owadays?

RUTH. Marriage is the principal one.

BLANCHE. _I_ don't believe in divorce, either.

MISS SILLERTON. My dear, no woman married to as handsome a man as Mr.
Sterling would.

TROTTER. You people are all out of date! More people get divorced
nowadays than get married.

BLANCHE. Too many people do--that's the trouble. I meant what I said
when I was married--"for better, for worse, till death us do
part."--What is the opera Monday?

TROTTER. Something of Wagner's. He's a Dodo bird! Bores me to death! Not
catchy enough music for me.

MRS. HUNTER. You'd adore him if you went to Bayreuth. Which was that
opera, Clara, we heard at Bayreuth last summer? Was it _Faust_ or
_Lohengrin_! They play those two so much here I'm always getting them
mixed!

MISS SILLERTON. Wagner didn't write _Faust_!

MRS. HUNTER. Didn't he? I thought he had; he's written so many operas
the last few seasons!

CLARA. I like _Tannhaeuser_, because as soon as you hear the "twinkle,
twinkle, little stars" song, you can cheer up and think of your wraps
and fur boots.

TROTTER. My favorite operas are _San Toy_ and the _Roger Brothers_,
though I saw _Florodora_ thirty-six times!

BLANCHE. Mother would have gone with you every one of those thirty-six
_Florodora_ times. She's not really fond of music.

MRS. HUNTER. Not fond of music! Didn't I have an opera box for four
years?

TROTTER. Why doesn't Conried make some arrangement with Weber and Fields
and introduce their chorus into _Faust_ and _Carmen_?

DR. STEINHART. Great idea! [_To_ MISS GODESBY.] Did you get a lot of
jolly presents?

MISS GODESBY. Not half bad, especially two fine French bulls!

[_All are laughing and talking together._

BLANCHE. What did you get, Mr. Warden?

WARDEN. Three copies of "David Harum," two umbrellas, and a cigar case
too short for my cigars.

MISS GODESBY. Give it to me for cigarettes.

WARDEN. It's too long for cigarettes. Then I had something that's either
a mouchoir or a handkerchief case, or for neckties, or shaving papers,
or something or other.

TROTTER. Yes, I know, I got one of those, too.

DR. STEINHART. So did I!

BLANCHE. I must start the women; we are coming back here to arrange a
surprise for you men.

[_She nods her head in signal to_ STERLING, _and rises. All rise._

STERLING. One moment please. One toast on Christmas night! Ned, give us
a toast.

ALL THE WOMEN. [_But not in unison._] Oh, yes! A toast! [_Ad lib._]

WAR