The Christmas Dinner | Page 2

Are you ready, all of you? Be quiet, then, for now it is going to begin.

The Christmas Dinner
The First Scene
Now the Curtain opens, and you see a farmhouse kitchen, just as
Mother Goose promised. At the back, opposite to you, is a fire-place,
with a mantel shelf over it. A bright fire is burning. On the mantel is a
lamp, lighted, and an unlighted candle; also some other things that
you'll hear about later. There is a cupboard against the back wall. At
one side of the room is the door leading out of doors; beside it is a large
wood box, where the fire-wood is kept; and nearby are a broom,
leaning against the wall, and a dustpan. On the other side of the room is
another door, which leads to the rest of the house; beside that is a big
clothes basket, where the soiled clothes are kept. Close to the fire, one
on each side, the Grandfather and the Grandmother are sitting in
comfortable chairs. Near the front and a little at one side are a table and
a chair. On the table is a dishpan and a number of dishes, which the
Mother is washing when the curtain opens.

The first one to speak is the GRANDMOTHER, and this is what she
says: Haven't you nearly finished, Mary?
Yes, almost, answers MOTHER: only a few more things to be washed,
and then I can sit down and rest.
GRANDMOTHER asks, Is everything ready for the Christmas dinner
tomorrow?
Every single thing, MOTHER answers. The goose is ready to go on the
fire; the apple sauce is made; the bread and the pies are baked; and the
plum pudding--well, you saw the pudding yourself, so that I don't need
to tell you about that. It's a beauty, if I do say so.
At this moment the outside door opens, and the two children, Walter
and Gertrude, run in. Their coats and mittens show that they have been
playing in the snow.
Oh, Mother, says WALTER, it's getting dark outside. May we come in
now? Is your work all done?
Not quite yet, dears, his MOTHER answers. Run out, both of you, for
ten minutes more, and then I'll have everything cleared away. It makes
me nervous to have you about while things are in a mess.
All right, mother, says GERTRUDE. Come on, Walter, I'll race you to
the gate. And both the children go out-of-doors again, running.
Gertrude was nearer the door, and gets out first.
Such energy as those children have! exclaims MOTHER, with a sigh,
as she goes on with her work. Sometimes it makes me tired to watch
them. There, every last thing is washed, and now, when I've dried them,
I can sit down. She goes on talking while she dries. There's one thing I
haven't had time to do--those paper caps. I suppose the children will be
disappointed, but I simply couldn't find time to make them. The colored
paper and paste and scissors are all on the mantel shelf and I suppose I
ought to sit right down now and go to work on them, but I declare, I'm
too tired. Getting ready for Christmas seems to take all the strength I
have. I think I must be getting old.
You getting old! exclaims GRANDMOTHER. Nonsense! Wait till you
get to be our age; then you might talk of getting old and feeling tired.
Isn't that so, John? John is Grandfather's first name.
Yes, GRANDFATHER answers, when you get to be as old as we are,
then you'll know what it is to be tired, Christmas or another day. I tried
to help James shut the gate this morning, where the snow had drifted

against it, and it tired me so, I haven't stirred out of this chair since.
Now the outside door opens a second time, and the children come in
again, Gertrude first.
Isn't it time now, mother? asks GERTRUDE.
Yes, answers MOTHER, I've just finished. Take off your coats, and try
to quiet down. She puts the clean dishes away in the cupboard and
carries the dish pan away into the next room.
The children take of their coats and caps. Walter goes over by his
Grandfather and leans against his chair. Gertrude sits down on a low
stool beside her Grandmother.
What have you children been doing all the afternoon? asks
GRANDFATHER.
Oh, we've had the greatest fun, cries GERTRUDE. First we went
skating down on the mill pond.
And then we built a snow fort, WALTER chimes in, and the Indians
attacked it, and we drove them off with snow-balls.
And then we played tag out by the barn, adds GERTRUDE.
No, WALTER corrects her, that was afterwards; don't you remember,
Gertrude? Before