1. The Christmas chimes are ringing out,
Across the valleys sounding clear,
And as the echoes float about,
Tell of peace and Christmas cheer,
With joyous voices bless the day,
And with sounds of merry cheer,
Let us all keep holiday
For Christmas comes but once a year.
2. Old Christmas comes with merry train,
Bringing joy and mirth again;
The chimes ring out the glad refrain,
"Peace on earth, good will to men."
Be many Christmas days in store,
May no sorrow soon befall;
To young and old, to rich and poor,
A merry Christmas to you all.
CURTAIN
NOTES ON COSTUME, SETTING, AND PRESENTATION
Costumes
Pepper. Scarlet coat, khaki trousers, high black boots. Silk hat. He wears a mustache, and carries a long whip with a scarlet bow.
Acrobats. (Hopkins and Limber Jack.) Long stockings, puffed trunks, and running-shirt, or undershirt, dyed to match. White bathing-shoes, or "sneakers." Any colors may be used. Light blue for Jack, and yellow for Hopkins are effective. Hopkins's ballet dress is made of innumerable skirts of white tarletan, sewed to a low-necked and short-sleeved waist of same material as his trunks, bespangled with tinsel. This should be carefully put together and equipped with buttons and button-holes, to slip on over the acrobat's clothes, so that Hopkins's "lightning change" can really be made in the least possible time. Woman's light yellow wig (or, if the boy is fair, a dark wig), dressed in the extreme of style.
Clowns. Pierrot costumes. White with red spots, and yellow with blue. Faces whitened with the usual red marks. Heads bald and white. White soft Pierrot hats. They may provide themselves with "slapsticks," and other properties incidental to their tricks and jokes.
Minstrel. Usual minstrel make-up. Black-face, large collar, gaudy tie and vest. Flowered or large-checked trousers and dress-coat.