discussions, with the following
distich:

"These thirty-eight great men have signed a powerful deed,
That better times, to us, shall very soon succeed."

The sign must have been painted soon after the adoption of the
Federation Constitution, and I remember to have stood "many a
time and oft," gazing, when a boy, at the assembled patriots,
particularly the venerable head and spectacles of Dr. Franklin,
always in conspicuous relief. In our Thespian corps, the honour
of cutting the plays, substituting new passages, casting parts,
and writing couplets at the exits, was divided between myself
and a fellow of infinite wit and humour, by the name of
Helmbold; who subsequently became the editor of a scandalous
little paper, called _The Tickler_: He was a rare rascal,
perpetrated all kind of calumnies, was constantly mulcted in
fines, sometimes imprisoned, was full of faults, which were
forgotten in his conversational qualities and dry sallies of
genuine wit, particularly his Dutch stories. After years of
singular vicissitudes, Helmbold joined the army as a common
soldier, fought bravely during the late war, obtained a
commission, and died. Our little company soon dwindled away; the
expenses were too heavy for our pockets; our writings and
performances were sufficiently wretched, but as the audience
was admitted without cost, they were too polite to express any
disapprobation. We recorded all our doings in a little weekly
paper, published, I believe, by Jemmy Riddle, at the corner of
Chestnut and Third-Street, opposite the tavern kept by that
sturdy old democrat, Israel Israel.

From a boy, I was a regular attendant of the Chestnut-Street
Theatre, during the management of Wignell and Reinagle, and made
great efforts to compass the purchase of a season ticket, which
I obtained generally of the treasurer, George Davis, for
eighteen dollars. Our habits through life are frequently
governed and directed by our early steps. I seldom missed a
night; and always retired to bed, after witnessing a good play,
gratified and improved: and thus, probably, escaped the haunts
of taverns, and the pursuits of depraved pleasures, which too
frequently allure and destroy our young men; hence I was always
the firm friend of the drama, and had an undoubted right to
oppose my example through li