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The SERENADE THE <br><br>(by G. The of Bernard Shaw) <br><br>George of Bernard Shaw, the famous English playwright, CAME from a middle class family. He was born in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, in 1856, and was proud of being an Irishman . <br><br>In 1876 he left his home town for London, where he became a journalist. In 1884 he joined the Fabian Society, a socialist organiza tion of petty bourgeois intellectuals. <br><br>After a few unsuccessful attempts at writing novels , Shaw turned to plays. His first play appeared in 1892. Later on he wrote a large number of plays, all of which are known for their brilliant dialogue and sharp political satire. <br><br>In 1931 Shaw visited the Soviet Union. The famous playwright was always a true friend to the first Socialist State.<br><br>Bernard Shaw died in 1950 at the age of ninety-four. <br><br>I celebrated my fortieth birthday by putting on one of the amateur theatrical performances for which my house at Beckenham is famous. <br><br>The play, written by myself, was in three acts, and an important feature was the sound of a horn in the second act. <br><br>I had engaged a horn player to blow the horn. He was to place himself, not on the stage, but downstrairs in the hall so as to make it sound distant. <br><br>The best seat was occupied by the beautiful Linda Fitz- nightingale. The next chair, which I Jiad intended for my self, had been taken by Mr Porcharlester, a young man of some musical talent.<br><br>As Linda loved music, Porsharlester’s talent gave him in her eyes an advantage over older and cleverer men. I decided to break up their conversation as soon as 1 could.<br><br>After I had seen that everything was all right for the performance, 1 hurried to Linda's side with an apology for my long absence. As I approached, Porcharlester rose, say ing, “I’m going behind the stage if you don’t mind.”<br><br>“Boys will be boys," I said when he had gone. “But how are your musical studies progressing?”<br><br>“I’m full of Schubert now. Oh, Colonel Green, do you know Schubert’s serenade?”<br><br>“Oh, a lovely thing. It’s something like this, I think...” “Yes, it is little like that. Does Mr Porcharlester sing it?" I hated to hear her mention the name, so I said, "He tries to sing it.”<br><br>“But do you like it?” she asked.<br><br>“Hm, well the fact is...” I tried to avoid a straight answer. “Do you like it?”<br><br>“I love it. I dream of it. I’ve lived on it for the last three days,”<br><br>“1 hope to hear you sing it when the play’s over.”<br><br>"I sing it! Oh, I’d never dare. Ah, here is Mr Por charlester, I’ll make him promise to sing it to us.”<br><br>“Green,” said Porcharlester, “I don’t wish to bother you, but the man who is to play the horn hasn’t turned up.” "Dear me,” I said, “I ordered him at exactly half-past seven. If he fails to come in time, the play will be spoilt.” I excused myself to Linda, and hurried to the hall. The horn was there, on the table. But the man was nowhere to be seen.<br><br>At the moment I heard the signal for the horn. I waited for him, but he did not come. Had he mixed up the time? I hurried to the dining-room. There at the table he sat, fast asleep. Before him were five bottles, empty. Where he had got them from was beyond me. I shook him, but could not wake him up. <br><br>I ran back to the hall promising myself to have him shot for not obeying my orders. The signal came again. They were waiting. I saw but one way to save the play from failure. <br><br>I took up the instrument, put the smaller end into my mouth and blew. Not a sound came from the thing. <br><br>The signal was given a third time. <br><br>Then I took the horn again, put it to my lips and blew as hard as I could.<br><br>The result was terrible. My ears were deafened, the win dows shook, the hats of my visitors rained from their pegs, and as I pressed my hands to my head, the horn player came out, shaky on his feet, and looked at the guests, who began to appear on the stairs...<br>For the next three months I studied horn-blowing. I did not like my teacher and hated to hear him always saying that the horn was more like the human voice than any other instrument. But he was clever, and I worked hard without a word of complaint. At last 1 asked him if he thought I could play something in private to a friend.<br><br>“Well, Colonel," he said, “I’ll tell you the truth: it would be beyond your ability. You haven’t the lip for it. You blow too hard, and it spoils the impression. What were you thinking of playing to your friend?”<br><br>"Something that you must teach me, Schubert's serenade." He stared at me, and shook his head. "It is not written for the instrument , sir," he said, "you'll never play it." But one insisted. "Of The first time I of-play IT through1 without a mistake, I of'll give you a five pounds," Said I of. The man for So Gave in. <br><br>(To the BE continued The)
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