, an act was passed 'For the
preventing and avoiding the great abuse of the holy name of God in
stage-plays.' Addison condemned the theatre 'for ridiculing religion,
and for representing the rake and debauchee as the true gentleman.' It
is vain to attempt to defend the moral character of dramatic writings."

The first speaker rising to address the audience the second time, said,
"that the class of persons who generally patronize the theatre are the
most frivolous and useless part of the community. Moral and religious
citizens do not lend it their influence, but those who are indifferent
or hostile to Christian institutions. Fathers and mothers who are
careless of the example they set their children; vain followers of the
fashions, who think more of a golden trinket than they do of virtue;
idle and dissipated hangers-on of society; fast young men in the road to
ruin; vicious young women; dissolute men, whose vices would horrify
every sensitive heart were they uncovered; with a sprinkling, perhaps,
of better people who forget, for the time being, what company they are
in;--these constitute the principal patrons of the stage. Now, then,
this single fact is enough to brand the character of theatres as corrupt
and pernicious. There is not a person in this hall who would think well
of the principles of a man of whom you might be told, 'he is an habitual
theatre-goer.' You would infer that his principles were loose, and, in
nine cases out of ten, your inference would be correct."

Thus the usual arguments against theatres were quite thoroughly pressed,
and were met by the usual ones on the opposite side, though it was
evident that the negative realized they had a difficult subject to
defend.

Nat listened to the discussion with constantly increasing interest and
excitement. His face became flushed, and a nervous tremor passed over
his body. At length his frame fairly shook with the excitement under
which he was laboring, and Frank, who was sitting by his side, observed
it.

"What is the matter with you, Nat?" whispered Frank. Nat made no reply,
but continued to catch every word that was uttered. He was evidently
dissatisfied with the defence of the theatre by the negative side, and
thought that a better plea for it might be made.

"I say, Nat, what's the matter?" whispered Frank again; "got the fever
and ague?"

Nat kept his eyes fixed, and did not even bestow a nod of the head upon
Frank's inquiry, and the moment the q