Harry Harding was positively thrilling with excitement, as he hurried to the assembly room to form in line for the triumphal march to Martin Hall. The hour had come when he was to witness his chum’s triumph. A number of rows of seats had been reserved for the store messengers, and as Harry marched into the hall with his work-a-day comrades to the inspiring strains of Sousa’s “Salute to the Colors,” played by the store orchestra, he was wrought up to a high pitch of pleasurable emotion.
Once seated, his eyes never left the curtain that hid his chum from view, and as with a warning tinkle of the bell it rose, disclosing a pretty living room in which two boys were seated, he could have shouted out of sheer joy.
The play began with a discussion between two little boys in regard to the reality of Santa Claus. The opening lines were Teddy’s, and the first sound of his clear young voice uttering the emphatic words, “I don’t believe in Santa Claus, so there!” thrilled Harry through and through. After a short dialogue, Teddy sang his first song, “There is No Santa Claus,” and the boy who played the part of his brother responded to it with, “Santa Will Come To-night.”
Although the other boy’s voice was sweet and true, the interest of the audience was centered in Teddy. He was obliged to repeat part of his song before his listeners would allow the play to proceed. More dialogue followed in which the boys agreed to steal downstairs to the living-room after the household were asleep to watch for the coming of their patron saint. Then followed a beautiful duet, “We’ll Watch for Him To-night,” which closed the act.
The second act opened with the stealthy entrance of the boy watchers. Dicky’s brother was given the opening song, “When Santa Comes Down the Chimney,” and Teddy answered it with a funny little song, “Seeing is Believing.”
Then followed a brisk dialogue which died out as two drowsy youngsters succumbed to sleep on each side of the fireplace, only to waken as a cuckoo clock sang out the hour of midnight. A faint jingling of distant sleigh-bells sounded and a surprising thing happened. The big fireplace opened wide and a radiant white figure, glittering with diamond dust, stepped out. She waved a wand. The chime of bells grew louder and in dashed Santa Claus, perched in a tiny sleigh, drawn by eight little boys in queer, tight-fitting brown suits and close-fitting hoods, topped with funny little antlers. They stamped and curvetted in true reindeer style, then stepped out of harness and sang, “Run, Run, Run, You Little Reindeer.”
A serious time followed for the abashed Dicky. Santa Claus rated him soundly in a queer, shrill voice, and the eight reindeer wagged their antlered heads in stern disapproval. The radiant figure, which was none other than the Spirit of Christmas, sang a tuneful number, “What Shall We Do with Dicky?” and Santa Claus answered with, “Try Him for Unbelief.” Dicky protested with, “I Won’t Be Tried in Court,” but the eight reindeer seized him and dragged him before Santa Claus.
Then followed a funny trial scene in which the prosecutor was the Spirit of Christmas, the eight reindeer the jury, and the judge, Santa Claus, who condemned him to go without presents every Christmas until he acknowledged the reality of Santa.
The play ended with Dicky’s remorseful solo, “I Believe in Santa at Last,” while Santa Claus was finally persuaded by the Spirit of Christmas to shake hands with Teddy and recall his stern sentence. Then came a ringing chorus of “Merry Christmas to All and Good Night.” Santa Claus flung down a pack of toys, called to his reindeer, and the whole procession skipped through the yawning chimney. The stage was darkened for an instant. Suddenly the lights flashed up, revealing the two boys sitting up, rubbing their eyes. Springing to their feet they ran down to the front of the stage and sang the final number, a duet, “Santa’s the Friend of the Children.”