MARY _The Maiden Mother_ JOSEPH _Of the House of David_ SIMEON _An Old Shepherd_ TIMOTHY _A Shepherd, the Husband of Anna_ ISAAC _A Young Shepherd_ ANNA _The Wife of Timothy, the Shepherd_ THOMAS _Her Little Son_ RUTH _Her Little Daughter_ DEBORAH _Hostess of an Inn at Bethlehem_ RACHEL _A Maiden of Bethlehem_ PRISCILLA _Her Cousin_ MELCHOIR } GASPAR } _The Wise Men from the East._ BALTASAR } _A Concealed Choir. The Prologue._ _For description of costumes, arrangement of the scene, etc., see "Remarks on the Production" at the end of the play._ TIME OF PLAYING--_About One Hour._ * * * * * SCENE I: _Before the play begins the_ PROLOGUE _steps in front of the curtains and addresses the congregation._ PROLOGUE. The earth has grown old with its burden of care, But at Christmas it always is young, The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, And its soul, full of music, bursts forth on the air, When the song of the angels is sung. It is coming, Old Earth, it is coming tonight! On the snowflakes which cover thy sod The feet of the Christ Child fall gentle and white, And the voice of the Christ Child tells out with delight, That mankind are the children of God. On the sad and the lonely, the wretched and poor, The voice of the Christ Child shall fall; And to every blind wanderer open the door Of hope that he dared not to dream of before, With a sunshine of welcome for all. --_Phillips Brooks._ And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife.... And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (_Exit_ PROLOGUE.) (_Soft chimes. As these chimes die away in the distance a concealed choir is heard singing._) O COME, COME, AWAY. O come, come away From labor now reposing, Let busy care a while forbear; O come, come away. (_The front curtains are drawn, showing a winter street in Bethlehem. No one appears on the stage, but the choir continues singing outside at right front._)