Gone were the smiling orchard, the rosy apples, and the grey church in the distance. The strewn leaves were unthered up, bare hoards sloped to the footlights, and bey was the dim emptiness of the theatre. Spring had vanished—not with the rose but—with the Inst chord of our latest opera, Les Cloch-s de Corneville.
The prompter had closed th manuscript, the conductor had laid aside the wand of command, the voiev of admonition sounded no amore in the wings, the stage maneyers lad sighed away their cares and worries. Our work was over—we were going to play awhile, And now white-clothed tables filled the stage space, the O.P. side held a savour of mest, und placid Celestials moved everywhere. Presently the Ill which aforetime had tolled the flight. of Gaspard's reason rallied us to the meal. Our ce ductor took the chair and beamed po down the length of the side tables, palette was no longer the country girl, Gaxpard's dilapidations were changed for the orderly blick of every-day Grenicheux graced one ut the vice-chairs, Mr. Suavix held urbane sway in another The Bailie's shadow was there—the substance came later. We, the chorus, were everywhere, Many still wore the peasant dresses of the play—the orb of the Chelsea-china period, when life went to the sound of Strephon's pipe, and Ama stirred the shepherd soul," Thus we dined, with laughter and the pleasant rattle of crockery.
Then, with the coming of the port—Meredith's *sewwtorial port"—Mr. Suavis rose and yave the health of our President, unhappily unable to join us. We drank it in all heartiness, what. time the speaker coined golden sentences wher with to deck the toast of "The Ladies." These spoken, listened to, and applauded, the men drank—fervent as Virgil's bees, The blushing honour of the reply went toa chorus man, who, having achieved youthful garrulity, st down, Followed Guspord, with a tribute of thanks for our conductor, the orchestra, the chorus, and the principal, whose loyal work ho ncclaimed. Glasses leapt to his toast of "Pros: perity to the A.D.C.". Our conductor had its his tribute to bring, with special reference to the amateurs had played in the orchestra, and to one whose work at the piano was of infinite value at the early rehearsals., Grenicheux filled a gap in the list of thanks and well-earned praise with the names of Serpolette and Gaspard omitted in a previous speech for a ranson sufficiently obvious, since Gaspard was the speaker—anil we chanted "For they wre jolly good fellows" in. disregard of "all questions of gender. The toasts ande fittingly with the name of Germaine, graceful at the table as on the stave, and we moved aside, that preparation might be made for dancing. We had willing and able pianists, and very soon the first couple were swinging te the waltz, Barn-dances, luncers—of the kind yclept Saratoga—and Yet mere waltzes filled two hours gaily. The Bailie arrived, endeavoured to secrete himself, and was brought forth and saluted with three cheers. Everyone was i ints, and boys" looked on smiling haps with superior pity. Quien sabe?
The exigencies of a performance, and of dunce on stage Lourds, induce fatigue, and shortly after eleven the ladies moved to depart. We sang them loyally to the door, and then returned to the piano, {Song on song echoed in the quiet house, witly now and then a chorus. It had an end, and so must this brief description, Has it. not been written A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, 'A Wag, a Pen, a Paragraph, and thou—That wouldst go singing in the Theatre—Hast sung and sentimentalised enow.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.