The Story of the Big Front Door Part 21

After Constance came Louise, who made a charming G.o.ddess of Liberty, dressed in stars and stripes, with a flag in her hand. She said:

"I come to tell the story Of the birthday of our land, To remind you of her glory, And to help you understand How by good men, brave and true, This great land was won for you."

The children:

"Dear Fourth, we love your fun and noise, You're ever dear to girls and boys."

Thanksgiving Day was represented by Dora, dressed as a Puritan maiden, carrying a basket of apples and a sheaf of wheat. She made a pleasant picture as she recited:

"When wintry days once more appear, I come well laden with good cheer.

You can't lose _me_ at any rate, For I'm appointed by the State."

The children:

"As long as we're living We'll keep dear Thanksgiving."

Last of all came Christmas Day. This was Carl, in white, like New Year's, with tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of holly and mistletoe. A brave young Holiday he looked, as he repeated:

"Last comes to you the merry day O'er which St. Nicholas holds sway; A day that's sent your hearts to fill With peace and joy and glad goodwill.

And down through all the centuries long Echo the angel words and song, And every year again I tell The old sweet story, loved so well."

As he finished, the children said eagerly:

"Dear Holidays, we love you all; You're good and true and gay, And we hope, as you have said, That all have come to stay.

But though we value all the rest, 'Tis Christmas Day we love the best."

At this the other Holidays stepped out, and bowing to Christmas, said:

"We all unite in words of praise, And crown him king of Holidays."

Then New Year's Day placed a crown on his head, May-Day gave him a rose, Fourth of July, a flag, Thanksgiving, an apple, Was.h.i.+ngton's Birthday offered his hatchet, and St. Valentine gave him a sugar heart; and joining hands the children and the Holidays danced around him, singing:

"We all unite in words of praise, And crown him king of Holidays."

The curtain fell on a tableau: the Holidays, with their flags and banners, old Father Time, and the happy children.

The applause was so vehement it had to rise again for a moment, and then there was an intermission while some of the actors changed their costumes.

When the curtain went up for the last time the cottage was gone, and in its place appeared a row of high-backed chairs on which were seated five little ladies in the quaintest of short-waisted gowns, each with a reticule on her arm, from which she took her needles and began to knit. Then Bess, who sat at one end of the line, looked up, and said in her own sweet little way:

"We're learning to knit, you see, because We wish to be nice grandmammas; You would not care, I'm sure, a bit For a grandmamma who couldn't knit."

Dora, who came next, continued:

"How daintily warm, how soft and sweet, The tiny socks for baby's feet.

Nothing you'll find in all the land Fas.h.i.+oned like these by grandma's hand."

Here Elsie took it up:

"All the older children too can tell How grandma's stockings wear so well, And how she makes, with greatest pains, Comforters, afghans, b.a.l.l.s, and reins."

Louise had just made a discovery that surprised her, and with s.h.i.+ning eyes she recited:

"There's nothing so good, the children know, As grandmamma's stories of long ago.

Empty-handed she could not tell All the dear old stories half so well."

Constance sat at the end of the row, and looking at the others she said:

"When she was a girl like you and me, 'Twas then she learned to knit, you see.

So like her now we must begin Carefully putting the st.i.tches in."

Then together they recited:

"Our s.h.i.+ning needles we gayly ply, Getting ready for by and by.

Aren't you glad to know there'll be Five old ladies as nice as we?"

At the last line they rose, each dropped a profound courtesy and marched from the stage. The enthusiastic audience recalled them half a dozen times, till Mr. Hazeltine was obliged to announce that the entertainment was over.

No one had enjoyed it more than a person who sat in an easy-chair, where without any effort she could see all that went on.

Here the children gathered when it was over, exclaiming, "Why, Miss Brown, we did not know you were coming! How did you get here, and how did you like it?"

It was of no use to try to answer so many questions, so she only laughed and said she had enjoyed herself immensely.

Then they must rush off to see how much money had been taken in.

Mr. Caruth, who had been pressed into service as doorkeeper by Cousin Helen, was in the hall with Aunt Zelie.

"Here are nine dollars and a half for you, Grandma," he said, putting a box into Louise's hands.

"Oh, thank you! Then that will be enough with the basket money. Don't you think our entertainment was pretty good, Mr. Caruth?" she asked.

"Delightful! I was just telling Mrs. Howard that it was a star performance," he answered.

"I don't know what that is, but Aunt Zelie and Cousin Helen made it all up, every bit," Bess said proudly.

The performers were so enchanted with the evening's fun that they refused to take off their gay costumes, and declared one and all that they meant to see the old year out.

The Father of his Country forgot his dignity, and cut up all sorts of antics with April Fool's Day. Even Father Time joined in the fun, and Christmas and New Year bestrewed the floor with cotton batting as they danced with the old ladies.

But they were tired out before midnight, and when the city bells rang in the new year they were all sound asleep and heard not a bit of it.

And this is what came of it:

Of course in the first place the harp was mended and paid for, and its owner was able once more to earn something for his family. With her burden thus made lighter, Marie worked away cheerfully at her embroidery, and Tina went happily to school in the warm dress Mrs.

Howard gave her. Many were the blessings invoked on the heads of the young people who had helped them!

"But after all," said Bess, "it was only fun for us."