ARY ANN _comes in front of the curtain, makes a bow and recites:_)

LETTER TO SANTA CLAUS.

Blessed old Santa Claus, king of delights,
What are you doing these long winter nights?
Filling your budgets with trinkets and toys,
Wonderful gifts for the girls and the boys.
While you are planning for everything nice,
Pray let me give you a bit of advice.

Don't take it hard if I say in your ear,
Santa, I thought you were partial last year;
Loading the rich folks with everything gay,
Snubbing the poor ones who came in your way.
Now of all times of the year I am sure
This is the time to remember the poor.

Plenty of children there are in our city,
Who have no fathers or mothers to pity;
Plenty of people whose working and heeding
Scarcely can keep all their dear ones from needing.
Now, if I came every year in December,
These are the ones I would surely remember.

Once on a beautiful Christmas you know
Jesus our Saviour was born here below,
Patiently stooping to hunger and pain,
So He might save us, His lost ones, from shame;
Now if we love Him, He bids us to feed
All His poor brothers and sisters who need.

Blessed old Nick! I was sure if you knew it,
You would remember and certainly do it;
This year, at least, when you empty your pack,
Pray give a portion to all who may lack.
Then, if there's anything left and you can
Bring a small gift to wee Peter Pan.

_--Emily H. Miller.--Adapted._

MRS. O'TOOLE (_applauding vigorously_). Wasn't that dandy? Sure,
little Mary Ann has a wonderful education, so she has!

MRS. MULLIGAN. She takes after her own mother. I was just like her
when I was that age.

MRS. O'TOOLE. And you're just like her still, Mollie Mulligan. Sure
you're the sunshine of Mulligan Alley and the belle of Shantytown.

MRS. MULLIGAN. Whist now! It's covered I am wid blushes. But, hush! I
think the show is about to begin.

ACT III.

_Curtain rises disclosing the same scene. Three long sheets hang on
the line, reaching down to the floor and extending clear across the
stage. The children are behind the sheets. The line is about three and
one-half feet high. The table sets obliquely in front of the door at
R. It is covered with a sheet or long cloth reaching to the ground._
PATSY _and_ TEDDY _form the dwarf._ PATSY, _coatless, has a long pair