The world was silent and starry and still.
A bright star shone over Bethlehem’s hill.
A dear little Child in the manger lay,
And that was the very first Christmas Day.
The wise men brought rich gifts of gold.
We bring our gifts, as they did of old;
And sing our carols, so glad and gay,
The whole world is keeping the Christmas Day.
BRIDGET—Bless the swate heart av her! She remimbered thot from last
year!
ELSIE—I always did say it at my Christmas tree, and then I did mine
hymn sing.
MR. OPPERMAN—Sing it now for us, aretty. (_Elsie sings Martin Luther’s
cradle hymn, which begins, “Away in a Manger.”_)
KATIE—Nixt is a Christmas flag drill, as given at school, wid
variations. Yez see, we do it at school wid the Shtars and Shtripes,
but we made these Christmas flags at school and the teacher fixed the
worruds over, and made the hull thing as Christmassy as ye plaze. And
she said we’se moight kape the flags, av we loiked, so we did loike to
do that same and here they be, thimsilves. (_She goes out a minute and
returns with the flags, which she gives out to the children who are to
take part in the drill. Half the flags are of red, half of Christmas
green, each with a large gold star in the corner._)
KATIE—Give us all the room yez can, now, and we’ll do it as well as the
space’ll let us.
ELSIE—We cannot up and down the aisles march, Katie.
KATIE—Yis, ye can. Jist ye follow the laders, and we’ll march up and
down the imaginary aisles, as grand az ye plaze. Riddy, now. (_All
take places, the girls, in order-of size, behind Katie—the boys behind
Jimmy._) This is the kay, now. Sound it. (_All do so, and the march and
song begin.[A]Tune: “Wave, Old Glory.” As they sing, they march up and
down the “imaginary aisles.”_)