PS 1534 —————— ———-^^ D54 C6 ■" 1 DOL AND SOCIAL DRAMA. Copy '-A-ct Txrell 3roi:Lr part." COUNTRY JUSTICE. rp P- 5ENI30^i lax CJE 15 GEiTT 1 CH ICAGO : T. s. DENISON. 1S7S. NO PLAYS EXCHANGED. T. S. DENISON'S CATALOGUE OF NEW PLAYS, FOR SCHOOLS and AMATEURS. 1878. -^-JRTCJE, 15 CEHSTTS E^CH. These phivs hiive been preparetl expressly to meet the wants of teachers :uul amateur chibs. They are simple in construction, and require no scenery, or such as is usually at hand. They afford room for " aciiuff." They are pure ill tone and latiguage. The six first on the list were before the public last vear, and met with a very favorable reception. "If the succeeding- numbers are as g-ood as the first, we predict for them a large demand." — National Teachers' Monthly, N. T. and Chicago. "These plays appear to be full of fun and to teach manyg-ood lessons with- al." — Wis. yoi/r. of Education. "The farces are full of fun." — Daily Inter-Ocean, Chicago. "These plays are realizing- the dearth of good literature in this department." — A', y . .School Bulletin. ODDS WITH THE ENEMY. A drama in five acts; 7 male and 4 female characters. Time i hour 50 min. Contains a good humorous negro character. "It took splendidly. Tabbs' made it spicv." — C. E. Rogers, Dunkirk, Did. SETH GREENBACK. -V drama in four acts; 7 male and 3 female characters. Tine i hour 15 m. " 'Seth Greenback ' has one very good Irish comic character, and some pathetic and telling situations. The plot is simple and dramatic, and culmin- ates well." — loT.\^ attor- ney^ I will not say whom. Atfy for Def. The fling of my opponent is unworthy of answer, and derogatory to the dignity of this court and the bar in general. My client may be excused any apparent hastiness of manner; realizing, as he does, the unscrupulous eftbrts made to crush him and blacken his character. Fudge. I swear it 's all a tarnation lie about my bein' short one kittle. Justice. Silence, if you please! I reckon this court ain't obleeged to stand no sich interruptions nohow you can fix it. [To Bulge.) Go on with vour testimony. Bidge. Well, when Fudge's boy axed me about that ar kittle, I told him I 'lowed he could git one at Spludge's, an he said he would go up arter it. Atfyfor Plain. Then you understood that virtually the defen- dant's son borrowed Mr. Spludge's kettle at the time, by informing you he would accept the use of said kettle.^ Bulge. Dunno about that! dunno, mister ! All I know is, I told him I thought he could git it, an' he said he s'posed he uould git it, an' I saw Spludge in the road goin' home an' told him I 'lowed they'd git the kittle. Atfy for Plain. In the eyes of the law that constitutes a con- tract. [Looke meaningly at jury.) T'/m/ point will impress itself upon all as conclusive. AtVy for Def. Did you see the Defendant or his son get the kettle? Bulge. No. Atfyfor Def. Do you know positively that either of them ever did get it.? Bulge. Well, not to a dead sartainty, but I believe they did. Couldn't swear to it. Att'yfor Def. The honorable jury will notice that the witness does not really know whether the defendant ever got the kettle in dispute at all. Call the next witness. Justice. John Smith will take the stand. Att'y for Plain. Mr. Smith, are you acquainted with the parties in this case.? Smith. Slightly! Atfy for Plain. How long have you known them? l68 COUNTRY JUSTICE. Smith. About twenty years, off and on. Ait'y for Plain. Tiventy years! How old are you? i>mitk. About twenty seven. Atfy for Plain. About twenty seven! Mr. Smith you are un- der oath. Please state your age, exactly. St/ntk. I was twenty seven last Friday, June aoth, at four o'clock in the morning. Atcy for Plain. Ah, indeed ! Remarkably precise, I see. State to the jury what you know about the case under consideration. Stniih. I don't know any thing about it. Atfy for Plain. Did plaintift', Mr. Spludge, ever loan a kettle to the defendant Fudge .^ Smith. Don't know. Atfy for Plain. Why were you summoned in this case.? Smith. Don't know. Sfludge. I had him summoned to prove that I owned a kettle. Atfy tor Plain. Does the plaintiff, to your knowledge, own a kettle? Smith. He does. Atfy for Def How do you know that plaintiff owns a kettle? Smith. Spludge's wife told Nate Ripley's wife, last spring, that they bought a new kettle, and Mrs. Ripley told my wife she guess- ed we could get a kettle there when we wanted one. Foreman of Jury. Square, if it aint agin the rules, I'd like to ax a question. Justice. I reckon nobody will object. Foreman. Mr. Smith, moughtn't this ere kettle of Spludge's be an apfle-sass kettle. My old woman 's borrowed Spludge's apple- sass kittle nign onto sixteen year, I reckon. Smith. Couldn't say. Never saw it. Atfy for Def. Your honor, the testimony of the witness is en- tirely irrelevant. I object to its introduction. Justice. I heerd nothin irreverent about Smith's langwige. I've heerd him spell a whole line at a time when he was plowin' in stumpy ground, but it's a leetle too much to say he cussed when he didn't. Atfy for Def. I meant, your Honor, it was useless. It should be ruled out. Justice. If it's useless I reckon we'll let it go for what its worth. Atfy for Plain. Mr. Jenks will take the stand. . {Jenks comes to chair.) Mr. Jenks, state briefly what you know concerning the facts in the present case. Jenks. Last spring, about the close of sugar making, I was down in the big woods hunting squirrels. I passed Fudge's su- gar shanty and stopped awhile. Fudge's boy was tending the ket- tles and I had a chat with him. He said they had a kettle bor- rowed from Spludge and that it was cracked. He asked me if I would tell Spludge, if I saw him, that the kettle was cracked, and say to him that they would make it all right. COUNTRY JUSTICE. 169 AtWy for Plain. Did jou inform Mr. Spludge, as requested.'' yenks. Fact is, I did not see him for a right smart while, and then I clean forgot it. AWy for Def. Do you know positively that said kettle was never returned.-* yenks. I do not. AWy for Def. Then considering the unimpeachable character of my client, the presumption is overwhelming that it was, and the damages made good. Is that all your testimony.^ (To Atfy) Atfy for Plain. Our case is so clear we shall introduce nothing more. I shall not even submit an argument to the honorable jury. A mere statement of the facts plainly proved, will be all sufficient. In the first place, we have clearly proved by two men good and true, that all the intents, purposes and determinations of defend- ant Fudge were to borrow said sugar kettle of plaintiff Spludge. Secondly, we have proved beyond the perad venture of a doubt, that said Fudge did, through his son, obtain and use to its detri- ment, said caldron or kettle. Said detriment consists of a crack beginning, according to the best information, at a point near the lower portion of said vessel, and ascending thence obliquely and sinuously to the perimeter of the caldron, otherwise known as the rim, and terminatmg at a point where the suspensory appara- tus is attached, known as the bail. Thirdly, that the kettle refer- red to has ever been returned, or the damage made good , the de- fense do not even pretend to assert. (Eloquently.) Gentlemen of the jury, can the sun in the heavens at noon-day be more plain than the facts in this case.'' I have no doubts of the position of my client. I can have none. There can be but one verdict, and in that verdict I see with prophetic eye the vindication of the majesty of the law ; justice triumphant ; the evil doer punished ; the down trodden lifted on high, and righteousness exalted. That verdict will tear asunder with the hand of a giant the slimy folds of the mighty serpent fraud, which would crush the very vitals of society, and strike a death blow at the institutions of our glori- ous country. Gentlemen of the jury, we trust to your patriotism, your love of justice, and above all to the more than ordinary intelligence I see in every feature of the honest countenances be- fore me. (Takes his seat.) Atfy for Def. Gentlemen of the jury, few words are necessary in closing this argument. My client's case is based on the bed rock of eternal justice, and no v^ily sophistry nor high flown ora- tory can pluck it thence. (Looks hard at Atfy for Plain.) The prosecution has failed to prove that my client ever borrowed a kettle of Spludge. No one saw him borrow it. No one heard him say he borrowed it. He avers he did not. The fact that the ket- tle was broken rests on the unsupported evidence of a single wit- ness. Not the m.ost reliable, I am sorry to say, either. yenks. (yumps up excitedly and collars speaker.) Take that back Mister, or I'll punch your head! I won't be called a liar. yuslice. Order ! Order in the court. (Sereral seize yenks and seat him.) I70 COUNTRY JUSTICE. Jevks. (Struggling.^ Let me at him! I'll break the rascal's head for him ! Justice, Order! Order! Atfy for Def. Concerning the return of the kettle it is unnec- essary to speak, as the prosecution have entirely omitted that point. Now, gentlemen of the jury, I will draw a picture. My client is a poor man. He toils for his daily bread. Unlike the plaintiff, he is not possessed of a broad estate. His little farm is scarce sufficient to furnish sustenance for his estimable family, consisting of a wife and sixteen children, ranging from the cher- ub iti the mother's arms up to the sturdy, honest-hearted youth who tends the sugar camp. Does anyone suppose for an instant that my client, a man of unimpeachable charac er, would willingly commit waste on the property of another.' Why, gentlemen, the pangs of conscience would carry him to a premature grave. Ev- ery time he sweetened his tea during his frugal repast, conscience would whisper in his ear, " You hav'nt paid for that kettle yet." Every time his little prattling child toddled to the cupboard, and in artless tones lisped its wishes for maple sugar, the thoughts of that damaged kettle would rise like a spectre of doom, and harrass him. Every time he visited the country store and saw the tempt- ing bars of sugar arranged on the shelves, his conscience would prick him with a thousand darts. Such a life would be unendura- ble, and would leave its traces. Gentlemen of the jury, does my client look like a man whose conscience troubles him.' (Pauses.) Notabitof it. '■'■Fiat justifia mat coelumV Which means, freely translated. " Give the poor man the benefit of a doubt." (Seats iimself.) justice. The jurj will now retire and bring in a verdic'. I have . no particular instructions, only stick to the law and facts. And don't forget that you are tryin' to heal differences between neigh- bors. (Jury retire and return in a few seconds.) Foreman. Mr. Square, an' feller citizens: we've decided unan- imous onto the follerin' verdic'. Fudge must take that ere kettle and get it fixed. Budge and Jenks orter pay the cost of the fixin', Spludge orter pay the cost of the lawin'. We thought we'd make it as easy as we could by sorter everagin'' it. Att'y for Plain. Your honor, I object to that verdict. It is not according to law. AtVy for Def. It ought to relieve my client of all responsibil- ity. Besides, Messrs. Bulge and Jenks are not parties to the suit. Bulge. (Excitedly.) Jest what I was goin' to say, Jedge. I can't see as Fm mixed up into this ere suit, nohow you can fix it. Jenks. Hanged if I'll pay any costs for other people's business. Justice. I 'low that verdic' had better stand. If it aint/wii' it's justice. Sposin' Bulge hadn't said anything about that kittle! It wouldn't been borried, and if Jenks had spoken to Xpludge about the damages when Fudge's boy told him to, there most likely would have been no lawsuit. So I reckon they'd better come in for their share of the cost. CURTAIN. A FAMILY STRIKE. A spicy tarce, illustratinjf "strikes," 3 male and 2 female characters. Time 10 minutes. LOUVA, THE PAUPER. A drama in five acts; 9 male and 4 female characters. Time, i hour 45 min. Contains a g-ood Yankee character and a humorous darky character. This is an intensely interesting- and pathetic play. It admits of striking- scenic effects- and is a sf/niio- play for amateurs. TWO GHOSTS IN WHITE. A humorous farce based on boarding-school lite; 7 female characters. Time 25 m. Abounds in ludicrous episodes. HANS VON SMASH. A roaring farce in a prologue and one act; 3 male and 4 female cliaracters. Time, 30 min. Contains an excellent humorous Dutch character. THE ASSESSOR. A humorous sketch, illustrating the difficulties of an assessor in listing the property of a tax- fighter; 3 male and 2 female characters. Time, 15 m. BORROWING TROUBLE. A ludicrous farce; 3 male and 4 female characters. Time, 30 m. Illustrates the very amusing trials ot a borrowing family. THE PULL-BACK. A laughable farce; 6 female characters. Time, 20 min. Contains an ex- cellent old-fashioned, "old lady " character. Pictures her adventures among the devotees of fashion. COUNTRY JUSTICE. A very amusing country law suit; S male characters. (May admit 14.) Time 20 minutes. ON THE BRINK, Or, The Reclaimed Husband. A temperance drama in two acts; 12 male and 3 female characters. Time, I hour, 45 m. Seven of the characters have unimportant.parts, and some of the parts are so arranged that the same person may play two parts. Contains three humorous Yankee characters. A fine play for amateurs. A PARLOR ENTERTAINMENT. A Sketch ; 2 male and J female characters. Time, 25 ra. A good piece for younger boys and girls. New plavs will appear from time to time. Costumes furnished. Wigs, beards, masks, face paints, tableau lights, etc., at lowest rates. Parties de- siring full information, please address us. T. S. DEN!SON, CHICAGO, ILL. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS IllilllliiiJiililtill 016 112 387 -^ -prices within the i-each of miy Teacher and all School Boards. THE HOLBROOK CONDENSING AIH-PUMP. The above Air- Pump, retailing at ^9.00, is claimed to be superior to those ordinarily retailing at ^20.00. 1. It exhausts and condenses without any change of its parts, where an ordinary pump, capable only of exhausting the air, costs $20 alone; then ^8 extra must be paid for a condensing chamber ; not only this, but the parts must be changed, and the pump is likely to get out of repair. 2. Its exhausting power is at a maximum, the valves being light and its parts being so arranged that no air remains under the piston to re- sist the raising of the exhausting valve by rarified air in the receiver The pump is thus mechanically /f;y>