(_McCarthy’s “fore room,” with “the tree” in the corner. To make the
tree, take three old umbrellas—the skeletons only. They should be open.
Plant the handle of the first one in a tub of earth, strengthening it,
and making it firmer, by four pieces of wire fastened to the ribs,
coming down, obliquely, and anchoring firmly to the tub. A second
umbrella is fastened to the first, the handle of this one running
down by the central wire of the first, and the two wired firmly
together. A third one—and this should be one with a “crookhandle,”
hangs downward from the ceiling, just above the second. Wire till all
is firm and strong, but have the work crude. This “tree” is draped
with green tissue paper, cut into leaves of every size and shape.
Flowers and ornaments of bright tissue paper adorn it, and to every
point is firmly fastened a piece of candle. The ornaments should be
very simple—cut-out hearts, stars, etc., paper chains, lanterns, and
Jacob’s ladders, etc. At the top is fastened a large star, covered with
the silver foil that comes around compressed yeast cakes. This should
have rays of broomstraws, also covered with the foil. There should
be a great deal of ornament. Here and there are a few pieces of the
gay-colored glass balls used for decorating Christmas trees. Strings of
popcorn and cranberries also adorn the tree. Hovering over the top is
a paper angel, and at the bottom is a penny picture of the nativity.
There should be a good many penny sticks of candy on the tree, and
a few “oranges” of crepe or tissue paper. A large basket of apples
stands near the tree, while another basket and the floor around are
heaped with “the prisints,” in all sorts of rude bundles. Mr. and Mrs.
McCarthy are alone in the room, giving the last touches to “the tree.”_)
BRIDGET—Sure, and it’s one grand evint for Murphy’s tinemint! Look at
thot tree now, will yez? Who but Jimmy wood iver have thought av it!
Sure the Baby’s eyes were full av tears, and she shtamped the little
fut av her, and she says, says she, “Khristhmas is the twinty-fifth
av Dacimber, not the twinty-sixth,” says she. Ivery buddy do be a
saying so, and I won’t have a second hand Christmas, Jimmy, I won’t.
And little cud she know av the high cost of living. She wud have a
big tree, and she would have it to-night. Bedad, if’t had bin one av
me own little spalpeens, I’d have given her a taste av me hand, where
it wud do the most good, but ye can’t spank an orphin, and I was that
distracted I didn’t know what to do, but Jimmy, he says, says he, pert
as an eyster, “We’ll have it the roight night, Ilsie, if it’ll bitter
suit yez. And we won’t have no second hand tree, nuther,” says he.
“We’ll have a brand new, original kind’t nobuddy niver had before.”
And Ilsie she stopped a wapin’, and began to look interested. “And ye
must promise me that ye’re goin’ ter loike it,” he says, ’cause Jimmy’s
plannin’ it all for his little sister, to make her happy.
Sure and ivery one in the tinemint has brought a prisint for Ilsie,
It’s rich she’ll be whin it’s over, I do be a-thinkin’.
PAT—She will that same. And begorry, it is a foine tree, and ivery
choild in the tinemint will injye it, I do be a-thinkin’. Arrah! here
they come! (_Voices outside. Jimmy speaks up loudly._)
JIMMY—No, no, now. No breakin’ ranks. Kape in yer places, now, and no
crowdin’. It’s two and two ye’re afther goin’ in, as Noah’s beasties
wint inter the Ark. And Ilsie’s a comin’ first, cause if’t hadn’t bin
fer Ilsie there wudn’t a one of ye had a spick av a Christmas, no more
than ye iver did afore.
ELSIE—I want to go in _now_, Jimmy, I do.
JIMMY—Thin knock thray toimes on the dure wit’ yer fairy wand, and if
the little payple have all shcampered out av soight, the dure’ll open.
(_Three knocks are heard, Pat swings open the door, and all march in._)
CHILDREN—Oh! Ah! It’s the beautiful tree!
JIMMY—Merry Christmas, iverybody!
CHILDREN—(_enthusiastically_) Merry Christmas, iverybody! (_The grown
people have followed the children into the room. There should be
improvised seats of boxes, barrels, and boards. They seat themselves,
and look expectantly at Elsie._)
(_Elsie buries her face on Jimmy’s shoulder and begins to cry._)
JIMMY—Fhwat ails yez, Ilsie darlint? Tell Jimmy fhwat’s the matter av
ye!
ELSIE—It—it is _not_ one Christmas tree, aretty. It—it is not one tree
at all.
JIMMY—Sure it is. Don’t yez see the green on the branches av it?
ELSIE—(_looking up a minute_) They is not no branches at all.
PAT—Thin what be they?
ELSIE—I don’t know, but they no branches are, and that no tree is,
whatever.
OTHER CHILDREN—(_indignantly_) It’s a foine tree!
ELSIE—It is not no tree at all! Jimmy, you did said I should have one.
JIMMY—And you said you wud loike it if Jimmy got it for yez, and now
yez don’t. Oh, Ilsie, pit!
KATIE—(_kneeling by Elsie_) Ilsie, darlint, poor Jimmy fales awful bad.
Do yez want him to crry?
ELSIE—I do feel bad, too, Katie. He said I should have a Christmas
tree, he did!
KATIE—And he got ye one—a foine one! “Sure,” says he, “She’s had German
trees a lot av toimes, but she’s niver had one av this koind, and
bedad, Oi’ll git it fer her, cost it what it will,” says he; and he’s
done it, and now yez don’t loike it! That isn’t a nice grateful little
Ilsie at all.
ELSIE—Is it a tree, really Katie—one new kind, aretty?
KATIE—It is thot same, colleen Bawn. It’s—it’s—dear me, I disremember
the name av it.
PAT—It’s a Pollyglot tree, that’s fhwat it is, and a rare koind, too.
And to think she doosn’t care fer thot same, whin Jimmy got it be
purpose for her!
ELSIE—I do like it, aretty. Jimmy, don’t you cry once. It’s a nice new
kind of a tree, and I does like it.