L But step aside a little way, And we can see them still. [Exeunt young ladies. (Enter MARY, MARTHA, and ALICE.) Martha. Here, Alice, you stand close by me, And keep your eyes downcast, For you 're the modest Violet, And you will speak the last. (Enter May Queen.) Mary. O, welcome, welcome, queenly May ! But when the air grew doubly sweet I knew that you had come indeed, May Queen. O, welcome, little Daisy flower! But, pray, whom have we here? Martha. O, welcome, Queen! I wear the dress They say I'm but an idle weed As useless as I'm gay, To meet your honest face. Alice. O, welcome, welcome, lovely But since, before the roses bl May Queen. Thrice welcome, little Violet (Enter Young Lady.) Young Lady. O, welcome, welcome, Queen With garlands round your And welcome, all the train of Your mothers want you no Right pleasant is your childis And bright the springtime But little children that are go Are sweeter than the flowe Ex. 149. SHOPPING. Our Young Folks. [A dialogue for the very little ones.] CHARACTERS. CLERK, ANNIE, OLD LADY, CELIA, MRS. HIGHFLY, MR. JONES. SCENE. A shop. Tables are placed at one end of the stage, to represent counters. Upon these are displayed toys, confectionery, boxes, or anything which will indicate a shop. Advertisements of patent medicines and of other things might be hung up. White pebbles may pass for sugar-plums. Sticks whittled out and colored will do for sticks of candy. A little boy of seven or eight must be dressed up to represent a smart clerk or storekeeper (with a pen behind his ear). CELIA and ANNIE, two very little girls, enter at the other end of the stage. NOTE. If the part of the Clerk is too long for one small boy to remember, another one, dressed as the storekeeper, with gray whiskers and wig (made of curled hair), might come in and take his place when Mr. Jones enters. In this case, the Clerk should sit down and look over his account-books, and appear to write. If the conversation with Mr. Jones is too long, part of it may be omitted, and if the articles mentioned are not at hand, others may be substituted. ELIA. O Annie! did your mother give you a cent? CELIA Celia. Want me to go with you to spend it? Annie. Yes. Come. There's the shop. Celia. Will you let me taste? Annie. I guess so, if you won't taste very big. Celia. I won't take but just a little teenty, teenty mite! (They cross over.) Annie. Here's the shop. Clerk. Well, my little girls, what will you have? Celia. She wants to spend her cent. Clerk. That's right. This is the place. Annie. I want a stick of candy. Clerk. Red candy? Annie. No, sir. Mamma says white candy is best for little girls. DIALOGUES. 179 (CLERK wraps stick of candy (real candy) in paper, and takes the cent. Little girls walk away, hand in hand. ANNIE lets CELIA taste. CELIA and ANNIE go out.) (Enter MRS. HIGHFLY fashionably dressed, with trail, veil, waterfall, reticule, parasol, etc.) Clerk (with polite bow). Good morning, Mrs. Highfly. Mrs. Highfly. Have you any canary-seeds? I wish to get some for my bird. Clerk. We have all kinds of flower-seeds, ma'am. ? Mrs. Highfly. Those won't do. Have you nice prunes Clerk. We don't keep prunes. We have some very nice squashes, ma'am. (Takes long-necked squash from behind the counter.) Mrs. Highfly. What do you ask? Clerk. Six cents a pound. Mrs. Highfly. I'll take half a one. My family is quite small. Clerk. Can't cut it, ma'am. It sells by wholesale. Mrs. Highfly. I'll try some other store. [Exit MRS. HIGHFLY in displeasure. (Enter nice OLD LADY dressed in black; white cap-frill shows under her bonnet; she carries a work-bag and wears spectacles (without glasses;) makes a little courtesy.) Old Lady. Good morning, sir. I've come to town, and I want to buy some sugar-plums for my grand children. Clerk. Large or small kind? Old Lady. Which are the best? Clerk. Large ones are better for large children, and small for the small ones. Old Lady (counts her fingers). Let me see. There's Sarah Emeline and Polly and Jemima and John Alexander and Hiram. Five. I'll take five cents' worth, mixed. (Takes out from her bag five old-fashioned cents.) Clerk. Yes'm. (Attempting to wrap them in paper; OLD LADY watching him.) 'T will come to just five cents. Old Lady (opening bag). Drop them right in here. (CLERK drops them in.) [Exit OLD LADY. (Enter MR. JONES with tall hat, overcoat or dress-coat, cane, stand-up dickey, etc.) Clerk. Good morning, sir. Wish to trade to-day? Mr. Jones. I wish to buy some toys for my children. Clerk. How old? Mr. Jones. All ages. Clerk. Would you like a whip, sir? (Shows one, snapping it.) Mr. Jones. A whip is n't a very good thing to have in the house. Clerk. Would you buy a ball? These will every one bounce. (Shows various kinds.) Mr. Jones. No, sir. I'm about tired of setting glass. Clerk. These are warranted not to break windows. But here's a trumpet. A trumpet is a very pleasing toy. (Shows one, blowing it.) Mr. Jones (with a wave of the hand). Don't show me anything that will make a noise ! Clerk. How would a hoop suit you? (Showing one.) Mr. Jones. I could n't think of spending money for hoops. A barrel-hoop drives just as well. Clerk. Have they got marbles? Mr. Jones. Yes, plenty. My Sammy got one in his throat, and came very near being choked. Clerk. Try a jumping-jack. (Holds one up, pulling the string.) Mr. Jones. O, they 'd soon break the string. Clerk. How would a knife please them? (Shows one.) Mr. Jones. Please them well enough. But they'd be sure to lose it, or cut themselves. Jemmy's got six fingers tied up now. Clerk. Are they supplied with boats? (Showing one.) Mr. Jones. I never let my children sail boats, for fear of their being drowned. Clerk. How is it about a kite ? |