IN GRANDMA’S DAY.

Illustrated with Eight Tableaux. Directions at Close.

This is recited by the “Grandma,” who sits and knits as she talks, with pauses when the tableaux are shown. She speaks slowly, in a reminiscent way, adapting her actions to the words.

During the showing of the tableaux she leans her head on her hand, or looks ahead of her, not at them, as if dreamily thinking of the pictures her memory calls up.

It’s cold today, and Christmas time is getting very near.

I wish I knew just what to do to help the season’s cheer.

Things nowadays have grown so strange that I am puzzled quite.

I wonder if they care at all that Christmas comes tonight.

Son John has grown so gray and tired; he used to beg to hear

The Christmas stories—he and Bess. How sweet they were—and dear!

(No. 1 Tableau—The Stories.)

I told them of the blessed Child who in the manger lay.

Without these stories, so he said, it wasn’t Christmas day.

But now his children do not care to have these stories told;

They go to Christmas parties, and they, too, look tired and old.

They do not romp and jump about as children used to do,

They dance at “balls,” and go to “clubs” until it makes me blue.

(No. 2 Tableau—Children at Ball.)

The Christmas stockings have gone out of present fashion quite;

I wonder if they care at all that Christmas comes tonight.

Has John forgotten? He is tired and worn with business cares—

But every night I used to hear the children say their prayers.

(No. 3 Double Tableau—John and Prayers.)

And when the blessed Christmas Eve came with its cold and snow,

They used to hang their stockings round the fireplace in a row.

What fun it was! How happily they planned for Christmas Day!

How hard to wait for morn to come to light their merry way.

(No. 4 Tableau—Children with Stockings.)

His children now are grown-up people, proper, most polite.

They never hang up stockings, that is nonsense in their sight.

The little son has bank notes, and the girls some jewels gay;

A sober “thank you,” or a frown are what they bring the day.

Paul fills his time with wondering why mother gave him “that,”

And Helen wishes she had had instead “that stunning hat.”

(No. 5 Tableau—Children Discontented.)

Oh, deary me! How sweet ’twould be to have them at my knee,

A-listening to the sweet old tales that mine once heard from me.

Now when I was a little girl, I had my stockings hung

At Christmas Eve beside the fire, and Christmas songs were sung.

And after breakfast, Christmas Day, to church we all must go

And hear the Christmas sermon—it was rather long, I know.

But then, I always liked it, because, just back of me,

Sat Philip Deane, and he and I were dearest chums, you see;

And after church we walked back home together, he and I.

I used to think when he was near the sermons weren’t so dry.

(No. 6 Tableau—Grandma and Philip.)

Dear Phil! He grew so tall and strong—the handsomest of all.

I remember how he danced with me at Susan Elmer’s ball.

On Christmas was our wedding day, and I remember still

How Philip bent above me then—how clear his words, “I will.”

(No. 7 Tableau—Wedding.)

And every Christmas after that grew fuller of earth’s joys

As to us came the blessed gifts of darling girls and boys.

How long ago it seems—and yet—I always hold them dear,

Those memories so full of love and sweetest Christmas cheer.

(No. 8 Final Tableau.)

DIRECTIONS.

Group No. 1 signifies the boy and girl shown in tableau No. 1. Their costume is the old-fashioned style.

Group No. 2 signifies the boy and girl shown in tableau No. 2. Their costumes are modern.

By using these two groups and retaining the two styles of costume, the tableaux are much simplified, as group No. 1 retains the original costume, only putting a night dress or outdoor garments over it as required. Group No. 2 does not change.

Fewer can be used if necessary, but it will add greatly to the ease and quickness of presenting the tableaux if the full number indicated are used. By doing this very few changes in costume are required, and the characters, being all dressed, or requiring but little change, the tableaux can be quickly arranged.

STAGE.

One frame or setting can be used if the manager has her pictures well in mind; but as the illustrations or tableaux must be arranged quickly in order to be shown just at the proper moment, it will be easier and wiser to have two frames or settings, so that one picture can be placed while the other is being shown to the audience. The order of arrangement following will insure the best results.

Fig. 1. Fig. 2.

These settings should be frames of light timbers. See Fig. 1. The inner opening is seven feet high by eight feet wide and the outer dimensions two feet wider. This frame should be covered with a black cloth and a gray gauze stretched across the opening. The space behind the frame should be curtained or screened at the back and sides with black or dark gray. Fig. 2. The floor behind the frame should be raised two feet in order to bring it well into view of the audience, and of course the frame must correspond. The pictures are arranged between the frame and the screens.

The frame and gauze can be omitted, and the picture presented in the space surrounded by the screens or curtains; but of course the best way is the one indicated.

With all accessories ready, and some previous rehearsals, these tableaux can be easily and rapidly presented.

In front and to one side the Grandma sits in an easy chair. No other accessories. The tableaux are presented in the settings described above, either one frame in the middle of the stage and about four feet back, or two frames set as in Fig. 3.

Tableau 1—On platform X.

Young mother sitting, facing audience. Plain, dark dress, kerchief or lace crossed over bosom, hair in low knot at back of neck and brushed smoothly over the ears in the manner of ante-bellum days.

Boy of eight or ten stands at her left, his arm over her shoulder, her left arm around him. He is dressed in long, narrow trousers, white stockings and low slippers, frilled white shirt front, short jacket (to the waist only), wide collar and bow tie.

Girl of six or eight sits on stool or low chair, leaning on the mother’s lap, looking in the mother’s face as the mother looks down at her. Any dress with short “baby” waist and short sleeves. Hair in two smooth braids or loose curls.

Tableau 2—On platform Z.

Boy and girl from eight to twelve years dressed in extreme of modern style party costumes. He has her hand held high and they are in the attitude of some figure of the Lancers. Their bearing is sober and indifferent. These are children No. 2.

Tableau 3—

This is double and both curtains can be drawn at the same time. On platform Z sits “Son John,” a middle-aged man, gray, well dressed. He is in an office chair or an arm chair, his elbow on the table, his head on his hand. His attitude and face show weariness as he sits thinking.

On platform X, prepared while tableau No. 2 is being prepared and shown, children No. 1 kneel at the same mother’s knee in prayer. They are in white nightgowns and a small white bed is back of them. (This may be omitted.) If one frame only is used divide it by a movable screen, giving the single figure but one-third the space.

Tableau 4—Children with stockings. Platform X.

The back of the space represents a fireplace. Painted scenery can be used, or a framework to indicate it, with andirons in the fireplace. No fire needed. Two bulging stockings hang by the fireplace; one is small and has a doll showing in the top of it, and a very small child in nightdress is reaching up her arms to the doll.

The other girl in nightdress is sitting on the floor examining the contents of her stocking, with toys lying around her.

The boy, dressed as in tableau No. 1, is astride a rocking-horse in attitude of driving; or he is blowing a trumpet with one hand, while he drums with the other on a drum which is hung around his neck.

Tableau 5—Platform Z. Group No. 2.

Same costume as before. They sit facing each other (not too near). The boy has one hand in his pocket, leans lazily back in his chair and looks crossly at an open pocketbook held in the other hand.

The girl wears much jewelry and has an open jewel case in one hand and a watch and chain in the other, at which she looks scowlingly.

Tableau 6—Platform Z. Group No. 1.

Dress as in tableau No. 1, but with the addition of outdoor garments. These should be of the “Kate Greenaway” type, pictures of which can be seen in children’s books. They walk side by side, her hand in her muff, he holding out to her a candy heart. They are smiling shyly at each other.

Tableau 7—Platform X.

Wedding scene. Parson (who may be same one who personated “John” in tableau No. 3) in Episcopalian gown and bands, holding a prayer-book and looking at the couple before him. He stands at one side of the frame and close to it, slightly turned away from the audience, so that the bridal couple may partly face the audience.

The groom is tall and handsome, dressed in Colonial style, with white stockings, low buckled shoes, white satin knee breeches, long vest and long-skirted coat (color to choice), with wide lace ruffles at wrists and down the shirt front. He wears his hair long, powdered and tied behind with a black ribbon.

The bride is small and slender, dressed in full Colonial costume, with veil, etc. She either looks down or smiles up at him.

Tableau No. 8—

This is a double tableau, both platforms and curtains being used, and both pictures being shown at once.

On platform Z “Son John” stands just behind his children (group No. 2) and all look imploringly at Grandma and hold out their arms to her.

On platform X the bride and groom stand back at one side, his arm around her, both smiling at Grandma. A double gauze should hang before them inside the frame, so that they are but dimly seen.

Group No. 1 stand together at the right front of the space and both reach their arms to Grandma as they smile at her.

CURTAIN.