The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-03-27
SOCIAL And PERSONAL.
Various Events of the Week.

A comparison of the audiences that wit
messed on Monday night the presentation
OF Joshua Spruceby' and last night, "The
Merchant of Venice" furnishes food for re-
| Election, the conclusions OF which are per-
| haps better unannouncsd AS to account
| ing Tor comparative size, isn't it possible that
the loads OF cumbrous scenery, belonging to
| the aforementioned company, proved a good
| advertisement? Portions of the mill ma
| chinery, the rag wheel that almost turned
the fatal saw-(the projecting teeth OF
which grinned from behind a hesp OF rural
landscape hauled in two express wagons to
the opera house)-have not these a positive
attractive value? Unloaded before th-
theatre entrance, they suggest enchanting
possibilities, and lure the curious.
-.
Would it be sacriege to suggest to "Shy-
| lock" that he bring the court sceneup to date
in mechanical effect, and employ the large
Fairbanks scales as the instru ment provided
whereby to exact his full~Rccount2 This,
being large and unwiedly object, and
cumbrous OF movement, would occasion the
employment of several men and at least
one horse To carry it to the street entrance,
not to speak OF the difficulty, and therefore
the interest involved, in getting 1t upstairs.
And, IL our conclusion is correct, the effect
would be seen in gratifyiugly large au-
dences.
"a
Robert Louis Stevenson said he used TO
suspect that IL you could find an honest
man OF no special literary bent, he would
tell you he Thought much Of Shakespeare
bombastic and most absurd and all OF him
written in very obscure English and weari-
some to read" He Twas able to lay his
lantern aside at lastn for he found his
man, who thought and was not ashamed to
have 1t known Of him that Ouida was bet
ter in every way than Shakespeare This
would seem to be the honest attitude OF our
townspeople toward the Legitimate" ex-
pressed by their conspicuous absence from
the performance last evening. Yet Edward
D'Oize played the part we'll, and compelled
appreciation from his small and rather un-
seasoned audience.
-.
The Bethany Reading observed another
OF its pleasant Red Letter Days at Mrs
Boardmsn's Tuesday evening. This social
custom OF the various literary clubs has
| become so we'll established that one can
safely plan upon an invitation to these
gatherings at least as often as the Philts-
tine is published, "every little while"
Doubtless in the "red planet Mars" they
occur daily At any rate, tits SAFE to as
sumo 1t, till our next news from there is
more authentic.
1t Is interesting to observe, how even in
town OF this size the modern tendency to
sort OF communism is at work. People
spend more time in the library and club
rooms; various organizations meet in
church vestries, school-houses and the IL
brary, thus expressing, though perhaps un.
consciously, their belief in the modern idea
of the commonwealth-their claims to use
and enjoy certain rights and privileges not
distinctly personal.
-
The earth is the Lords-but when at
this season, one portion of it is emerging
! from the primeval ooze it is difficult to be-
| lieve David's statement in regard to its own
ership. group Of boys playing marbles
is an unfailing sign of spring. They find
I the first sp)t OF dry land, with an instinct
as sure as the emissary dove. And though
! their hands are not clean nor their language
choice, there is certain directness and
vigor in both that is envied, doubtless, by
many passer, who is held by the conven-
tons OF life to play whist politely OF an
evening. What wild Joy twould give the
freedom to express your undisguised opin-
ion of your own luck, your adversf ry's
wickedness, and your partners stupidity
"a
1--WE are stronger, we are better
Under manhood's sterner reign
But to her, Youth, the dream departs,
1t takes something from our hearts,
And it never comes again"
-
The little group of ladies who have met
informally from time to time this winter to
sew and read Little Journeys" and to stay
to supper, were entertained yesterday by
Mrs. Chandler.
-
Searching in cookery books for some sp
petizing viands that should have the flavor
of the ''sWiche liQuOrN of sprinp, some re-
ceipes for soup came to light. Without the
authors name, the masculine authorship Ii
recognizable. Listen to this: For lobster
soup, procure live hen lobster, plung,
into boiling water or worse Get younl
l green turtle, cut off its head" Really on,
would perfer consulting about the frs
r course with the child in one of the grade
| at school, who, being required recently t,
: write the definition OF nocturnal submitted
this: "a Kind Of soup"