Edna I. MacKenzie

“ The unexpected arrival of an eccentric aunt throws a family into a state of excitement and dismay, but before the play is over the unwelcome aunt has endeared herself to her relatives in quite an unexpected manner. ”

“ Minerva (fiercely) —Now see here, Jennie. You stop crying this minute, Ma’s feeling dreadful bad as it is because she can’t give us a real-to-goodness Christmas without store presents—
Bill (shaking her) —Aw, shut up, Jennie. I guess one Christmas without regular presents won’t kill us. And there will be heaps of fun makin’ them and keepin’ secrets and things. I bet I kin make Bobby the dandiest top you ever saw.
Jennie (brightening) —And I’ll make a picture book for Betty.
Minerva—You’re talking now. They’ll be tickled to pieces with them. ”

“ Minerva (severely) —It’s sure awful, the slang you use. You should cut it out.
Sam (jeeringly) —I should cut it out, eh! Cut it out isn’t slang! Oh my stars! (turns handspring) . Say, Sis, [Pg 9] don’t you know that people in stone houses shouldn’t throw glass?
Minerva—No, I don’t, and if I were you I wouldn’t start quoting until I could get it right.
Bobby (outside) —I did hear Santa’s reindeer. I know I did.
Minerva (jumping up) —Here’s the twins. Hide your stuff quick (scramble) .
Enter Bobby and Betty
Betty has black sticking-plaster over front teeth to hide them. ”

“ You know he doesn’t give presents to bad children.
Betty—Uths hathn’t fighted for two days. Uths been awful good, hathn’t uth, Bobby?
Bobby—Yep, but if Christmas doesn’t hurry up and come I’ll bust, I know I will.
Enter Bill and Jennie
[Pg 10]
Bill—Sam, what do you know, Pa says we can’t get into town. How are we going to buy—
Sam (shakes hand in warning behind twin’s backs) —See here Bill, I—I—
Bill—Say, what’s the matter with you, Sam? Have you got the palsy?
Sam (pulling him to front) —No, but I wish you had. Ain’t you got any sense? Do you want the kids to quit believin’ in Santa? ”

“ The girls carry garlands of evergreen while the boys carry wreaths of the same. After a spectacular drill and fancy march they all sing a beautiful Christmas song, which accompanies the drill. Easy to produce and decidedly novel. 25 cents.
GOOD-BYE, CHRISTMAS GROUCHES. (Irish-Lyman.) A jolly Christmas song for any number of boys and girls. It abounds with Christmas cheer and many pleasant surprises. Full of action. Sheet music. This popular song will put “pep” in your Christmas entertainment and will furnish your audience a rare treat. ”

“ CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENTS
CHRISTMAS AT PUNKIN HOLLER. (Elizabeth F. Guptill.) One of the most popular Christmas plays published, that abounds in clean, wholesome fun from beginning to end. It depicts the trials of the teacher of an old-fashioned “deestric school” in conducting the last rehearsal for the Christmas Entertainment. Children and grown-ups will be delighted with CHRISTMAS AT PUNKIN HOLLER. 25c.
CHRISTMAS AT McCARTHY’S. (Elisabeth F. Guptill.) A Christmas play for young folks and children that is brimful of fun from start to close and is interspersed with the gentlest pathos. ”

“ Boys don’t know nothin’ about sewin’.
Bill—Aw, sewin’. Hockey beats that all to pieces. What kin I give Sam? (picks up magazine) . Oh, I know, I’ll cut up the ads in our old magazine and glue them on pasteboard. They’ll make swell picture-puzzles.
Jennie—Oh goody! I just love picture-puzzles.
Bill—I ain’t makin’ them for you, they’re for Sam, I told you.
Jennie—Well, he’ll let me play with them. He ain’t stingy like some people I know.
Bill—Hush, here’s Sam now.
Enter Sam and Minerva
Minerva—Sam and I have thought of presents for everybody but Ma and Pa. ”

“ Betty—I can print then, ith’s eathier to read.
Bobby—So can I. You can spell the hard words for me, Sam.
[Pg 16]
Minerva—You didn’t give me a pencil, Jennie.
Jennie—There wasn’t enough to go around. Bill, see if you have one in your pocket.
Bill—All right (empties pocket full of truck, brings out dead mouse and pencil at last. Girls scream. Minerva jumps on chair) .
Minerva—Oh Bill, you nasty boy.
Bill (laughs) —Girls are the beatenest. Afraid of a dead mouse! (puts things back in pocket) .
Sam—Let’s get down to business. We haven’t any time to waste. ”

“ All the characters are good. Easy to produce. No special scenery or costumes. No Santa Claus. Can be played in any schoolroom. 25c.
CHRISTMAS SPEAKIN’ AT SKAGGS’S SKULE. (Marie Irish.) Just published. Humorous entertainment for six boys and eight girls, including Ole, the Swede; Rastus, the negro; bashful Bill; Jeremiah Judkins, the skule clerk; Mis’ Skaggs and Mis’ Hill, the mothers who “help out;” fat little sister; Matildy and Florildy, the twins; Sam who st-t-tut-ters ”