The GLIO Site

PETERSFIELD.

Agent—G. DUPLOCK

     AMATEUR THEATRICALS.— A second drawing-room entertainment was given by the Petersfield Amateur Dramatic Society on Monday evening last, at the Dolphin Assembly-room, in aid of the Colliery Explosions Fund. The pieces selected on this occasion were ‟Still Waters Run Deep” and ‟The Blighted Being,” both from the pen of Mr. Tom Taylor. The room was again filled to overflowing, many of the principal families in the town and neighbourhood being present, including several of the clergy of the district. The performance was another brilliant success, as testified by repeated and enthusiastic plaudits from the audience, and also by a very complimentary speech at the close from the Hon. J. J. Carnegie, who said he doubted if any town in England of equal size could produce a more talented corps of amateurs. The following appropriate and touching prologue, written expressly for the occasion by Miss Nichols, of Petersfield, was feelingly spoken by R. S. Cross, Esq., vice-president of the society:—

Ladies and gentlemen, when the fairy king
Sends forth his little sprites on gladsome wing
To deck the windows with devices rare,
And scatter snowflakes through the frosty air
Until the earth becomes so passing fair
That e'en Titania clasps her wee white hands
And, hast’ning to forsake the sunny lands
Where she is wont the livelong day to sport,
Holds on th’untrodden snow her midnight court;
What then more pleasant for poor shiv’ring mortals
Than, having closely shut their open portals,
To gather round a cheerful blazing fire
And, as their frozen limbs more warmth desire,
To heap on coals and make the flames yet high’r?
And still as brighter glows the ruddy pile
The cold blue lips begin to thaw and smile,
And faces that just now were pinched and white
Regain their colour in the rosy light.
Who then would care to give a passing thought
About the price at which the coal was bought?
Perchance some thrifty creature spoils the fun
By hinting that best Wallsend costs per ton
Just one pound eight: but what is paltry gold
Compared with that whose value can’t be told?
Weigh gold with life and Is not gold the lighter?
View gold with tears and say which gleams the brighter.
Then think the fuel that we hold so cheap
Is paid for in the tears that widows weep,
While standing by the churchyard’s new-made heap.—
A dreadful thought! so let it quickly pass,
But yet, do more than just to cry ‟Alas!”
Stay not to wring your hands in fruitless grief
But join with us in giving some relief
To aching hearts that long and long to have again
Just one dear word albe’t In farewell spoken,
Just one loved look though ’t were a farewell token;
But no! death reigns!—the silence is unbroken!—
O think, ye who from dearest ones have parted,
Think of those mourners helpless, broken-hearted;
Afford them aid, and let your actions show
That not in vain was told their tale of woe.—
And now we plead no more, but go to do
The little that we may for them and you,
Which is to gain for them some golden treasure
By giving you an hour or two of pleasure.
Then, of your grace, our motives bear in mind,
And if you must be Critics, O be kind.—

     The following is the ‟cast” of the characters:—

— We understand the profits arising from the performance amount to about 20l., which will be forthwith remitted to the Colliery Fond. We have also much pleasure in stating that the entertainment given by our amateurs a few weeks since, in aid of the Winchester Hospital and the Chichester Infirmary, realized a surplus of about 45l. The success which has hitherto attended the society’s exertions is due we believe, in a very great measure to the sound discrimination exercised by the committee in the selection of pieces. They have scrupulously avoided everything bordering on vulgarity, or containing the least moral taint and as long as they rigidly adhere to this rule they will doubtless continue to receive the high and liberal patronage which has hitherto been accorded to them.