, but a minute
ater she handed them to Ethel, when
ill the people cheered again without
thought of the shade that had fallen
IN Stella's pretty face.
Then, after the wild flowers, came
he Pageant of the Roses, and truly
'nough, Stella Bird and Ethel Douglas
proved the twin stars Of the evening.
'irst, they appeared as snowy-robed
luns in the march of the White Rose,
'jcturing the old mission days in Cali
ornia; next, they led a court quadriEle
8 naughty Duchesse Roses in BLUSH
ng gowns and with great pink hats
'esting on their powdered hair; then
hey were Gold and Ophir Roses from
be Orient, dressed in pink and yellow
nd carried in rose-covered sedan
hairs; after that they danced gayly
ut as Roses of CASTLE, in black lace
panish costume, tossing basketfuls of
ed roses about; and, finally, they fiut-
cred forth with great wavering wings,
the yellow butterflies that are said
L. l. y