The speaker's ideal entertainments

Chapter 79: The Ivy-Clad Ruin.[510]

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About This Book

A curated anthology of recitations, dialogues, and short dramas compiled for use in home, church, and school entertainments, accompanied by practical annotations on gesture, dramatic poses, and delivery. Selections include newly obtained manuscripts and engraved illustrations, and introductory guidance defines a system of hand positions and movement directions to shape expressive action. Hints on staging, tasteful modulation, and the distinctions between emphatic and conversational gestures aim to help novices and trained elocutionists alike, making the collection a hands-on resource for developing vocal technique and coordinated physical expression.

The Ivy-Clad Ruin.[510]

’Tis the old, old church that for years I’ve known,

And with ivy green are its walls o’ergrown;

All its ancient splendor has passed away,

And there’s naught remaining but grim decay;

The pale moonbeams glimmer the windows through,

And the roofless floor is all damp with dew;

Both the pious priest and his flock are gone,

And the gravestones watch o’er their dead alone.

Oh, how oft I’ve passed thro’ the spacious aisle

And have met the throng with a friendly smile;

In the bygone days when I saw them kneel,

When I felt the thrill of the organ’s peal;

But the forms I knew enter here no more,

And no footsteps fall on the mouldy floor;

There’s but one thing left that with life I’ve seen—

’Tis the faithful vine of the ivy green.

—Geo. M. Vickers.

[510] By permission of W. F. Shaw, owner of the copyright.