THE DRAMA OF THE DOCTOR'S WINDOW. IN THREE ACTS, WITH A prologue. "A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus, MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM. PROLOGUE. CLL, I must wait!" The Doctor's room, "WELL, Where I used this expression, Wore the severe official gloom Attached to that profession; Rendered severer by a bald And skinless Gladiator, Whose raw robustness first appalled The entering spectator. No one would call "The Lancet" gay,- That Jones, "On Muscular Decay," Is, as a rule, depressing: So, leaving both, to change the scene, Below, the Doctor's garden lay, If thus imagination May dignify a square of clay Unused to vegetation, Filled with a dismal-looking swingThat brought to mind a gallowsAn empty kennel, mouldering, And two dyspeptic aloes. No sparrow chirped, no daisy sprung, A dreary spot! And yet, I own, Half hoping that, perchance, it Might, in some unknown way, atone For Jones and for "The Lancet," I watched; and by especial grace, Ah, World of ours, are you so gray You told at the beginning? For lo! the same old myths that made وو The early "stage successes," Still "hold the boards," and still are played, "With new effects and dresses." Small, lonely" three-pair-backs" behold, To-day, Alcestis dying; How fell an Indian Hector; Still clubs discuss Achilles' steeds, Briseis' next protector ;— Still Menelaus brings, we see, G And here, the Doctor's sill beside, A Thisbe, whom the walls divide ACT THE FIRST. Act I. began. Some noise had scared The cat, that like an arrow Shot up the wall and disappeared; And then, across the narrow, Unweeded path, a small dark thing, Hid by a garden-bonnet, Passed wearily towards the swing, Paused, turned, and climbed upon it. A child of five, with eyes that were A mournful mouth, and tangled hair What was it? Something in the dress That told the girl unmothered; Or was it that the merciless Black garb of mourning smothered Then, as I looked, across the wall And round, bright eyes, that wore a stare Rounder they grew by slow degrees, Until the swinger, swerving, Gave just one brief, half-uttered cry, Fled in dismay. A moment's space, |