Boarding schools -- Fiction; Family life -- New England -- Fiction; New England -- Fiction; Schools -- Fiction
Mrs Juno, with her peacocks, darning-needle, pen, and cooking-spoon, did
not get off so easily; for the Professor was down on her with all manner
of mirth-provoking accusations, criticisms, and insults even. He alluded
to her domestic infelicity, her meddlesome disposition, sharp tongue,
bad temper, and jealousy, closing, however, with a tribute to her
skill in caring for the wounds and settling the quarrels of belligerent
heroes, as well as her love for youths in Olympus and on earth. Gales of
laughter greeted these hits, varied by hisses from some indignant boys,
who would not bear, even in joke, any disrespect to dear Mother Bhaer,
who, however, enjoyed it all immensely, as the twinkle in her eye and
the irrepressible pucker of her lips betrayed.
A jolly Bacchus astride of his cask took Vulcan's place, and appeared to
be very comfortable with a beer-mug in one hand, a champagne bottle in
the other, and a garland of grapes on his curly head. He was the text
of a short temperance lecture, aimed directly at a row of smart young
gentlemen who lined the walls of the auditorium. George Cole was seen
to dodge behind a pillar at one point, Dolly nudged his neighbour at
another, and there was laughter all along the line as the Professor
glared at them through his big glasses, and dragged their bacchanalian
orgies to the light and held them up to scorn.
Seeing the execution he had done, the learned man turned to the lovely
Diana, who stood as white and still as the plaster stag beside her, with
sandals, bow, and crescent; quite perfect, and altogether the best piece
of statuary in the show. She was very tenderly treated by the paternal
critic who, merely alluding to her confirmed spinsterhood, fondness for
athletic sports, and oracular powers, gave a graceful little exposition
of true art and passed on to the last figure.
This was Apollo in full fig, his curls skilfully arranged to hide a
well-whitened patch over the eye, his handsome legs correctly poised,
and his gifted fingers about to draw divine music from the silvered
gridiron which was his lyre. His divine attributes were described, as
well as his little follies and failings, among which were his weakness
for photography and flute-playing, his attempts to run a newspaper, and
his fondness for the society of the Muses; which latter slap produced
giggles and blushes among the girl-graduates, and much mirth among the
stricken youths; for misery loves company, and after this they began to
rally.
Then, with a ridiculous conclusion, the Professor bowed his thanks;
and after several recalls the curtain fell, but not quickly enough to
conceal Mercury, wildly waving his liberated legs, Hebe dropping her
teapot, Bacchus taking a lovely roll on his barrel, and Mrs Juno rapping
the impertinent Owlsdark on the head with Jove's ruler.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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