An Illustrated Ballad, to be performed by Children from Eight to Twelve years Old.

Characters.

Parent. — Top-boots, knee-breeches, swallow-tail coat, ruffled shirt, white cravat, powdered hair. Villikins. — White pantaloons, swallow-tailed coat, ruffled shirt, fancy tie, curled hair. Diniah. - Train-dress, bright overskirt, hat, large waterfall, Grecian bend. Properties. — Two sheets, letter, bottle, carpet-bag, money.

Note. — Swallow-tail coats are easily made by sewing tails on to the boys' jackets; the ruffles are made of paper. The girl can wear a long dress tucked up over her own. The sheets are placed over the heads, leaving only the face exposed. They hold the sheet under their chins left hands, and point with the right. Where a trap-door is available, they fall into and rise up iron it.

(A concealed singer begins song as curtain rises.)

I

There was a rich merchant in London did dwell, Who had for a daughter a very fine girl; Her name it was Diniah, just sixteen years old, With a very large fortune in silver and gold.

CHORUS. Sing tural li lural li lural li la, Sing tural li lural li lural li la, Sing tural li lural li lural li la, Sing tural h lural li lural li la.

II. As Diniah was walking the garden one day,

Her father came to her, and thus did he say,

"Go dress yourself, Diniah, in gorgeous array,

And I'll bring you a husband both gallant and gay."

Chorus

III."O papa, dear papa! I've not made up my mind: To marry just yet I do not feel inclined;

And all my large fortune I'll gladly give o'er

If you'll let me be single a year or two more."

Chorus. IV.

"Go, go, boldest daughter!"the parent replied.

"If you do not consent to be this young man's bride, I'll give your large fortune to the nearest of kin,

And you sh'an't reap the benefit of one single pin."

Chorus

V

As Villikins was walking the garden around, He spied his dear Diniah lying dead on the ground, With a cup of cold pison lying down by her side, And a billet-doux, saying by pison she died. CHORUS.

Parent bows low to audience.

Parent points with left hand. Parent spreads both hands in ecstasy. Parent rattles money in his pockets.

Parent dances, in time to music, forward. Parent dances, in time to music, backward. Parent dances, in time to music, forward. Parent dances, in time to music, backward, and bows at last note. Diniah enters, and courtesies to Parent, who bows in time. Parent approaches her, and moves head and hand as if speaking. Parent points to Diniah's dress, who takes it in her hands, and looks upon it. Diniah puts finger in her mouth, and turns head aiuay. Both dance forward and backward together at each line, and bow at end. Diniah puts right hand on Parent's left shoulder. Diniah places left hand coaxingly tinder his chin. Diniah turns to left, moves both hands as if throwing away her money. Diniah looks at him imploringly, and coaxes him as before. Both dance forward and backward, and bow in time, as before. Parent shakes his head and fist very savagely. Diniah kneels down, and cries.

Parent makes motions as if throwing away money; takes large pin from his coat. Diniah wrings her hands, and weeps.

Sung and danced as before.

[Curtain falls.

Villikins enters, discovers Diniah lying, C, with bottle and letter; he jumps, throws up his hands in horror.

Villikins picks up bottle, and smells it.

Reads letter in amazement. Villikins dances forward and backward., looking first at letter in his left hand,

I08                             BALLADS IN ACTION.

VI

He kissed her cold corpus a hundred times o'er.

And called her his Diniah, though she was no more; Then he swallowed the pison like a lover so brave, And Villikins and his Diniah both lay in one grave.

Chorus. VII.

At twelve next night, by a tall poplar-tree The ghosts of his children the parent did see,

Standing close to each other, and both looking blue,

Saying,"We should be both living if it was not for you."

Chorus. VIII.

Now the parent was struck with a horror of home: So he packed his portmanteau, the world over to roam. But he had not gone far, when he was seized with a shiver Which ended his days, so finished him forever.

Chorus

then at bottle in his right, extending each hand in turn, bows at last note.

Villikins kneels down behind Diniah, bends over her, and pretends to kiss her.

Wrings her hands.

Drinks from bottle.

Falls behind Diniah at last note.

No dance.

[Curtain falls.

Parent enters, discovers the lovers standing at back of stage, dressed in sheets, like ghosts. He jumps, looks first over his left shoulder at them, then over his right shoulder, and continues this motion through rest of verse and chorus.

Ghosts dance forward and back, as before, following Parent. A11 bow.

Parent goes off, L., for his carpet-bag. He packs his clothes.

Suddenly turns his head, sees ghosts, and shivers faster and faster until he drops, C.

Ghosts dance around Parent, Diniah first. Both bow.                         [Curtain falls.

As will be easily seen, there is no limit in the choice of illustrated ballads. One which has never been used, and which Cruikshank illustrated many years ago, is the ballad of Earl Bateman.

"Earl Bateman was a noble lord; A noble lord he was, of high degree; And he determined to go abroad, - To go abroad strange countries for to see."

The illustrations will furnish the necessary hints for costumes, and the ballad may better be sung than said, as the air is in the minors, - a quaint and rather pathetic tune, which any one who has seen "Rosedale"played will at once recall. Where an entire poem cannot be used, picturesque passages can often be taken ; and there is hardly any form of parlor entertainment that gives a better result for the amount of trouble expended.