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The Ten Commandments.
In the old parish register, in Nottinghamshire,
England, of date 1809, is the following:
Have no other Gods but me—
Unto no image bow the knee—
Take not the name of God in vain
Do not the Sabbath day profane—
Honor thy father and mother too—
And see that thou no murder do—
From vile adultery keep thou clean—
And steal not, though thy state be mean—
Dear no false witness, shun the blot—
What is thy neighbor’s covet not.
-
Written for Burke’s Weekly,
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY.
DRAMATIZED FROM MISS MULOCH’S VERSION
For Children and Young Ladies and
Gentlemen.
Characters. —King and Queen, Little
Princess, seven Young Fairies, one Old
Fairy, a Young Prince, an Old Woman,
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court.
Scene Ist. —A room where the Old Fairy, (who
must be represented by a little girl fantastically
dressed, with wrinkles painted on her face, and a
wand in her hand,) is talking to herself.
Old Fairy. —And so the King has for
gotten to invite me to this christening just
because I hav.e not been to Court for fifty
years! And what is more, when he in
vited the other fairies to dinner, and I
came in unexpectedly, he gave me a delf
plate to eat on, while all the others were
served in gold! But I will teach him
to insult so powerful a Fairy as lam ! I
will go to the christening without an in
vitation, and if I don’t wish the little
Princess something dreadful, may I never
ride on a sunbeam again. lie has asked
all the other Fairies to bo god-mothers,
because he knows their good wishes will
come true, but my bad wish will come
true, too, and then we shall see if he does
not repent of having forgotten me. Yes,
we shall see!
Scene 2d. —King and Queen —Little Princess,
beautifully dressed, lying on a couch, (which is
rery pretty if it can be arranged with curtains,) —
Attendants. Enter the seven young Fairy god
mothers, dressed in white, with wands in their
hands. They approach and pay their respects to
the King and Queen. While they are doing so,
the old Fairy enters. The King and Queen look
horrified, but one of the young Fairies makes a
sign to the Queen unperceived by the old Fairy,
and slips quickly behind a curtain. Each one ot
the remaining young Fairies approaches, in turn,
to the little Princess, kisses her ami utters a wish.
Ist Fairy. —As a lily shalt thou be fair,
With heavenly eyes and golden hair.
Fairy. —As an angel, lovely child,
Thy temper shall be sweet and mild,
■‘d Fairy. —Graceful, gracious, shalt thou be,
All the world adoring thee.
4th Fairy. —Like the nightingale’s, thy singing
Joy to mortals ever bringing.
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
sth Fairy. —Like a leaf in summer wind,
No lighter dancer shalt thou find.
Cth Fairy. —All accomplishments uniting,
Every one near thee delighting.
[Now the old Fairy approaches and speaks in a
sharp shrill voice.]
Old Fairy. —And I wish that when you
grow to be a young lady, and learn to
spin, you will prick your finger with the
spindle and die of the wound!
[Exit old Fairy.
[The Queen begins to weep, and all the Attend
ants look shocked. Then the young Fairy comes
from behind the curtain and goes up to the Queen.]
Young Fairy. —Comfort yourself, gra
cious Queen, the Princess shall not die.
It is true her finger must bo pierced, ac
cording to the wish of the Ancient Fairy,
but, instead of dying, she shall sink into
a sleep that shall last one hundred years,
and at the end of that time the sod of a
King will find her, awaken her, and mar
ry her.
[The Queen and Attendants look comforted and
take their handkerchiefs from their eyes.]
Curtain drops.
Scene 8d. — Chorus —[A young girl, dressed in
white, with a crown made of green leaves on her
head. She recites, very distinctly,]
Fifteen years have passed away
Swiftly as a summer’s day.
Many a pleasure, many a sorrow
Has dawned and faded with each morrow.
No longer does the lovely child
Join in sport and frolic wild ;
Blushing maiden is she now,
With “heavenly eyes” and snowy brow.
You shall see her, good and gay,
Happy all the livelong day.
Lo ! the iovely maid appears,
See what charming smiles she wears.
Curtain drops.
Scene 4th.— An old woman spinning, enter
Princess, now a young maiden of fifteen.
Princess. —Wliat are you doing, good
old woman ?
Old Woman.-—I am spinning, my pret
ty child.
Princess. —Ah, how charming! Let me
try if I can spin also.
[She attempts to spin, and striking her hand
against the spindle, utters a cry and sinks lifeless
on the floor. The old woman calls loudly for help.
The Attendants rush in, and finally the King and
Queen. The Queen exclaims distractedly, “My
child ! my child !” ] ,
Curtain drops.
Scene stii. — I The young Princess laid on a beau
tiful couch, sleeping sweetly— King, Queen and
Attendants— Queen and some of the Attendants
weeping. Enter the young Faiiy.]
Fairy. —It is useless weeping, afflicted
parents. Leave her to sleep in peace un
til her lover comes to awaken her. But,
in order that she may see some familiar
faces around her when she awakes, 1 will
charm some of her attendants to sleep
also.
[She touches them with her wand, and each one
drops into a profound sleep in the attitude in
which they are sitting or standing, and which they
must take care shall be a graceful one. The
Queen kisses the Princess sorrowfully, and leaves
the room with King and Fairy.]
Curtain drops.
Scene Gtii. — Chorus —Young girl, dressed in
white, &c., recites,]
A hundred years have passed away
Swiftly as a summer’s day.
Long has ceased the mother’s weeping,
Yet the Princess still is sleeping,
Waiting for her love's appearing.
He the castle gate is nearing.
See the Beauty, rosy red,
Though a hundred years have fled.
Curtain drops.
Scene 7th. —Princess still asleep and attend
ants all as we last saw them in Scene sth. Enter
young Prince. He looks around with a bewilder
ed air, then catches sight of the Sleeping Beauty,
starts with astonishment and admiration, ap
proaches, and kneeling by the couch, takes her
hand. She opens her eyes, and gazes at him
drowsily.]
Princess. —Is it you, my Prince ? I have
waited for you very long.
Prince. —Yes, my beautiful bride. I
have come to conduct you to my king
dom, where all honors await you, and the
whole kingdom will be filled with rejoi
cing that I have at last delivered from the
enchantment of the wicked Fairy' my
charming Sleeping Beauty.
Curtain drops.
Scene Btii.— Chorus— Young girl, etc., recites,
Full many a year has passed away,
Swiftly as a summer’s day,
Since the Prince the enchantment broke,-
And the Sleeping Beauty woke,
Yet the story, though so old,
Seemeth ever new when told,
And we all know well to-day,
As in times long passed away,
That, stronger than th' enchanter’s wand
And all the spells of Fairy Land.
Every other charm above
The mightiest magic still is—Love.
♦♦♦
Wanting Friends.
“ I wish that I had some good friend to
help me on in life?” cred idle Dennis.
“Good friends! Why you have ten !
replied his master.
“ I’m sure I haven’t half so many, and
those I have are too poor to help me.”
“ Count your fingers, my boy.”
Dennis looked at his large, hands.
“Count thumbs and all.”
“ 1 have ; there are ten,” said the lad.
“ Then never say that you have not got
ten good friends, able to help you on in
life. Try what those true friends can do
before you begin grumbling and fretting
because you do not get help from others.’
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