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    Price 25 Cents

    [Illustration]


    Christmas at
    McCarthy’s


    _GUPTILL_


    PAINE PUBLISHING CO.
    DAYTON, OHIO




New Entertainment Songs

By Edna Randolph Worrell.


These songs can be used in all manner of entertainments. The music is
easy, and both music and words are especially catchy. Children like
them. Everybody likes them. Sheet music. Price =25= cents each. Five
copies, =$1.00=.

WE HOPE YOU’VE BROUGHT YOUR SMILES ALONG. A welcome song that will at
once put the audience in a joyous frame of mind and create a happy
impression that will mean half the success of your entire program.
Words, bright and inspiring. Music, catchy.

WE’LL NOW HAVE TO SAY GOOD-BYE. This beautiful song has snap and go
that will appeal alike to visitors and singers. It is just the song to
send your audience home with happy memories of the occasion.

WE’VE JUST ARRIVED FROM BASHFUL TOWN. This song will bring memories
to the listeners of their own bashful school days. Words, unusually
clever. Music, decidedly melodious. A capital welcome song, or it may
be sung at any time on the program with assured success.

MY OWN AMERICA, I LOVE THEE. A song that will bring a thrill of
patriotism to the heart of every one who hears it. The children and
grown-ups just can’t resist the catchy music. It makes a capital
marching song.

COME AND PARTAKE OF OUR WELCOME CAKE. A merry welcome song and a jolly
one, too. The audience will be immediately curious about the Welcome
Cake, and the children will love to surprise the listeners with the
catchy words. Music, easy and tuneful.

LULLABY LANE. The music and words blend so beautifully that people will
be humming the appealing strains long after they hear this charming
song. A wonderfully effective closing song, whether sung by the school
or as a solo by a little girl, with a chorus of other little girls with
dolls.

JOLLY PICKANINNIES. Words by Elizabeth F. Guptill. Music by Edna R.
Worrell. This spicy <DW53> song will bring down the house, especially if
you use the directions for the motions which accompany the music. The
black faces and shining eyes of the pickaninnies will guarantee a hit.
The words are great and the music just right.

THE LITTLE BIRD’S SECRET. Here is just the song for those two little
folks to sing together. They won’t have to be coaxed to sing it,
especially when they find that the whole school is to whistle the
chorus. This is a decided novelty, and will prove a rare treat to your
audience.

A GARDEN ROMANCE. This is a dainty little song telling of the romance
and wedding of Marigold and Sweet William. It is just the song for
dainty little girls to sing.

COME TO THE NURSERY RHYME GARDEN AND PLAY. Here is something different
for the little folks to sing. The Nursery Rhyme Folk are so familiar to
children, it will be no trick for them to remember the words. The music
has a most captivating swing.

    =Paine Publishing Company=      =Dayton, Ohio=




    Christmas at McCarthy’s


    BY

    ELIZABETH F. GUPTILL

    _Author of “Christmas at Punkin Holler,”
    “A Topsy Turvy Christmas,” Etc._


    [Illustration]


    Copyright, 1916
    PAINE PUBLISHING COMPANY
    Dayton, Ohio




Cast of Characters


    PATRICK MCCARTHY,   the most important man in the “tinement”
    BRIDGET MCCARTHY                                    His Wife
    MR. OPPERMAN                                           A Jew
    MRS. OPPERMAN                                       His Wife
    LARS                                                 A Swede
    MRS. CHLOE WASHINGTON                                
    MRS. FERRARI                                         Italian
    MR. STRAUSS                         Elsie’s father, a German
    ELSIE                                      “Tinement” Orphan
    JIMMIE                                          The News Boy
    PATSY     }
    KATIE     }
    POMPEY    }
    CONNIE    }
    CLEOPATRA }
    MICKEY    }                 Other Children of the “Tinement”
    CAESAR    }
    LUIGI     }
    CARLOTTA  }
    HILDA     }
    TONY      }




Christmas at McCarthy’s




SCENE I.


(_Setting—The sidewalk outside of “Murphy’s Tinement.” Have a couple
of low, wide steps, if possible. The children are gathered on and
around these steps. Use plenty of children—as many as convenient. Small
children from two to six or seven may be used as little brothers and
sisters to those who have the speaking parts. As curtain rises, some
of the children are playing “Button, button,” on the lowest step, and
others are playing “Hop-scotch” at one side. The smallest ones hug
dilapidated dollies, rolled up from rags. One has a small wheel, such
as might have been on a little cart, once. Enter Jimmy and Elsie—hurry
along to group._)

KATIE—Sold out so soon?

JIMMY—Ivery blissid paper av thim. Sure, ’twas the swate face of Ilsie
did it. I do be a thinkin’. An’ ivery sowl that bought a paper, almost,
axed quistions about her. Guess they thought she was a high-born leddy,
and me a stealthy, crapy kidnapper. Shure, an’ she got a foine chanst
to be a leddy, and she wouldn’t take it, at all, at all! Think av that,
now!

CONNIE—How could she get a chanst to be a leddy, when she’s jist a bit
av a colleen?

CLEOPATRA—Ah reck’n he means to be quality. Did some quality lady
wanter stole yer, honey chile?

ELSIE—Lady wanted to take me ’way fum Jimmy. She said, fere was mine
mutter dat her let me does papers to sell? And I wasn’t selling dose
papers at all! Jimmy was selling ’em. And I telled her mine mutter was
to Himmel gone, and mine fader was all loss, and—

JIMMY—And she wanted to take her home to be her little gel, ’n whin I
said we couldn’t spare the sunny face av her, she tried to wheedle her
away! Bad ’cess to her!

ELSIE—And she said I wasn’t Jimmy’s little sister at all, she did!

JIMMY—And she axed, she did, as purry as a cat, could we afford to kape
a growin’ choild that didn’t belong to us, and I says to her, says I,
“Ilsie belongs to the whole tinement, that she does!” And she axed how
that was, and I told her how Mrs. Ferrari slapes her, and Mrs. Omstrom
ates her, and Aunt Bridget washes her, and Mrs. Washington minds her,
and Mr. Opperman buys her bit clothes, and you girls kape her tidy, and
I buy her hair ribbins, and she laughed, and called her a communerty
orphin.

ELSIE—And I telled her I wasn’t no orfing, I was Jimmy’s little sister,
and she laughed some more, and she said I was pretty, and she gaved me
this. (_shows quarter._)

MICKY—Begorra, what a lot av money! It’s a capitalist ye’ll be afther
being, like the Rocky feller.

JIMMY—And thin, bedad, she began to wheedle, and she promised her foine
drisses, and a babby doll, and a cab to wheel it in, and iverything ye
could think about, and more, too, begorry. And thin if she didn’t up
and offer her a Christmas tree!

KATIE—A Christmas tree! Why didn’t she offer her the earth, with a
noice little pick fince around it? And ye wouldn’t lave us for a
Christmas tree, Elsie darlint?

ELSIE—“No,” I said, “Jimmy will buy me a Christmas tree a’reddy.”

MICKEY—Like fun he will! Does she think Jimmy’s a millionair?

JIMMY—And she asked where did we live, and I said, “over at the South
side,” says I, and I mutters “over the lift” to mesilf and says she,
“I’m a coming to see yer mother,” she says. And says I, wid the face av
me as sober as a praste, “Me mither’s me ant, for the rale mither av
me’s over in Ould Oirland in a churchyard, where she’s been iver since
jist before I was born, or jist afther, I forgit which, its so long
ago.”

ELSIE—And she laughed, and said she was going to haf her pretty baby,
yet a’retty, but I won’t with that lady go. I will stay with my Jimmy.
Jimmy won’t let her get me.

JIMMY—Don’t worry the golden braids av yer, Ilsie love. I gave her
shtrate way out at the South side that isn’t there at all, at all, and
bedad, she’ll hunt awhile before she finds that addriss, and whin she
does, it’ll be the wrong one.

ELSIE—(_confidently_) And Jimmy will buy me a Christmas, won’t you,
Jimmy?

JIMMY—Maybe, Ilsie love, a little one.

ELSIE—No, a big one, with a big, big tree.

CAESAR—Dar don’t no trees grow in de city, Ailsie honey, not cut down
ones.

ELSIE—They grow the stores in. Mine fader always did buy me one.

LUIGI—Maybe we mighta, all togetta, buy a leedla one. I could de shoesa
polish, and get some mon’.

CAESAR—An’ I kin hold de gemman’s hosses, ’n run arrantses.

MICKY—Let’s all try hard and see if we can’t get Elsie a little
Christmas tree.

ELSIE—I don’t a little Christmas want. I wants a big Christmas and a
big tree, like mine fader always did me get.

KATIE—But you see, Elsie, we’re all poor folks, and—

ELSIE—Jimmy will buy me a Christmas—a big Christmas, and a big tree. I
know he will.

MICKY—Gee, Jimmy! It’s up to you, all right.

MR. OPPERMAN—(_entering_) Vot vos up to Chimmy?

CAESAR—Ter cunjur up a big Christmas tree fo’ Ailsie. She done boun’
ter have one.

ELSIE—Mine fader did get me one always, Mr. Opperman.

OPPERMAN—Vell, vell, ve never did yet have van Christmas here yet
a’retty, but meppe ve might half von leedle von, if ve all chip in
togedder. Be patient a’retty, mine leedle fraulein, and ve’ll see vot
ve’ll see!

ELSIE—But I don’t want one little tree, I want one big one like mine
fader always did me get. Jimmy will buy me one. I know he will. I’m
Jimmy’s little sister. He did buy for me these hair ribbons of the blue
color.

CAESAR—You’ll half ter do it, Jimmy, whedder or no, as de preachah say.

ELSIE—You know, Mr. Opperman. You one German was, too. You know the
German kinder do always one big Christmas tree have. Mustn’t I have one?

OPPERMAN—Vell, vell, leedle Madchen, I vos sure von Cherman, but I vos
von Cherman Chew a’retty. Der Chews no Christmas do keep, nor drees.

ELSIE—(_beginning to cry_) I must have one big Christmas tree. I must.
And no one wants me my tree to have but Jimmy.

JIMMY—There, there, Ilsie, don’t spoil the swate eyes av yez wid
cryin’, ans we’ll think up a way somehow. (_Mrs. McCarthy, Mrs.
Ferrari, Mrs. Omstrom, and Mrs. Washington come out and seat themselves
on the steps._)

CHLOE—(_taking Elsie into her lap_) What dey bin a doin’ to mammy
Chloe’s li’l white lambie?

BRIDGET—Which av ye spalpeens hov bin afther makin’ the wee colleen
wape, now? Be shame to yez, who iver yez are!

ELSIE—They don’t want me my Christmas to have a’retty.

BRIDGET—And who’s bin afther puttin’ Christmas into the hid av her?
You, Jim, I’ll bet a sixpince. Yez do spile the choild, most awful.

JIMMY—’Twasn’t me, nather. ’Twas a foine leddy who wanted to adopt her,
av yez plaze, or av yez don’t plaze, either.

CHLOE—’Dopt her? Den she’d be quality, like she ottah be, but ole mammy
Chloe would miss her li’l white missy.

BRIDGET—Bedad, an’ she can’t have her, thin. She’s the baby of all
Murphy’s tinement, and betwane us we’ll get up a Christmas for her if
she’s thot set on it. I kin take in an ixtry wash or two, mebbe. Sure
me own little spalpeens have niver had a Christmas yit, nor Jimsie,
naythur.

JIMMY—I don’t need any, Aunt Bridget, but Elsie wants one that bad, she
can’t same to do widout it.

ELSIE—Mine fader did always one tree for me get.

CARLOTTA—How mucha one tree he costa?

OPPERMAN—Ve von leedle von could get vor—led me see—

ELSIE—I don’t one little one want. I want one big one.

CHLOE—Shuah you do, ma honey. Like de quality allers has, a-settin’
in de parlah, an’ a-reachin’ clar up to de high ceilin’, wid candles
a-twinklin’ an’ pretty, tings a-shinin’. Mammy’s seen ’em, in de Souf.
If we was dah, now! Dey grows dah, an’ Pompey could go out wid his axe
an’ cut one down fo’ his li’l Missy.

ELSIE—(_very eager_) Yes, Mammy Chloe, that just what I want! Just like
the tree I always did have every Christmas.

CARLOTTA—But where we so mucha mon’ getta?

HILDA—They haff the so large trees the churches in. What bane they do
with them after?

OPPERMAN—Dot vos so! Dot Svede voman vos one pargin hunter a’retty. Dot
tree be segond hand de day after de Christmas, and he gome cheap.

CHLOE—Mah Pompey he know dah sextant ob dat big chu’ch on Ellum Street,
’n ah reckon he’ll git it mo’n cheap. Yo’ shill hab yo’ tree, Ailsie
lamb.

TONY—I wanta tree, too.

ELSIE—It will be one tree for everbody, a’retty.

BRIDGET—So it shall. The entire communerty of inhabitints is invoited
to be prisint at a gran Christmas party, with a tree, refrishments and
an intertainmint, in McCarthy’s fore room the noight afther Christmas.

ELSIE—No, not the night after; I want it the Christmas Day on.

BRIDGET—And so it will be, bedad! I hereby make the announc