and adorn the feast.
But why, O king,
Why dost thou start, with livid cheek?--why fling
The untasted goblet from thy trembling hand?
Why shake thy joints? thy feet forget to stand?
Why roams thine eye, which seems in wild amaze
To shun some object, yet returns to gaze,
Then shrinks again, appalled, as if the tomb
Had sent a spirit from its inmost gloom?

Awful the horror, when Belshazzar raised
His arm, and pointed where the vision blazed;
For see! enrobed in flame, a mystic shade,
As of a hand, a red right hand displayed,
And, slowly moving o'er the wall, appear
Letters of fate and characters of fear.
In death-like silence grouped the revellers all,
Fixed their glazed eyeballs on the illumined wall.

T.S. HUGHES.

Seven Female and Eight Male Figures.

This sacred tableau is represented as follows: At the left of the
stage, Belshazzar is seated on his throne. At his side stands his
wife. Consternation and affright are depicted on their countenances.
At the opposite side of the stage stand three wise men. In the centre
of the stage is the feast table, covered with silver dishes,
candlesticks, and refreshments. Around it are gathered the guests. In
the background, on a platform, are seen a group of servants. The
handwriting is placed on the back scenery, opposite to the group of
servants. The number of figures in the piece is fifteen--eight
gentlemen and seven ladies. The scenery in the piece consists of a
table six feet long, two and a half feet high, and three feet wide,
covered with a green cloth, fringed with gold paper, on this are
placed a silver tea set, cake baskets, candlesticks, and refreshments.
The throne chairs should be placed on a platform at the left of the
stage, near the front; the platform can be formed of boxes, and must
be four feet square and two feet high, covered with crimson cloth,
trimmed with gold paper; two large chairs, with a canopy over the top,
will answer for the throne; one occupied by Belshazzar, the other by
his wife. Low seats around the table will be needed for the guests;
the seats can be covered with white cloth; showy pictures, in rich
frames, adorn the walls, and pedestals and statuary fill the corners
of the room. The writing on the wall can be produced by means of a
transparency, the words made large, and the letters in German text,
with a halo around the whol