Mrs. Brown's Valentine Lesson. MRS. BROWN'S VALENTINE LESSON, A DIALOGUE, BY DAVID LAWTON. 73 CHARACTERS. MRS. BROWN..A wise mother, anxious to train up her children in the way they should go. .Her daughter. .Mary's friend. . Charlie's friend. Chairs, and worktable with a [SCENE.-Home of the BROWNS. number of Valentines on it. book in her hand, she goes up to the table, lays down her book, and appears to look over the valentines.] MA ARY BROWN. Well, I declare! another batch of valentines; I had about six this morning and now there is another lot, and all of them addressed to me. Ah! here is one from cousin Eva, just such a dear little duck of a thing as her own sweet self. This is from sister Ellen, full of affection and kindness, like the darling sister that she is. I wonder if everybody sends such characteristic valentines to their friends as these two have done. (Takes up another and opens it so that the audience can see it.) Whatever is this? what a horrid-looking creature. The valentine shown should be an ugly picture of a drunkard-the uglier the better-with the words "Your future husband," in large plain letters on the bottom]. My future husband indeed! I should think not. If I cannot have a sober God-fearing man for my husband I will never marry, never. [Enter EMILY]. Oh! I am so glad you have come. Take off your hat and cloak; here, let me help you. (Takes off EMILY's things). Sit down, dear, and we will have such a good long chat. EMILY. Thank you, dear; I thought I would run over to see you to-night. What a heap of valentines you have! I have only had one yet, and that was such a fright as you never saw. MARY (eagerly). Have you got it with you? May I see it? EMILY. Oh! yes. (Draws an envelope from her pocket, and unfolds a comical picture of a smoker with a long pipe in his mouth, and the words "Your beau," put in large letters at the foot.) There, what do you think of that? MARY. Why, I think that someone has sent me his brother, -look at mine. (Shows hers). EMILY. Well, I declare! they might be twins. What say you, dear, shall we have them framed? MARY. They would make two splendid pictures, I'm sure. EMILY (holding hers by her side). Shouldn't we make a handsome pair? MARY (imitating EMILY). And we should be quite a charming couple. I'm sure. EMILY. Is it not funny that we should have these these, what shall I call them ?-beautiful portraits, both on the same day? MARY. It is funny. I suppose someone has sent them to vex us, but never mind. EMILY. Oh! I don't care; I never had a beau before, you know, and a paper one is better than none; and when I'm tired of him I can screw him up and put him in my pocket. MARY. Just so, my dear; and if you like, we will put these interesting creatures aside, and see what the others are like. Ah! here is mother. [Enter MRS. BROWN]. MRS. BROWN. Good evening, Emily; I am glad to see you looking so well. You girls are comparing notes over your valentines, I see. MARY. Yes, mother, and see Eva and sister Ellen have sent. what nice valentines cousin (Hands them to her mother.) MRS. B. (examines them). Yes, dear, they are very pretty and very appropriate. But what have you there? (Points to EMILY'S valentine.) EMILY. This is my beau, Mrs. Brown. (Shows her the valentine). What do you think about him? MRS. B. Well, I think that I should be very sorry indeed for you to have such a beau in reality. You had far better be without to the end of your life. MARY. But look at mine! How would you like such a sottish looking son? Mrs. B. My dear child, I would rather bury you than see you the wife of a drunkard. EMILY. Don't you think it rather curious that they should both of them have come to-day? MRS. B. Oh! it is quite evident that they have both come from the same source. Mrs. Brown's Valentine Lesson. 75 MARY. How can you tell, mother? MRS. B. Look at the addresses. They are both in the same handwriting. (They compare envelopes.) EMILY. So they are, Mrs. Brown. I wonder whoever can have sent them? MARY. Well, I declare it is too bad. [Enter CHARLIE]. MARY. It is too bad of you, sir, to come in upon us in this fashion. (Tries to hide her valentine in her book). CHARLIE (sings). Heigho, Mistress Mary, quite contrary; I'm not inclined your words to mind, So save your breath, Heigho. (He seizes MARY's book; she tries to snatch it from him). Not so fast, my dear; just allow your ever affectionate brother to feast his hungry eyes on-(opens the valentine)—Well, I declare; but this is a stunner. Mary, my dear, allow me to congratulate you on your choice. He is a noble specimen of the genus Swipes. A charming creature! what a lovely countenance! what a bewitching expression! No wonder that you have been smitten; I am. And if ever the gentleman favours us with a call I am sure that he will be. [Enter WILLIAM.] WILLIAM THOUGHTFUL. Good evening, Mrs. Brown; good evening, Miss Brown; good evening, Miss Sweetpeace; are you very well? Ah! Charlie, my dear fellow, you are as busy as ever teasing somebody I can see. MRS. B. So he is, William; take a seat and make yourself at home; we are glad to see you. CHARLIE. Can't get a word in, old fellow, but I am delighted to see you all the same. Just look at this lovely picture! Now don't die of envy, my boy, but of course you could never hope to cut such a figure as that, no, not if you tried as hard as ever you could. WILLIAM. I should be sorry to resemble such a wretch even in the remotest degree. But see here. (Draws an envelope from his pocket and unfolds the caricature of a drunken woman, with the words "Your charmer," at foot.) There now! what do you think of that? CHARLIE. Think! why I think you ought to get it photographed, and give me a copy. EMILY. It strikes me that yours has come from the same source as Mary's and mine. WILLIAM. Do you really think so? EMILY. I do; but let us compare the handwriting on the envelopes. (They compare addresses.) WILLIAM. I think I have seen that handwriting before, but I cannot just call to mind when or where. I should say that all three were written and posted at once, and by someone who knows us, too. MRS. B. I think I could guess who sent them. The culprit is not very far off (she looks at CHARLIE who shrugs his shoulders but remains silent). While you have been looking at these pictures it has occurred to me that ugly and repulsive as they are, we might learn a useful lesson from them. Do they not suggest to us how ugly and repulsive men and women make themselves when they allow themselves to become the slaves of drink and tobacco? What could be more ugly, looked at morally, than a drink-degraded man? Or what more repulsive than a drunken woman? And, knowing how common it is for people to fall into the sin of intemperance, is it not wise for us to beware of everything which might lead us into it? If we never drink, then we shall never acquire the drunkard's fatal appetite, and so we shall avoid a great many other temptations to evil which follow in the wake of this insidious curse. Perhaps you may wonder why I speak so strongly, and why I never allow any intoxicants in the house. I will tell you. Once I had a dear friend; he was an only son, brought up with every advantage that his loving parents could afford. They were not abstainers, and so he was taught to drink wine at his father's table, as thousands are being taught to-day. He grew up to manhood, handsome, well educated, gifted, noble, generous to a fault. Everyone spoke well of him, and it seemed as if nothing could prevent him from making his mark in the world. By his industry and ability he soon rose to a good position; married, and for a time did well. But gradually his habit of taking intoxicants grew upon him; he became reckless in his conduct, and began to embezzle the money entrusted to him in business,-and when he was found out he rushed from his office overwhelmed with his shame, and called at an hotel where he drank a considerable quantity of brandy, and then he went home, drew a revolver, shot his innocent young wife dead, and then blew out his own brains on the spot. What an awful end to what might have been an honourable and noble career! Mrs. Brown's Valentine Lesson. EMILY. How terrible! 77 MRS. B. Terrible indeed, but true, for that young wife was my own darling sister, and that trouble shortened my mother's days, and greatly embittered the closing years of my father's life. When I stood by the open grave of my drink-murdered sister, I vowed in my heart of hearts that, God helping me, from henceforth neither I nor mine should ever touch the accursed thing which had been the cause of so much suffering and shame, and from that day to this I have been the sworn foe of drink, and have done what little I could to persuade others to avoid that which has done so much to blast the social and moral well-being of our race. WILLIAM. My dear Mrs. Brown, I do not wonder that you should feel strongly on this subject after such a sorrowful experience. Of late my eyes have been opened to the evils of intemperance, though I had not made up my mind what to do. But, thanks to your remarks on these valentines, I see my duty very clearly, and from this time forward I too will be a foe to the drink. EMILY. And I will be the same. I have often wondered why Mary and Charlie never took anything but water when they were out, but now I see they have good reason for avoiding so dangerous, so deadly an agent; and I will follow their example. MARY. That's right, Emily dear, I am glad that you have come over to our side. CHARLIE. Well, I suppose I may as well confess and receive absolution at once, especially as mother has so cleverly contrived to turn my joke to such good account. It was I who sent the valentines, thinking I would have a bit of fun at your expense. I am very much pleased that my friend William has at last been led to become an abstainer like myself. MARY. Just one of your tricks, you old tease. WILLIAM. Well, never mind, Miss Brown, since he has been the means of our getting so much good. I am very much obliged to you, Mrs. Brown, for so kindly relating your painful experience for our benefit, and also for your excellent advice, and I hope that we shall all of us endeavour to remember and to put in practice MRS. BROWN'S VALENTINE LESSON. (Exeunt.) |