Catholic children -- Juvenile fiction; Families -- Juvenile fiction
The end of the piazza had been arranged as a stage. Three large Japanese
screens formed a back ground and an arch of white climbing roses and
honey suckles served instead of a drop curtain. Groups of electric lamps
had been placed so as to have the light fall directly on the little
actors. Chairs and benches for the audience were arranged on the lawn
just opposite the arch. At half past eight o'clock, it was sufficiently
dark to bring out the illumination on the piazza, so the show began.
The first scene represented Amy seated on a chair, which was draped with
gilt paper, festooned with flowers and resembled a veritable golden
throne. From behind the scene came seven children carrying flowers and
singing:
We come, we come from hill and dell
To welcome her we love so well.
We come on wings of silver light,
For 'tis our Amy's festal night.
We bring her from our fairy bowers
Tiny buds and opening flowers,
In mystic language they all shall tell
We love our darling Amy well.
Then one of the little girls placed a crown of Lilies of the Valley on
the little queen's head, and the other children laid their flowers at
her feet.
This was a total surprise to Amy, for the children had been told not to
let her know they were learning the song; her sweet face was a study
while she received the homage of her little friends, but she was equal
to the occasion, and rising from her seat made a profound bow and said,
"Thank you! Oh! I thank you so much." After this came a violin solo by
Adolph Lane, which was extremely well rendered. Edith Scot and her
brother danced the "Sailors' Hornpipe" dressed in fancy costume.
Bolax and his chum, Robbie Thornton, spoke Whitcomb Riley's "When the
World Busts Through." Suggested by an earthquake.
Where's a boy a-goin';
An' what's he goin' to do,
And how's he goin' to do it
When the world busts through?
Ma says "she can't tell
What we're comin' to!"
An' Pop says, "He's jest skeered
Clean-plum through."
Second Boy.
Suppose we'd be a playin'
Out in the street,
An' the ground 'nd split up
'Bout forty feet!
Ma says, "She jest knows
We 'ud tumble in;"
An' Pop's says, "Bet you,
Den you wouldn't grin."
First Boy.
S'pose we'd jest be pretendin'
Like we had a show,
Down in the stable
Where we mustn't go--
Ma says, "the earthquake
Might make it fall;"
An' Pop says, "more'n like
Swaller barn an' all."
Landy! ef we wuz
Runin' away from school,
Down in the shady woods
Where it's all so cool!
Ma says "a big tree
Might squash our head;"
An' Pop says, "chop 'em out
Both killed-dead."
Both Boys.
But where is a boy a-goin',
An' what's he goin' to do,
An' how's he going' to do it,
Er the world bust through.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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