3. Three spoons. If pewter spoons are not to be had, wooden spoons can
be bought cheaply.
4. Porridge. Custard or Spanish cream looks like porridge and is more
easily eaten on the stage, but hot cream of wheat is also palatable if
sweetened and the steam from it will lend a touch of realism to the
scene.--It will save time to have it put in the three small bowls before
the rise of the curtain, and the bowls can be covered with three little
plates to keep the steam in till the food is wanted.
5. Two roughly made but substantial stools, one near the window, the
other before the fire. Stools are better than chairs with backs because
they do not obstruct the view of the audience during the chancel scene.
6. Three large nails or wooden pegs in the walls strong enough to hold
things, one on each side of the fire-place and one near the door. These
would be impracticable with scenery made of screens as any weight on the
screen would pull it over. A solid wooden chest, as a carpenter's tool
chest, could be substituted to hold the children's wraps and the extra
shawl for the old woman. The chest could be placed against the screen on
the left or right as convenient.