Welcome, welcome, Merry Christmas,
Joyfully we welcome you;
Welcome, welcome, Merry Christmas,
With a welcome glad and true;
Welcome, welcome, Merry Christmas,
Welcome to your Christmas toys;
Welcome, welcome, Merry Christmas,
With your welcome Christmas joys.
Welcome, welcome, Merry Christmas,
With a welcome loud and clear
Welcome, welcome, Merry Christmas,
Welcome, best day of the year.
MRS. HILL—That was real fine.
MRS. SKAGGS—They done jes’ splendid, teacher.
MR. JUDD—Very good, very good!
TEACHER—Now we will have an essay on Christmas by Virgil Vale. Virgil
wrote this all by himself out of his own head an’ it is very, very good
(_Virgil walks to the front with long strides, smoothes his hair, fixes
his collar, straightens his coat, blows his nose, then takes a paper
from his pocket and reads; high tone and sing-song_).
VIRGIL—Christmas is a very nice day. It comes on the 25th day of
December. Christmas is when Santa Claus comes with presents. Christmas
is when we hang up our stockings to get presents. Christmas is when
we have Christmas trees with presents on. Christmas is when folks has
company or goes visitin’. On Christmas day folks say Merry Christmas
to each other. Christmas day don’t last long but it is a long time
gettin’ here. It is more blessed to give Christmas than to receive it.
Christmas is a merry day (_bows low and takes seat_).
TEACHER—That was fine, Virgil.
MR. JUDD (_nodding head_)—Very good, very good!
MRS. HILL—I couldn’t a wrote a better one myself.
TEACHER—Now we will have a piece by Ole Swanson.
OLE (_much scared_)—Teacher, I aint ban feel very gude—I don’t gass
I ban speakin’ my piece today. I—I skall got awfully yumpin’ tooths
aching, teacher.
TEACHER—Oh, now, Ole, you can speak. Your tooth doesn’t ache.
OLE—Teacher, please, I ban gotting such a headache I aint skall ban
feelings gude, teacher. I no skall ban able to speakings, teacher.
TEACHER—Then I shall tell your mother not to give you any Christmas
present.
OLE—Then by yimminy, I skall ban speakings, yust the same like I aint
ban sick (_marches rapidly to front and speaks_):
One time there ban one little boy,
Who sometimes yust ban bad an’ rude;
He makes a face to his mamma (_makes face_)
An’ aint behaves not very gude.
He don’t ban studies very hard
To learn his lessons gude to skule;
An’ sometimes whispers with the girls,
Which skall ban ’gainst the teacher’s rule.
This little boy he ban so bad
That when gude Mister Santy come,
All he skall puts into his stocking
Ban yust one piece of shewing gum.
(_Makes quick bow and hurries to seat._)
RASTUS—Done served dat-dare boy jes’ right, aint it, teacher?
TEACHER—Yes, indeed. You spoke very well, Ole. Next we shall have a
song by the twins, Matildy and Florildy.
MATILDY—Oh, I don’t want to sing—I’m scart.
FLORILDY—You come on, now. You know what maw told you—that she’d spank
you if you didn’t sing nice after teacher had learned us so good.
MRS. HILL—Come on, Matildy. I know that song’s goin’ to be jes’
splendid (_the twins go to the front and are about to sing when Matildy
begins to giggle. Florildy looks at her then she too giggles_).
TEACHER—Girls, that is very, very wrong. Sing your song like nice
girls. (_Matildy straightens out, then as they are about to sing she
has another spell of giggling in which Florildy finally joins. They at
last sing_):
MATILDY and FLORILDY.