Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-12-20

Earl--Oh, 1 VIII. ] Will! See mel Poscs)
 Gladys-will we have to stand so very long?
 Fred-Oh, not very, very long! We must all be ready before 12 o'clock. 1 We must dress like Mother Goose chil- dren, and m fix you in your places. | I'll be Boy Blue. We can find some dress-up clothes in the attic.
 Harry-I think I'll be Jack Horner. l can have . pie. Dorothy-I want to be Bopeep. A cane with hook handle will do for a crook.
 Gladys-May l be Miss Muffet?
 Earl-What can Ruth and be?
 Fred-You might be Jack and Jill and carry pail of water An empty pail will do. Now let's be off and see what we can find. Then we'll go to bed. and IT, lie awake. and after papa and mamma go upstairs I'll call you, and we'll come down very softly. (Exeunt) II.
 Children come tiptoeing in in cos tune, stockings in hand)
 Fred-Now, we'll hang our stockings first. (An hang them) Then we'll get into place. Bopeep, you stand here. Hold your crook SO Miss Muffet. you must sit on this footstool, and you must be eating. Put your spoon to your lips, so, Jack Horncr. get into that corner and hold up your thumb with the plum on 1t. Jack and Jill, stand over here and take the pail be- tween you. l will stand here and hold my horn to my mouth, so. Now. we mustn't move our eyes. It's getting late. Now, all ready! (All pose)
 Ruth (after awhilel-Oh. dear! This pail is so heavy even if 1t is empty.
 All-St,
 Gladys lafter awhile)-How my arm aches,
 All-Shl
 Earl yawns aloud)
 All-Shl
 Harry-My thumb is tired of stand ing up.
 Dorothy-rm-so-sl (yawning).
 All-Sh!
 (Jack Horner's hand drops. then his head. Bopeep drops crook and leans against wall. Jill lets go of pail and slides to floor. Jack soon does the same Miss Muftet's head drops for ward. Boy Blues eyes close and horn fati, T-bg, ra,ca, hip, Tor n ,,,o,napt but his eyes soon close again. and he leans against the wall)
 Enter Santa Claus. (All fast asleep.) Santa Claus-Ah, Well. well. we'll. Some of the children of my old friend. Mother Goose. But what are they do- ing here? (Walks about and looks at them closely) Aha! I know these children. They're not Mother Goose's family. Aha. see what they are up to. They're waiting to see me, and they don't want me to know them. But they can't fool this old fellow Just as If he didn't know every child in the world I've found children waiting for me many time, but te,y always fall asleep and miss me I'll ffi the stockings. and won't they be surprised when they wake up and find they've missed me after all. FiIls stockings, then puts toy or candy Into Miss Muf- fet's bowl and into Jack and Jlll's pail.) Now I must be off But I be- lieve I'll try that horn of Boy Blues once. CBlows and runs off, dropping horn near door. Children rouse up a little at sound. then fall back into for mer position)
 Morning.-Fred (rousing)-Oh. I say! Wake up! What are you all asleep for?
 Harry-Who's been asleep?
 Dorothy (rubbing eyes)-Not I.
 -alnost-asleep.
 Earl )-Did-he-come?
 Ruth (almost crying)-l was So sleepy Did you all see him7
 Others-Oh. no, no!
 Fred-Well I'm afraid we were all asleep. But heard him. He blew on big horn.
 Harry and Dorothy--I heard him.
 Gladys-And there's your horn, Fred, over by the door. He blew on that
 Rutb-See what's in our pail, (Hold- ing 1t up.)
 Gladys-And in my bowl!
 Harry-And see the stockings!
 All-Oh. oh. oh. (All run to get the stockings.l
 Dorothy-Oh. why couldn't we have kept awake?
 Fred-Well. we've missed him this time sure. Rrt next year we'll try it again. and we'll all keep awake.
 All-ies. indeed. we will.
 Interrupted.
 ''I once spurned a bribe of $10O,0OO," said the orator, naturally evoking round of applause.
 Nay, friends, do not cheer" he con- tinued. Tt is the duty of all to be honest. Besides. the services demanded by the brazen scoundrel were worth double the money" = Philadelphia Ledger.
 His Modest Request.
 A man once asked Thackeray to lend him shillings. which he would con-