Year: 1866

Tt is usual to conclude the performance
with the farce After the roaring extrava-
CANT, all look to see the green curtain drop
and the actors go, each his sensible, every
day way. The Fenians have hit on a differ
ent plan. They have given thor farce-a
right broad one, putting the audience ON
wide grin, notwithstanding the tragic ele-
ments mixed up with the droIlery-and now
they grayely set about giving us the deepest
tragedy on top of it. The curtain rose on
the most side splitting opening scenes. The
stage was crowded with comedians whose
drolleries net BroughaIn of Florence or
Williams could equal Don Quixote was
not more khan their peer. The plot, the
dialogue and the by play were 50 funny that
we got tired of laughing. At last the whole
thing eliminated and brought down the
house at Campo Bello. That we Thought
had finished it. We Strengthened our faces
and waited for the curtain to fall. 1t was
relief, for with all the broad fun there bad
been mixed vein of deepest sadness. Brid-
get the kitchen maid and Teddy the hod
carrier had taken all this joke in sober earn
est and had fed themselves on the hope they
got from it; and had brought their hard
earned dimes and quarters, thinking they
would help free Ireland while they only paid
the actors of the farce. 1t was cruel un-
deceiving the fall of the curtain would bring
to them and we were glad it had come be-
fore matters became any worse


We were mistaken. The play was not
played out, Head Centre Stephens, who had
heretofore existed only to be talked about,
has suddenly appeared upon the boards and
announces that now change of programme
will ensue. No more farce, but only the
grandest of heroic drama is on the bills for
the rest of the entertainment, with the Head
Centre as the central head and front There
have been bad goings on among the actors,
says the Centre. They haven't been well
up in their parts, but he won't have anv Of
them accused until they have been fairly
tried and found guilty. Campo BelIo was
failure but you couldn't expect to conquer
provinces with company of raw recruits.
just wait tlll Stephens has, by his peculiar
magnetism, gathered the enthusiastic volun-
teers by hundreds of thousands to his stan
dard, then you will see such a marching up
the hill-and down agaln-as will make you
stare. There has been suspicion of eorrup-
ton at Union Square, so Stephens will have
no mere OF Union Square, and of course
there can be no more corruption Some
think, though this is not In Stephens, bal
cony speeches, that Killian can afford to
make room for another, and that Union
Square has yielded all it can reasonably be
expected TO- The poorer classes may rest
assured nolo that their money will not be
misappropriated. They must have earned
| considerable since they we're last bled, and
all that is now expected of them is to come
up and deposit in the Stephenes box instead
| of the Roberts and O'Mahony boxes. Hav-
ing done that they may be certain that the
money will be used So it was before, but
Stephens viii have it now. 1t is only fair
after all to give him the same chance the 9TH
ers had. He may need the chance Just as
badley.


Well, the audience at this new play will
be just as large as before. They may be a
little less enthusiastic but not much. Hone
and impulse and hero worship make up a
large portion of the Irish character and the
thought Of seeing poor Ireland redeemed
will stimulate the gulled patriots to new sac
rifces even in the face of the late ludicrgus
failures. Meantime We look with interest
for the next Developments by the come
dians. From the manner in which they go
about their new play, their tragedy promises
to be as funny as their farce was sad Pits
burg Post