Still the temple is not done, Souls are built as temples are,— Souls are built as temples are,― A LITTLE FELLER. Say, Sunday's lonesome fur a little feller, An' lookin''s if they didn't know how to smile; Why, Sunday's lonesome fur a little feller Right on from sun-up when the day commences Fur little fellers don't have much to think of, 'Cept chasin' gophers 'long the cornfield fences, Or diggin' after moles down in the woodlot, Or climbin' after appies what's got meller, But Sunday's never lonesome fur a little feller All truly true, that happened onct fur honest, An' how some angels came an' shut their mouths up, An' Sunday's pleasant down to Aunt Marilda's; She lets us take some books that some one gin'her, An' onct a frosted cake all white an' yeller. -Michigan Christian Advocate. GO. ROBERT C. V. MEYERS.* [COPYRIGHT, 1894.] CHARACTERS. B. ARMSTRONG, the possessor of great activity, and proud of the possession. BELINDA, his maiden sister, who possesses less activity and upholds her niece's lover who has none. BENNET, the niece's lover, consequently the would-be son-in-law of S. B. A., who if he possesses no activity is forced to assert his natural languor in an energetic fashion.. ESSIE, the daughter, niece and sweetheart, who deprecates the lack of activity in her lover and afterward reverses her judgment. JOHN, the butler, who is active on provocation. MDLLE. TOUJOURS, a modiste's assistant, who is active without provocation. SCENE.-Drawing-room. A strong table, left. Entrances right Armstrong walk and left. Armstrong and Belinda discovered. Belinda ARMSTRONG. Don't talk to me, Belinda, it's no use. I tell you it is absolutely no use. I have said my say, and I stand by it. S. B. Armstrong is not a man to say No and mean Yes. My mind has too much activity for that. BELINDA. Activity! I am sick and tired of the word. *Author of "The Day Before the Wedding," "Ze Moderne English, Landing," "A Bonnet for my Wife," "A Dynamite Plot," and other Comedies, Farces, etc., in previous Numbers of this Series. The leading peculiarity of Mr. Meyers' Dramas lies in their sparkling dialogue, quick action and easy adaptability to place. For a synopsis of these and other new Plays, included in our List, send for Catalogue. The Top Simply because the world has gone well with you through your diligence and incessant alertness you would make every one of us parts of a system of perpetual motion. Even the butler has caught the mania, and not content with breaking all the glassware in the house, he has increased the volume of his voice, as though that were a further evidence of his being always employed. He is another spoke in the wheel of perpetual motion. ARM. Better perpetual motion than eternal repose. BEL. There! You refer to Mr. Bennet in that remark. I tell you, brother, better a thousand times have a languid son-in-law than one who is too active. In some men activity carried to excess ARM. (stopping in his walk.) Who wants it carried to excess? All I want is an evidence of it. Without that evidence in him Essie shall not marry him if you coax till she is as old as you are. BEL. Thanks! I am not a fossil, a fern-leaf turned to coal. I believe it takes some millions of years to turn a fern-leaf into coal. ARM. (walking up and down.) There is a happy medium! BEL. I suppose that means I may only be a female Methuselah. Is that your happy medium? ARM. I was referring to Bennet. He is as inactive as ARM. (stopping.) Belinda, I wish when I open my lips you would not jump down my throat. I would have said that Bennet is as inactive as-(looking at her, and waiting for her to interrupt him) as-those things in Egypt where they used to bury people. BEL. Crocodiles? I believe the Spartan Egyptian mothers used to bury babies that way. ARM. I referred to the pyramids. Enter, John, right. JOHN (in loud voice). Miss Essie's dressmaker sends word Miss Essie's dress will be here in ten minutes, sir. ARM. Correct! Essie expected that dress at eleven, Bellinda, and at eleven I sent word that if it were not here in ten minutes Essie should not receive it. I will have punctuality, which is another name for activity. You may go, John. Have you wound the clocks? JOHN. Yes, sir. I set 'em a little fast, just to show 'em what is expected of 'em. And I've licked the page, sir, for saying the pointer was a setter. Nothing so slow as a setter here, sir. The cook says the yeast is all gone, as she uses double the usual quantity, to make the things rise fast. ARM. You may go. JOHN. I am gone, sir. [Exit. ARM. As I was saying, Belinda, Bennet is as inactive as an Egyptian pyramid. And such inactivity shall never enter the family of S. B. Armstrong. (Walks up and down, gesticulating.) What I want for a young man is that he shall do something. I don't care what he does, so that he does not stand still. Let him do something, anything (falling over a chair). BEL. I hope you don't want him him to do that (laughing)? ARM. (limping.) Belinda, have you no dignity? A woman of your age should be above flippancy. Bennet is about as active as you are sensible. Now I am determined Essie shall have nothing to do with him. BEL. Simply because you pitched over a chair. ARM. It is not the chair, it is your silly merriment over an accident. As for you, I shall not be surprised at any thing you might do, old as you are. BEL. (indignantly.) Samuel Bartholomew Armstrong, I insist that my age be left alone. ARM. (limping.) Say not a word about your age, about Bennet, or anything. A woman and a sister to laugh at her brother for breaking his limbs over the furniture (kicking the chair) need expect little consideration from me. As for Bennet, never shall he be anything to Essie until I find in him some of that activity which has made S. B. Armstrong what he is-no, nor till I find you in as ridiculous an attitude as that chair has placed me in. [Exit, limping, left. BEL. (soliloquizing.) I suppose he wants that poor young man to break his shins over things, that's his idea of activity. He wouldn't be surprised at anything I might do, wouldn't he? And at my age! And poor Mr. Bennet shall not be happy until I am found in as ridiculous an attitude as Samuel got himself into, eh? Oh, Samuel, when you jest at a woman's age you forget the capabilities of her retaliation. Let me think! Ah, I already know how Mr. Ben net shall be active. He and Essie shall elope and I will help them. There! ESSIE. Enter, Essie, right. Essie will do nothing of the sort. B. So you overheard? ESSIE. Yes. And what is more, since I have thought over what papa said at breakfast this morning, I uphold papa. B. He needs upholding; he has just been precipitating himself over the furniture. ESSIE, He has Harry Bennet is. made me see how extremely inactive Harry should show more animation. BE. Tell him you'll elope with him, that'll show you how animated he can be. Animation! Why he loves you to distraction; hasn't he written to your father he will be here to-day to ask for your hand? Essrs. Do you call it loving me to distraction to take my hand and say (imitating) “ Essie, how are you. There's an awful lot of commotion in this house; John, the butler has a voice loud enough to put out the gas." That was his distracted love last time he came Do you call that love! BFL. Love is not dependent upon mere words. ESSIE (with dignity). Aunt Belinda, I quite agree with papa, anything you might do would not surprise me. JOHN (entering, in a loud voice). Mr. Bennet has came. ESSIE. I am going to papa. BEL. (excitedly) John! JOHN. Yes, ma'am. BEL. Do you think I am ridiculous? [Exit, left. JON. I have saw more ridiculouser, ma'am. There's poor little Mamzelle Toujours having to hurry on Miss Essie's buttons so that dress may get here at eleven-ten.. have put them clocks so fast they've raced way round the day till they've caught up with ten o'clock to-night. It aint a-going to be ten minutes past eleven till that dress gets here. BEL. But, John, would you be surprised at anything I should do?—anything ridicu`ous? JO IN. Ladies never surprise me, ma'am, I've been a but ler fifteen years. BEL. Let Mr. Bennet come in. (Erit, John, right.) No I cannot see him; I must calm myself before I can see any |