The Sunday-school, school or club is assembled; the stage is concealed by a curtain, and the Christmas tree, which is near the stage, by another curtain or screen. The tree is decorated in the usual manner, minus the gifts, which are concealed near the stage ready to be delivered when the right time comes. The tree need not be lighted until the closing of any preliminary exercises that have been arranged. After lighting, the tree should be exposed to the view of all. When the children have gazed at it for a few moments, the superintendent or some other suitable person should come forward, as if to distribute the gifts as usual. He should survey the tree attentively and from different standpoints, and finally, with great astonishment, exclaim:
"Why, what in the world does this mean? What strange thing is this? What is the matter with my eyes? [Rubbing his eyes to see better.] I can't see! As true as I live, I cannot see a single Christmas gift upon this tree! Think of it, a Christmas tree with no presents! Am I growing blind? [Rubbing his eyes again.]
"Do you see any? [Turning to any child near.] Well, I thought so! It is too true, children, that although we have a Christmas tree, and a fine one, too, there is not a single gift upon it; no, not even a little one for a little bit of a girl! Now, this is altogether too bad of Santa Claus to forget this Sunday-school—when we've gotten all ready for him, too, lighted the tree and decorated it so beautifully! It isn't a bit like him, either. He never did such a thing before. He can't have forgotten us. The blessed old Saint wouldn't do that! Maybe his reindeer are lame and he is slow in getting here. No! He would have sent Jack Frost on ahead to tell us to wait. Let me think a moment. It can't be that any of you children have been so naughty that he thinks we don't deserve a visit from him, can it? No, no, that cannot be; it is a mistake, somehow. It is very mysterious; I never heard of the like before—no, never——
"Well, what are we going to do about it, anyway? Can't some one speak up and explain this mystery, or at least tell us what to do to celebrate Christmas?"
At this juncture the sound of sleigh-bells is heard at the back or side of the stage, and a loud "Whoa!" and a shrill whistle. There is an instant of bustling, crunching of ice, stamping and pawing of feet, then the door bursts open suddenly, as if by a gust of wind, and a nimble little fellow bounces in, clad all in red and flecked with tufts of cotton on cap and shoulders to look like snow. He wears a high, peaked cap of red with a bobbing tassel on the peak, and carries a long thong whip, which he flourishes in time to the rhyme he chants:
"Ho for us! hey for us!
Please clear the way for us!
I'm Jack Frost from Icicle-land,
Driver of Santa's four-in-hand;
Though late you will ask no excuse."