MR. STRAUSS—I vos not loss, I vos seeck, so long dime mine head mitout,
and could not the American talk remember. Mine uncle has died, Elsie,
und I am a rich man, aretty.
ELSIE—I was a rich girl, too, mine fader. See the grand Christmas tree
we have on that corner. It is mine tree. Jimmy got it for me.
MR. STRAUSS—I vill go and buy von big real tree aretty, mine Elsie,
with candles and ornaments and gifts, and all these shall see.
ELSIE—I’d rather have this tree, mine fader. I do this tree like.
MR. STRAUSS—Den dis tree you shall have, mine Elsie, and New Years’ Day
we will one big tree have, mine country blace out at, and all these
shall come, who have mine Elsie bin goot to, aretty.
JIMMY—Are you going to take Elsie away, sir?
ELSIE—I can’t from Jimmy away go. Mine Jimmy must with us go, mine
fader. I vos Jimmy’s little sister.
MR. OPPERMAN—It vos dot Chimmy dot did find her crying the street in,
and pring her here.
MR. STRAUSS—And you cared for her? You did not let her to the Orphan
asylum go? But you are poor people. How you do it?
PAT—Sure we did it betwane us, and nobody missed the bite and sup the
wee colleen took. But she’s the loight av all our eyes, sir, and we
shall miss her sadly. Indade we shall.
MR. STRAUSS—She shall come back. She often shall come. And all you who
so kind have been shall come her to see. Ve never our friends shall
forget, who cared for mine Elsie.
ELSIE—But Jimmy must go, mine fader. I will not without mine Jimmy go.
MR. STRAUSS—But his mudder, Elsie, she will not him let go.
ELSIE—_I_ will let him go. He is mine Jimmy! And he has no mudder.
MR. STRAUSS—No mudder? How dot vos? Who dot poy belong to aretty?
BRIDGET—He was my sister’s bye, and as good a bye as iver walked on two
ligs.
MR. STRAUSS—Let him come mine poy to be—mine Elsie’s brodder. He shall
von edugation have, and in mine pusiness be, by and by. Vill you mine
poy be, Chimmy?
BRIDGET—Sure and he will. It’s not mesilf will stand in his loight,
and he desarves all the good things he’ll get. It’s sorry we’ll
be to lose him and Ilsie too. Bedad she’s the babby av the whole
tinemint—but—Whisht there, Connie! ye musn’t wape. There’s the three to
be loighted, and all the prisints and the candy and apples. All roise,
now, and say Wilcome, and we’ll be afther lighting thot three. (_All
rise, and shout heartily._) Welcome, welcome to Elsie’s father! Rah!
Rah! Rah!
ELSIE—I want the candles to light. Jimmy did say I might! (_Her father
holds her up and she lights one or two, to the accompaniment of the
children’s “ohs!” and “ah’s”! as the curtain falls._)