FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   >>  
these refuges for the destitute for three guineas a-week, exclusive, however, of wine, servants, flirtation, and other extras. A result of this branch of study, and an example of such a mode of studying it, is the farce with the above title, which has been brought out at Covent Garden. _Mrs. Walker_ (Mrs. Orger) keeps a boarding-house, which also keeps her; for it is well frequented: so well that we find her making a choice of inmates by choosing to turn out _Mr. Woodpecker_ (Mr. Walter Lacy)--a mere "sleeping-apartment" boarder--to make room for _Mrs. Coo_ (Mrs. Glover), a widow, whose demands entitle her to the dignity of a "private sitting and bedroom" lodger. _Mr. Woodpecker_ is very comfortable, and does not want to go; but the hostess is obstinate: he appeals to her feelings as an orphan, without home or domesticity; but the lady, having been in business for a dozen years, has lost all sympathy for orphans of six-and-twenty. In short, _Mrs. Walker_ determines he shall walk, and so shall his luggage (a plethoric trunk and an obese carpet-bag are on the stage); for she has dreamt even that has legs--such dreams being, we suppose, very frequent to persons of her name. You are not quite satisfied that the mere preference for a better inmate furnishes the only reasons why the lady wants _Mr. Woodpecker's room_ rather than his company. Perhaps he is in arrear; but no, he pays his bill: so it is not on _that_ score that he is so ruthlessly sent away. You are, however, not kept long on the tiptoe of conjecture, but soon learn that _Mrs. W._ has a niece, and you already know that the banished is young, good-looking, and gay. Indeed, _Mrs. Walker_ having perambulated, _Miss Fanny Merrivale_ (Miss Lee) appears, and listens very composedly to the plan of an elopement from _Woodpecker_, but speedily makes her _exit_ to avoid suspicion, and the enemy who has dislodged her lover; before whom the latter also retreats, together with his bag and baggage. There are no classes so well represented at boarding-houses as those who sigh for fame, and those that are dying to be married. Accordingly, we find in _Mrs. Walker's_ establishment _Captain Whistleborough_ (Mr. W. Farren), who is doing the extreme possible to get into Parliament, and _Captain Pacific, R.N._, (Mr. Bartley,) who is crowding all sail to the port of matrimony. Well knowing how boarding-houses teem with such persons, two men who come under the "scheming" category a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   >>  



Top keywords:

Woodpecker

 

Walker

 
boarding
 
houses
 
Captain
 

persons

 

perambulated

 

company

 

Indeed

 

listens


reasons

 

appears

 

Merrivale

 

Perhaps

 

banished

 
conjecture
 

tiptoe

 
composedly
 

arrear

 
ruthlessly

Pacific

 

Bartley

 
crowding
 

Parliament

 

Farren

 

extreme

 

scheming

 

category

 

matrimony

 

knowing


Whistleborough

 
establishment
 

dislodged

 

suspicion

 

elopement

 

speedily

 

retreats

 

married

 

Accordingly

 

represented


baggage

 

classes

 

plethoric

 

inmates

 

choosing

 

Walter

 
choice
 
making
 
Garden
 

frequented