Mr. Opperman—Sing it now for us, aretty. (Elsie sings Martin Luther’s cradle hymn, which begins, “Away in a Manger.”)
Katie—Nixt is a Christmas flag drill, as given at school, wid variations. Yez see, we do it at school wid the Shtars and Shtripes, but we made these Christmas flags at school and the teacher fixed the worruds over, and made the hull thing as Christmassy as ye plaze. And she said we’se moight kape the flags, av we loiked, so we did loike to do that same and here they be, thimsilves. (She goes out a minute and returns with the flags, which she gives out to the children who are to take part in the drill. Half the flags are of red, half of Christmas green, each with a large gold star in the corner.)
Katie—Give us all the room yez can, now, and we’ll do it as well as the space’ll let us.
Elsie—We cannot up and down the aisles march, Katie.
Katie—Yis, ye can. Jist ye follow the laders, and we’ll march up and down the imaginary aisles, as grand az ye plaze. Riddy, now. (All take places, the girls, in order-of size, behind Katie—the boys behind Jimmy.) This is the kay, now. Sound it. (All do so, and the march and song begin.[A]Tune: “Wave, Old Glory.” As they sing, they march up and down the “imaginary aisles.”)
SONG.
We are happy little children, at the Christmas time,
See us gaily marching, marching, while our voices chime.
See the flag now wave before us, with its golden star,