CHRISTMAS FAIRIES.
HELEN MORRIS SBDGEWICK.
(Enter two small boys—Queen's pages, saying in concert: "Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! The court of the Christmas Fairies is about to assemble. Make way for the Queen of the Fairies." They arrange chair for throne, foot-stool, etc , then stand one on each side of throne at back. Enter Queen and two Maids of Honor; Queen takes place and maids stand one near each Page. Pages and maids say in concert:)
Gentle Christmas Fairy Queen,
Here thy Maids and Pages stand.
Touch us with thy wand so green,
We'll obey thy least command.
(Queen rises and touches first Maid with her sceptre and says:)
Dear Good-Will, do all the boys and girls in the world still remember you and love you?
Good-Will—Nearly all are my friends. Some poor children have never heard about Good-Will, and they quarrel and sometimes hurt one another and have bad wishes. But I am going about all over the world as quickily as I can, teaching them what a good fairy "Good-Will" is and how happy I can make them.
(Queen touches second Maid, saying:)
Your name is Peace. Do you make people peaceful as Christmas time?
Peace—Yes, and all the year. I keep little girls quiet and good and keep them from being afraid, and I make the little boys play their games without quarreling.
First Page—Your Majesty, the other Christmas Fairies are coming. (Enter First Fairy.)
Queen—Welcome to our fairy court. Sprite. Where have you been and what have you done?
First Fairy (girl)—I am the fairy of Christmas Beauty. I have gone through the world with my holly and mistletoe and evergreen. I have helped to trim the churches; I have hung wreathes in the windows; I have helped the flowers to bloom. But, best of all, I touched a little girl's thoughts and she began to think of the poor little girl around the corner who had no beauty in her home. Then I led the little girl down the dark street and smiled upon her while she put flowers in the window and hung evergreen over the fire-place.
Second Page—Another Fairy comes.
(Enter Second Fairy (boy) says:)
Hail, Christmas Queen. I have worked through all the year to fill boys hearts with Christmas feeling, and now it is Christmas time and I am happy. All the good boys are waiting for Santa Claus, and they are all going to do something to make Christmas happy for someone else.
Pages—Who comes here?
(Enter two fairies—boy and girl. They say in concert:)
Oh, Queen and Fairies, if you could have seen what we have seen!
All—What was it?
The Girl—Oh, such happy children! Hundreds and hundreds of them!
The Boy—And we helped to make them happy.
The Girl—Yes, we whispered to them about Christmas and Santa Claus.
The Boy—And stockings and candy.
The Girl—And they will be up early Christmas morning and they'll play—
The Boy—And skate and coast.
The Girl—And I helped hundreds of little girls to remember how glad their busy fingers could make some one, and they are dressing dolls and making aprons and warm hoods and— Oh, the whole world is happy. It is Christmas time!
The Boy—And so many boys are saving their pennies to buy skates and mittens for poorer boys. We have worked well this year.
