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391.
February 18th "John Bull" was very well
cast. The Dennis Brulgruddery of Mr. John
Drew it is needless to say was finely acted.
His humor was quietly rich. Mr. Wheatley
as Hon. Tom Suffleton was elegantly fa-
shionable. Mrs. Drew was Lady Caroline
Braymore was truly the conventional arti-
ficial lay of quality that Colman so graphic-
ally delineates. Mrs. Bowers as Mary Thorn-
berry was natural and affecting. We learn
this lady is well estimated at London.

February 22d Washington's natal day
"The Actor's Order of Friendship" gave
their first grand ball at the Chinese Museum.
They were all dressed in some of Shake-
speare's characters. It was largely attended
and went off with grand eclat. A majority
of the ladies and gentlemen who attended the
ball were dressed in fancy costumes. Many
similar balls were given afterwards. Little
of novelty (so called) was given this season.
The management laid their emphasis on the
sterling drama which they illustrated with
artistic merit ; and thus often repeated plays
throughout the entire season to the great
satisfaction of the public and their own pro-
fit. The new trashy dramas of the day had
laid these instructive comedies and serious
pieces long on the shelf.

We have mentioned in the first part of
this season the first production of the new
drama in four acts of "Bleak House"
adapted from Dickens' popular novel by Mr.
John Brougham which was first brought out
on November 7th, 1853 with new scenery
appropriate furniture costumes &c. was
frequently acted in 1854 with the following
cast : Sir Leicester Dedlock Mr. Alvin A.
Reed ; Mr. Turveydrop Mr. J. Bradley ;
Mr. Jarndyce Mr. Fisher ; Harold Skimpole
Mr. Thayer : Richard Carstone Mr. William
Wheatley ; Mr. Tulkinhorn Mr. Dolman ;
Prince Turveydrop Mr. F. D. Nelson ; In-
spector Bucket (of the Detective) Mr. John
Drew ; The Deilitated Cousin Mr. D. P.
Bowers ; Mercury Mr. L. R. Shewell ;
Krook Mr. Hall ; Captain Hawdon Mr. F.
Wilson ; Robert Mr. Everett ; Beadle Mr.
Hight ; Servant Mr. Reilly ; Lady Dedlock
Mrs. D. P. Bowers ; Esther Summerson Miss
C. Bernard ; Volumnia Mrs. Wilks ; Hor-
tense Mrs. F. D. Nelson ; Mrs. Jellaby Mrs.
Kinlock ; Ada Clare Miss A. Atkin ; Caddy
Jellaby Miss G. Kinlock ; Julia Skimpole
Miss Wilks ; Leonora Skimpole Miss Myers ;
Dreadful Servant Mr. Nunan.

The scenery was painted by Mr. George
Wunderlich assisted by Mr. C. Yeager. A
fine ballet corps danced the quadrilles in this
piece. A popular fallacy exists with a large
portion of the public who attend theatrical
exhibitions in reference to the poor ballet
girl. Of all the various grades of a theatrical
corps there are probably none of the females
more uncharitably spoken of or more cava-
lierly dealt with than the poor unprotected
ballet girls whom as a class the unreflecting
public voice too often slanders with censo-
rious unfounded opinions. This prejudice
against the honor of the females of the stage
is an ancient feeling existing since the days
of Nell Gwin the first of recorded actresses
in the profession.

While we were a stage director for Mr.
Charles S. Porter about 1842 at the Arch
Street Theatre Mary Thornton of Kensing-
ton in our city was a ballet girl at the salary

of $3 or $4 a week and out of this small in-
come she had to maintain an aged father and
mother. one was bed-rodden--the other per-
fectly helpless. Poor Mary (we may not be
clearly right in her name at this distance of
time) was a young woman of about twenty-
five years of age of a delicate frame of most
pleasing and expressive features of fine fig-
re but of fragile texture--affable of man-
ners ever ready to do what she could with
her best ability. She looked well--nay hand-
some--in her theatrical costume (which these
girls had to find and to make themselves)
ald although not a dancer yet as she ac-
quired steps therein through practice she
became of much utility to the stage. This
poor girl was a model of industry and filial
piety. The duties of this class of persons in a
theatre are arduous and exacting and very
often a surly and pompous stage manager or
hiis locum tenems the prompter may subject
these humble attaches of the theatre to a spe-
cies of abject servitude. Yet these dumb
maids of honor to the queen of the scene are
indispensably necessary to her mimic court.
Mark well reader their heavy duties and
subserviency to theatrical rule. They have
to attend all rehearsals every morning
where groups etc. have to attend upon the
scene. Whether it be an old piece in which
they have walked on and off a hundred times
or a new one it is all the same. Without a
word to utter there they stand at rehearsal.
If absent they forfeit so much for all scenes
thus required from which there is no appeal
or are exonerated at the option of the mana-
ger.

This Mary Thornton walked twice a day
from her humble dwelling in Kensington
down to the Arch Street Theatre--once to the
rehearsal in the morning (which generally
takes from ten to twelve o'clock and often
extends to two o'clock P. M.) and after re-
turning home came again in the evening as
her duties required a performance until eleven
or twelve o'clock at night if two or three
melo-dramas were performed--pieces wherein
the corps de ballet are aways wanted. How
often have we seen this poor girl when not
wanted on the stage sitting in the green-
room or behind the scenes in a remote cor-
ner sowing linen darning stockings or draw-
ing embroidery patterns ever employed in
some work of that kind (for she was reported
a most skillful needle-worker) thus helping
with assiduous industry to eke out the neces-
sary means to keep her parents from want or
to add something to their comfort. We have
often seen with pain the tears fall on her
work. Her pale and ashy cheeks her hollow
eyes all bespoke a broken heart the anxieties
of unrequited labors. The silent ravages of
consumption were corroding the rosy hues of
modest beauty in the cause of filial love. It
was a piteous sight to behold--a sight which
our sympathies could not alleviate for our
income at the theatre at this time through
bad business were narrowed down and so
was poor Mary's modicum. She did all the
housework ; the cooking such as her meagre
means allowed ; the meding and washing
for her parents as well as of her own
garments and then went to the theatre
thence returning with all speed to nurse and
comfort her helpless father and mother while
preparing her dresses to appear as a sylph or
court lady in the night's play. After the

performances she walked home at midnight
alone over two miles to give what consolation
she could to her dying parents and then
seeking her weary couch to snatch in fitful
sighs and tears that needful rest that ex-
hausted nature could give to her toil and sor-
rows--that balmy sleep as Shakspere so
beautifully expresses it--

"Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care."

One morning at rehearsal--and we remem-
ber it was a gloomy one within the walls of
the Arch Street Theatre--this poor ballet girl
came to me on the stage her eyes flooded
with tears and asked of me the favor of re-
maining at home from the rehearsals (ex-
cept in any new piece) and that she would
try to be there at night ; that her father was
dying and her mother was she thought in a
similar state. I at once replied "Do not
come at all ; we shall endeavor to do without
you ; perform the last sad offices to your pa-
rents." She departed and was never seen
again. Mr. Charles Porter was then the
manager. I spoke to him on the subject.
He sympathized in the case as a man of feel-
ing but our condition was almost as woful as
that of the poor girl's. The houses were very
miserable and all we had was sympathy to
offer--the poor man's gift. Mr. Porter still
lives and is at present a resident of Philadel-
phia. If I am wrong he can correct this
statement.

We shortly after inquired of the fate of the
young woman. She and her parents had
gone to their last rest--"in the bosom of their
Father and their God!" The proud Phari-
see of wealth or the reviler of an enlightened
and innocent vocation can never carry a more
clear record up to Heaven's chancery than
that of Mary Thornton. Like the beautiful
but fading tints of the last rose of summer
she passed away.

"Gentle as angel's ministry.
The guiding hand of love should be
Which seeks again those cords to bind
Which human woe hath rent apart--
To heal again the wounded mind
And bind again the broken heart."

February 22d (Washington's birthnight)
"The Twelfth Night" was repeated with
"The Comedy of Errors" two delightful
pieces of Shakspere.

The comedy of "The Hypocrite" as
adapted to our modern stage was soon after-
ward produced with a good cast. Dr. Cant-
well Mr. Thayer ; Colonel Lambert Mr. D.
P. Bowers; Sir John Mr. Bradley ; Maw-
worm Mr. John Drew ; Charlotte Mrs. John
Drew; young Lady Lambert Mrs. Bowers.
Mr. John Drew was very happy in his exact
portraiture of the canting ignorant fanatic
and kept the house in a roar of laughter by
his apt and mock delineation of its character-
istics. The sermon thus introduced in this
comdy of "The Hypocrite" is a perfect ad
libitum with the actor. He generally seizes
some topic of the day and ridiculously en-
larges upon the subject to even buffoonery.
The elder Mathews was exceedingly queer
and melancholy droll in Mawworm. But
certainly Mr. Dowton's cant solemnity his
exquisite performance of Doctor Cantwell
can never be orgotten by those who saw his
masterly representation. It was one of those
impersonations of comedy that may come
under the category of genius. Yet we saw
this fine performance at the Chesnut Street
Theatre acted to less than a hundred dollars.

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