The Contrast | Page 5

flame,
Stern virtue throve, where
indolence was shame.
But modern youths, with imitative sense,
Deem taste in dress the
proof of excellence;
And spurn the meanness of your homespun arts,

Since homespun habits would obscure their parts;
Whilst all, which
aims at splendour and parade,
Must come from Europe, and be ready
made.
Strange! We should thus our native worth disclaim,
And
check the progress of our rising fame.
Yet one, whilst imitation bears
the sway,
Aspires to nobler heights, and points the way.
Be rous'd,
my friends! his bold example view;
Let your own Bards be proud to
copy you!
Should rigid critics reprobate our play,
At least the
patriotic heart will say,
"Glorious our fall, since in a noble cause.

"The bold attempt alone demands applause."
Still may the wisdom of
the Comic Muse
Exalt your merits, or your faults accuse.
But think
not, tis her aim to be severe;--
We all are mortals, and as mortals err.

If candour pleases, we are truly blest;
Vice trembles, when
compell'd to stand confess'd.
Let not light Censure on your faults
offend,
Which aims not to expose them, but amend.
Thus does our
Author to your candour trust;
Conscious, the free are generous, as
just.
Characters

New-York Maryland
Col. MANLY, Mr Henry. Mr Hallam.
DIMPLE, Mr Hallam. Mr
Harper.
VANROUGH, Mr Morris. Mr Morris.
JESSAMY, Mr
Harper. Mr Biddle.
JONATHAN, Mr Wignell. Mr Wignell.
CHARLOTTE, Mrs Morris. Mrs Morris.
MARIA, Mrs Harper. Mrs Harper.
LETITIA, Mrs Kenna. Mrs Williamson.
JENNY, Miss Tuke. Miss W. Tuke.
SERVANTS
SCENE, NEW-YORK.
The Contrast.

ACT I.
Scene, an Apartment at CHARLOTTE'S.
CHARLOTTE and LETITIA discovered.
LETITIA
AND so, Charlotte, you really think the pockethoop
unbecoming.
CHARLOTTE
No, I don't say so. It may be very becoming to
saunter round the
house of a rainy day; to visit my
grand-mamma, or to go to Quakers'
meeting: but to
swim in a minuet, with the eyes of fifty well-dressed

beaux upon me, to trip it in the Mall, or walk on the
battery, give
me the luxurious, jaunty, flowing, bellhoop.
It would have delighted
you to have seen me
the last evening, my charming girl! I was
dangling
o'er the battery with Billy Dimple; a knot of young
fellows

were upon the platform; as I passed them I
faultered with one of the
most bewitching false steps
you ever saw, and then recovered myself
with such a
pretty confusion, flirting my hoop to discover a jet

black shoe and brilliant buckle. Gad! how my little
heart thrilled to
hear the confused raptures of--
"Demme, Jack, what a delicate foot!"
"Ha! General,
what a well-turned--"
LETITIA
Fie! fie! Charlotte [stopping her mouth], I protest
you are quite a
libertine.
CHARLOTTE
Why, my dear little prude, are we not all such
libertines? Do you
think, when I sat tortured two
hours under the hands of my friseur,
and an hour
more at my toilet, that I had any thoughts of my aunt

Susan, or my cousin Betsey? though they are both
allowed to be
critical judges of dress.
LETITIA
Why, who should we dress to please, but those
are judges of its
merit?
CHARLOTTE
Why, a creature who does not know Buffon from
Souflee--Man!--my
Letitia--Man! for whom we
dress, walk, dance, talk, lisp, languish,
and smile.
Does not the grave Spectator assure us that even our

much bepraised diffidence, modesty, and blushes are
all directed to
make ourselves good wives and mothers
as fast as we can? Why, I'll
undertake with one flirt
of this hoop to bring more beaux to my feet
in one
week than the grave Maria, and her sentimental
circle, can
do, by sighing sentiment till their hairs
are grey.

LETITIA
Well, I won't argue with you; you always out-talk
me; let us change
the subject. I hear that Mr. Dimple
and Maria are soon to be married.
CHARLOTTE
You hear true. I was consulted in the choice
of the wedding clothes.
She is to be married in a
delicate white sattin, and has a monstrous
pretty
brocaded lutestring for the second day. It would
have done
you good to have seen with what an
affected indifference the dear
sentimentalist turned
over a thousand pretty things, just as if her heart

did not palpitate with her approaching happiness,
and at last made
her choice and arranged her dress
with such apathy as if she did not
know that plain
white sattin and a simple blond lace would shew her

clear skin and dark hair to the greatest advantage.
LETITIA
But they say her indifference to dress, and even to
the gentleman
himself, is not entirely affected.
CHARLOTTE
How?
LETITIA
It is whispered that if Maria gives her hand to Mr.
Dimple, it will be
without her heart.
CHARLOTTE
Though the giving the heart is one of the last of all
laughable
considerations in the marriage of a girl of
spirit, yet I should like to
hear what antiquated notions
the dear little piece of old-fashioned

prudery has got
in her head.