PREVIOUSLY: In spite of a partial set collapse, the Christmas play finished the third act in great style, with the death of Jo’s character. Surely that must be the end, right?
This was a truly thrilling scene; though some persons might have thought that the sudden humbling down of a quantity of long hair rather marred the effect of the villain’s death. 1 He was called before the curtain, and with great propriety appeared leading Hagar, whose singing was considered more wonderful than all the rest of the performance put together.
Act fourth displayed the despairing Roderigo on the point of stabbing himself. Just as the dagger is at his heart, a lovely song is sung under his window, informing him that Zara is true, but in danger, and he can save her if he will. A key is thrown in, which unlocks the door, and in a spasm of rapture he tears off his chains, and rushes away to find and rescue his lady-love.
Act fifth opened with a stormy scene between Zara and Don Pedro. He wishes her go into a convent, but she won’t hear of it; and, after a touching appeal, is about to faint, when Roderigo dashes in and demands her hand. Don Pedro refuses, because he is not rich.
They shout and gesticulate tremendously, but cannot agree, and Roderigo is about to bear away the exhausted Zara, when the timid servant enters with a letter and a bag from Hagar, who has mysteriously disappeared.
…the curtain falls upon the lovers kneeling to achieve Don Pedro’s blessing, in attitudes of the most romantic grace.
The latter informs the party that she bequeaths untold wealth to the young pair, and an awful doom to Don Pedro if he doesn’t make them happy. The bag is opened, and several quarts of tin money shower down upon the stage, till it is quite glorified with the glitter. This entirely softens the “stern sire;” he consents without a murmur, all join in a joyful chorus, and the curtain falls upon the lovers kneeling to achieve Don Pedro’s blessing, in attitudes of the most romantic grace.
Tumultuous applause followed, but recieved an unexpected check; for the cot-bed on which the “dress circle” was built, suddenly shut up, and extinguished the enthusiastic audience. 2 Roderigo and Don Pedro flew to the rescue, and all were taken out unhurt, though many were speechless with laughter.
The excitement had hardly subsided when Hannah appeared, with “Mrs. March’s compliments, and would the ladies walk down to supper.”
This was a surprise, even to the actors; and when they saw the table they looked at one another in rapturous amazement. It was like “Marmee” to get up a little treat for them, but anything so fine as this was unheard of since the departed days of plenty. 3 There was ice cream, actually two dishes of it, - pink and white, - and cake, and fruit, and distracting French bonbons, and in the middle of the table four great bouquet of hot-house flowers!
1 I’m going to refrain from footnoting the play from here on, because its getting to the point that me, the modern reader, sees the many flaws of the text, and that same me, the reader, wants to comment on them, but me the newsletter-er knows that this feeling is the point. The play is SUPPOSED to be redundant, it is SUPPOSED to be sloppy, they are CHILDREN. Putting on a PLAY FOR THEIR FRIENDS. So, good for them! I hope they had fun!!!! I’m fine with it!!!
2 God, this is such a solid bit. Real Three Stooges hours over at the March house.!
3 More like days of plenty ‘o’ ice cream. I SAID, MORE LIKE—
hello! I’m tired and VERY happy to be concluding this segment of the chapter. I believe, I BELIEVE, that the next installment after this is the last page of “A Merry Christmas”? Hard to believe that just a few short pages ago, it was Christmas. My, how Christmas flies when you’re Christmassing.
I'll hope to see you Friday! xoxox
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