g to
the dark ages.

_Harry_: Pray, how do you bestow your gifts?

_Mr. St. N_.: By district messenger service, of course! Next boy
_(to Charlie_), give me your name, age, birthplace, parents' names,
residence, school, specific tastes, last year's presents.

_Charlie_: How did you come here, Mr. St. Nicholas? I heard no
sleigh-bells at the door.

_Mr. St. N. (scornfully)_: More nonsense to explain. I came down from
the north pole in an air-ship of the latest pattern. Come, now, here
are these girls waiting to be classified. _(To Dora.)_ Name, age--

_Dora_: I won't be put in statistics, even if it is Christmas and you
are the patron saint.

_Charlie_: Nor I. I didn't vote for any improvements. Take them away.

_John:_ You seem a trifle ahead of the age, Mr. St. Nicholas, or else
we made a great mistake in being discontented with our old-fashioned
Christmas.

_Tom_: Allow me to call down your air-ship.

_(Mr. St. Nicholas is ushered to the door. The others turn back at the
sound of sleigh-bells. Santa Claus appears at the fireplace_.)

_Children (greeting him with enthusiasm_): Jolly _old_ Saint Nicholas!

_Santa Claus_: Oh! ho! ha! ha! Are you really glad to see such an
old-fashioned specimen as I am?

_John_: Indeed we are! We have just shown your usurper the door.

_Bess_ (_clasping S.C.'s hand_): You are the real Santa Claus.

_Santa Claus_: Yes, I am the real Santa Claus, and I cannot get to
work until you children are fast asleep. So scurry away as fast as you
can, and a merry, merry Christmas when you awake!

_Children_ (_singing to the tune of "Nancy Lee," end at the end
leaving the stage_):

Oh! Christmas time has come again,
Tra la la la, tra la la la.
We welcome it with glad refrain,
Tra la la la la la.
Of all the happy holidays this year,
There's none so joyous, none so dear,
Then sing we all our song of festive glee,
Of Santa Claus and Christmas tree.

_Chorus_.--O ring the bells, the merry Christmas bells, Their music
all out pleasure tells. (_Repeat._)

(_Santa Claus unpacks his goods, and as he fills the stockings he
performs various antics, holds up the objects, and dances about. Any
local expressions that will create amusement he can bring in with
running commentaries. The piano is heard softly till he is through,
and then bursts out loudly as the curtain is drawn._)

* * * * *

=Christmas Offerings by Children fro