The amateurs of the Club Liedertafel and Theater Verein gave their first performance this season on Saturday night, when the number of their guests who braved the wintry north wind made a crowded house. An orchestra under Remusat lent their services also, and their exertions in the cause of harmony and amusement called forth the warm acknowledgments to which their excellence fully entitled them. Puntually at the hour appointed, the curtain rose on the comedy "Appel versus Schwieger-shu," in which the efforts of the former, a retired tailor, to et a title for his only daughter are foiled juring a series of amusing "incidents presented in three acts, Want of space prevents us from going more fully into the plot than was done inthe outline given in the programme for the'benelit of the non-German portion of the audience. The principal characters omitted there are Hulda, a buxom and amorous milliner's assistant, who appears as an old flame of Alfred's, to, complicate matters, and ultimately pairs off in the universal happiness arrangement with Herr Lelunann, a theatre copyist, who acts as factotum, to Appel.
rr. Appel is a retired Tailor and Outfitter, who, not being contented with the handsome fortune he has realized, is very anxious to have a title in the family. By chance he becomes acquainted with a certain young nobleman, one Baron Alfred von Plaite Geiersburg, and soon discovers that he is a terrible spendthrift and has considerable liabilities. Appel therefore buys up all his debts and afterwards claps him into prison, intending by means of meagre diet and confinement to render him seriously i, Alfred, fathoming, Appels jan, feigns sickness. "Then Appel, believing that he can only live for a short time longer, decides to pay all his debts and marry him to his fair child and darling Amazilis, with the view of accomplishing the following scheme. It was his previous intention to marry his daughter to a certain Count, the latter however refuted to m: her as plain Miss Appel, and her father therefore thinks the difficulty might be overcome if she were the widow of the Baron. The marriage contract with Alfred is therefore signed in the prison, and Appel, who thinks his plan-with regard to the Count is maturing, is very well pleased. Alfred, however, as soon ashe has married the little darling and got his debts paid recovers his health perfectly, to the great annoyance of the father-in-law. In the second Act we see Appel doing all in his wer to get rid of his daughter's husband.
fo prevents the newly married couple from meeting, and plices all kinds of weapons in Alfred's room, to tempt him to commit suicide. Alfred, however, who again divines his vile endeavours,. frustrates them, and succeeds in getting Appel himself put into quod for one night.
In the third Act Appel, having got out of prison, finds' Alfred and his wife living together in love and harmony. Alfred having meanwhile succeeded in gaining Amazilis' affection, he remonstrates with Appel for tempting him to commit suicide and the young. couple resolve to cross the Globe to the Far East and leave Ap; all alone, by way of punishment, in spite of his piteous entreaties to be taken with them, When the boxes and trunks are Eimeclt in one of them and by this means ached however, Appel decides upon hiding
joining the party. Before being.corded and sealed down, he writes'to Alfred to the effect that as they would not let him join would commit suicide out of spite. in this part, but several duckings took Alfred, who has meanwhile received in-place, as the water was deep on account of structions from a rich bachelor uncle to the flood tide. The jumps had ste appear at the house of the latter with his sides and the ponies which landed wit wife and father-in-law, begins to think their hind feet in the ditch, were unable to Appel gufliciently punished and searches recover themselves, and fell backwards, everywhere for him. At this juncture the 'A prominent Broker, whose pony just cresifallen Tailor crawls out of the trunk, managed to land his fore feet on firm mutual reconciliation takes place, and they ground, was an early and an awful ex-all leave together for the Uncle's house, ample." The facial expression of mingled The acting was as usual with our accom-resignation and fortitude, as he slid from plished German friends vigorous and ready, the saddle over the crupper and into the and considering the amount of dialogue ditch, wasastudy. Fate was cruel and the which several of the performers had to water was cold sustain, they must lave had a laborious A sharp turn to the left and a seasonable ask in getting the piece up. We fancy check at this point put us pretty well toge-their guests would, however, have been ther again, and filing over a bridge, we had more gratified had' they lightened their a smart run, with some ditching, until we labours by cutting the play down, if reached a lagoon with a rickety wooden possible, to such an extent that it would bridge, over which two heavy-weights went have occupied fully half an hour less in prospecting, but as the scont was after. getting through, for by that time did its wards found on the side the Hunt were, a performance extend beyond midnight and fresh start was made without waiting for render it necessary for a good many to their return, which would have been no forego the pleasure of witnessing the more than fair. At this part we came to dénceument. one ditch which the rising tide had made Herr Chowfeur as Alfred was well pitted broader than where the Foxes kad crossed, against Mr. Mondschein as Appel, for and it was cleared by one pony only, the both maintained their opposing purpose whole field wading through and getting and varying moods with never-flagging wet in some cases, where the spot had been verve and unfaltering volubility. The unluckily chosen. A mafoo on a dun heroine, Amazilis was, personified in Fri. griffin made a good try to jump it, and v. Minden, a very tall spiritnelle-looking landed almost clear, maiden, surpassingly handsome, but not The same kind of country continued sufficiently animated. In this respect the spirited Hulda, (Fri. Paganint,) ea more until we reached the big creek, and as the bridge was repairing, the scent kept along noticeable, and the songs pertaining to the South bank, until we entered the vil-her part were given with much vivacity.
Her Guetta with (Herr Leo) were almost the lage at the back of Hongkew, and crossing the Creek a few hundred yards up, got into best things in the piece, and were so well the open country again behind the eurasian done that the performers received a speci School-house. Here a few well-mounted call to the footlights. Herr Lehman: light weights came to the front, and as we acting improved as he proceeded. The were near the finish made the pace very subsidiary personages call for little notice. fast. Reaching the Woosung Road, we The scenery was artistic and appropriate. went along it and through the Rifle Range village. Some paper blown from the road, misled the Teade rs into turning to the left,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.