A Charade.
By George Wood.
IN THREE SCENES.
| Mr. Crusty, an old bachelor. | Mrs. Lovely, a young widow. |
| Dick Driver, lover of Sophy. | Sophy, maid to Mr. Crusty. |
SCENE I.
Mr. Crusty is discovered in a parlor, reading a newspaper. He throws down the paper, and speaks:
A MISERABLE set of scoundrels! What a thin veil to cover over the hook this is! Alas!
"The age of virtuous politics is past,
And we are deep in that of mere pretence;
Patriots are grown too old to be sincere,
And we too wise to trust them."
And we are deep in that of mere pretence;
Patriots are grown too old to be sincere,
And we too wise to trust them."
[Goes to the window and looks out.
What a beautiful night it is! What a jingling of sleigh-bells, and what a scene of gladness in the streets! And here I am, an old bachelor, confined by rheumatism, solitary and alone. That was a most miserable mistake I made twenty years ago, not to have secured the love of some loving heart, whose presence would have poured a flood of light into the depths of my darkened soul; and here I am at the
