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Page 19
And the audience were heard meanwhile taking their seats on the other
side of the thin curtain.
"You sit in front, Mrs. Bromwich, you are a little hard of hearing; sit
where you can hear."
"And let Julia Fitch come where she can see," said another voice.
"And we have not any words for them to hear or see!" exclaimed John
Osborne behind the curtain.
"Oh, I wish we'd never determined to have charades!" exclaimed
Elizabeth Eliza. "Can't we return the money!"
"They are all here; we must give them something!" said John Osborne,
heroically.
"And Solomon John is almost dressed," reported Ann Maria, winding a
veil around her head.
"Why don't we take Solomon John's word 'Hindoos' for the first?" said
Agamemnon.
John Osborne agreed to go in the first, hunting the "hin," or anything,
and one of the little boys took the part of the hen, with the help of a
feather duster. The bell rang, and the first scene began.
It was a great success. John Osborne's Irish was perfect. Nobody
guessed it, for the hen crowed by mistake; but it received great
applause.
Mr. Peterkin came on in the second scene to receive the water-rates,
and made a long speech on taxation. He was interrupted by Ann Maria as
an old woman in a huge bonnet. She persisted in turning her back to the
audience, and speaking so low nobody heard her; and Elizabeth Eliza,
who appeared in a more remarkable bonnet, was so alarmed, she went
directly back, saying she had forgotten something. But this was
supposed to be the effect intended, and it was loudly cheered.
Then came a long delay, for the little boys brought out a number of
their friends to be browned for Hindoos. Ann Maria played on the piano
till the scene was ready. The curtain rose upon five brown boys done up
in blankets and turbans.
"I am thankful that is over," said Elizabeth Eliza, "for now we can act
my word. Only I don't myself know the whole."
"Never mind, let us act it," said John Osborne, "and the audience can
guess the whole."
"The first syllable must be the letter P," said Elizabeth Eliza, "and
we must have a school."
Agamemnon was master, and the little boys and their friends went on as
scholars. All the boys talked and shouted at once, acting their idea of
a school by flinging peanuts about, and scoffing at the master.
"They'll guess that to be 'row,'" said John Osborne in despair;
"they'll never guess 'P'!"
The next scene was gorgeous. Solomon John, as a Turk, reclined on John
Osborne's army-blanket. He had on a turban, and a long beard, and all
the family shawls. Ann Maria and Elizabeth Eliza were brought in to
him, veiled, by the little boys in their Hindoo costumes.
This was considered the great scene of the evening, though Elizabeth
Eliza was sure she did not know what to do,--whether to kneel or sit
down; she did not know whether Turkish women did sit down, and she
could not help laughing whenever she looked at Solomon John. He,
however, kept his solemnity. "I suppose I need not say much," he had
said, "for I shall be the 'Turk who was dreaming of the hour.'" But he
did order the little boys to bring sherbet, and when they brought it
without ice, insisted they must have their heads cut off, and Ann Maria
fainted, and the scene closed.
"What are we to do now?" asked John Osborne, warming up to the
occasion.
"We must have an 'inn' scene," said Elizabeth Eliza, consulting her
letter; "two inns if we can."
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