"And that I have found a brother in the man who won my heart as a comrade stroller," said Harry, warmly pressing Rover's hand.

"And I a lover in the warm-hearted actor," said Lady Amaranth, taking his other hand. "Sir George, you shall not disinherit Harry; I have fortune enough to make your son Charles rich."

"And love enough, I know, to make him the happiest benedict in England," cried Rover, gayly. "Now for the play. Call Lamp, our lusty manager. My Wild Oats' are all sown, and the rest of my life shall be," he continued, turning to Lady Amaranth, "As You Like it.'"

THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL.

BY RICHARD BRINSLEY BUTLER SHERIDAN.

[We do not feel called upon to say much about the author of this celebrated comedy. The story of the life of Richard Brinsley Sheridan is too well known to demand extended comment. It will suffice to say that he was born at Dublin in 1751, acquired at school the reputation of being an "impenetrable dunce," married Miss Linley, a noted songstress, in 1772,—a marriage made notable by an elopement and a duel,-and first appeared as a playwright in 1775, with the amusing comedy of "The Rivals." His greatest play, "The School for Scandal," appeared in 1777. He also wrote a musical drama, "The Duenna," which was highly successful, a farce called "The Critic," and some smaller dramatic works, besides translating Kotzebue's plays, "The Stranger" and "Pizarro." Sheridan attained no less fame as an orator than as a dramatist. During much of his life he was a member of Parliament, or otherwise connected with the government, while his celebrated speech on the impeachment trial of Warren Hastings is still regarded as one of the most

His

splendid examples of oratory ever given. private life was one of such extravagance that he was rarely free from debt, and in his later years he became greatly embarrassed. He died in 1816.

Of English wits Sheridan stands almost at the head, and to its overflowing fund of witty dialogue the "School for Scandal" owes much of its enduring popularity; though this is largely due, also, to the interest of the plot and the high dramatic merit of many of the situations. In its incessant corruscation of sparkling repartee this play is only rivalled by the dramas of Congreve, whose merit resides chiefly in the brilliancy of their dialogue. As we have given no example of Congreve's genius, for reasons already explained, we repair the omission by presenting the stories of two of Sheridan's plays, "The School for Scandal" and "The Rivals," both of which retain their popularity to a remarkable extent, and continue among the most frequently acted examples of the older English drama.]

Charles and Joseph Surface, the nephews of Sir Oliver Surface, a rich merchant of India, displayed that difference in character which is so often manifested between brothers. Joseph was discreet, cautious, and economical, and his conversation full of moral sentiments and professions of benevolence. Yet his morality and charity were only in words, and his secret feelings were those of the heartless and selfish libertine. Charles, on

the contrary, sadly lacked discretion and economy. His days and nights were passed in the pursuits of the spendthrift, in which the estate his father had left him, and the money his uncle had sent him, had been recklessly squandered. Of his once abundant means he had nothing left but his house and furniture, while he was deeply in debt. Yet his feelings were as warm as those of his brother were cold, he was lavishly generous, and was ready at any appeal to give in charity the money that should have been used to pay his debts.

These young men had their separate love affairs, which may be briefly described. Charles was warmly in love with a beautiful young lady named Maria, who in her heart returned his affection, but repelled his suit through her dislike to his dissolute habits. Joseph professed to love the same young lady, but his affection was really placed upon her money, for she was the heiress to a considerable estate, her guardian being an old knight named Sir Peter Teazle, who had also acted as guardian to the two brothers.

Charles had also won the affection of a Lady Sneerwell, though of this he was quite unaware. This lady was a prominent member of a group of busy scandal-mongers, which included also Mrs. Candour, Sir Benjamin Backbite, Mr. Crabtree, his father, Mr. Snake, and others. The principal aim in life of these personages seemed to be the retailing of scandalous stories, of which their nearest friends were often the victims, none being

so pure in life but that they could pick holes in their characters, no story so innocent but that they could throw on it some shadow of double meaning. As for Lady Sneerwell, her leading design was to break off the love affair between Charles and Maria, by whispering into the young lady's ear rumors of her lover's libertine career. Her secret hope was that, through success in this insidious effort, she might catch his heart in the rebound.

Sir Peter Teazle, of whom we have above spoken, has so much to do with our story that we must say more concerning him. He was a wealthy gentleman of advanced years, who had recently married a beautiful young wife, a girl of country birth and education, but whose head had been. turned by the glamour of London life. Brought up in comparative poverty, her extravagance as a fashionable lady kept her in constant hot water with her husband, their life being a series of quarrels and reconciliations. In addition to her extravagance, Lady Teazle became an active member of the school for scandal, in which Lady Sneerwell and Mrs. Candour were the leading professors, and soon grew to be as apt as any of them in their peculiar art. In her heedless gayety she even exposed herself to the slanderous tongues of her associates, for Joseph Surface had made an insidious assault upon her virtue, and she was too thoughtless to perceive into what unpleasant complications her penchant for him might lead her.