COTTON MATHER (Entering)-No one is near. I'll read over my manuscript for the book that I am writing at the command of His Excellency, the Governor. (Takes the manuscript from under his gown.) In this I have indeed. set myself to countermine the whole plot of the Devil against New England in every branch of it. (Reads) "The New Englanders are a people of God settled in those, which were once the Devil's Territories, and it may easily be supposed that the Devil was exceedingly disturbed when he perceived such a People here accomplishing the Promises of old made unto our Blessed Jesus, that He should have the utmost parts of the earth for His possessions. There was not a greater uproar among the Ephesians when the Gospel was first brought among them, the Powers of the Air (after whom the Ephesians walked) when the Silver Trumpet of the Gospel here made the joyful sound. The Devil thus irritated, immediately tried all sorts of methods to overturn this poor plantation and so much of the church as was fled into this wilderness immediately found the serpent cast out of his mouth a flood for the carrying of it away. I believe that never were more satanical devices used for the unsettling of any people under the sun, than what have been employed for the exterpation of the vine which God hath here planted, casting out the heathen, and preparing a room before it and causing it to take deep root and fill the land, so that it sent its boughs unto Atlantic Sea eastward and its branches unto the Connecticut River westward and the hills were covered with the shadow thereof. But

those attempts of Hell have hitherto been abortive, many an Ebenezer has been erected unto the praise of God, by His poor people here, and having obtained help from God we continue to this day. Wherefore the Devil is now making one more attempt upon us, an attempt more difficult, more surprising, and more snarled with unintelligible circumstances than that which we have hitherto encountered.

We have been advised by some creditable Christians, yet alive, that a malefactor, accused of witchcraft as well as murder, and executed in this place more than forty years ago, did then give notice of an horrible plot against the country by witchcraft and a foundation of witchcraft then laid which if it were not seasonably discovered would probably blow up and pull down all the churches in the country. And we have now with horror seen the discovery of such a witchcraft. An army of devils is horribly broken upon this place, which is the center and after a sort the first born of our English settlements; and the houses of the good people there are filled with the doleful shrieks of their children and servants, tormented by invisible hands, with tortures altogether preternatural." (Folds up manuscript.)

That goes very well. And since the Devil does begrudge us all manner of good and does among us all manner of woes I will mention in my book special woes with which the Devil does usually inflict the world.

1st. There are plagues: pestilential and contagious diseases. 'Tis the Devil does oftimes invade us with them.

2d. Wars: Wars do oftimes furnish him with some thousands of souls in one morning from one acre of ground.

3d. Storms: The Devil understands well how to make a tempest, whence perhaps it is that thunder storms are observed to break upon churches more often than any other building. Very good thoughts these. I will hasten to my house to write them down. (Exit.)

baby in her arms.)

MOTHER GOOSE (Singing)Hey diddle diddle,

The cat and the fiddle.

The cow jumped over the moon. The little dog laughed to see such sport,

And the dish ran away with the spoon. ELIZABETH FLEET (Enters)-Mother, mother. Will you stop singing or trying to? You are driving Thomas crazy. He says it it as bad to have you singing in the garden under his window as it is in the house and the neighbors are complaining.

MOTHER GOOSE-There Elizabeth. You go into the house and tend to your baking. If Thomas smells the dinner cooking I guess he'll feel better. (Baby cries.) There now precious, you do want Grandmother to sing. (Sings) Goosy, goosy—

ELIZABETH-But mother, you have been out here all the morning. You must be tired. Let me take the baby, (Tries to take the baby), while you go and rest.

MOTHER GOOSE (Pushing her off)No, no. Don't interrupt me. (Sings) Goosy, goosy—

THOMAS FLEET (From within)
Elizabeth.

MOTHER GOOSE (Stopping to listen)
-What's he want now?
ELIZABETH-Yes, Thomas.

Elizabeth.)

(Exit

THOMAS FLEET (From within) Show Mother Goose my new book and see how she feels then.

MOTHER GOOSE-What's that man been doing now? He isn't in the habit of showing me his new books as soon as they are printed. (Baby cries.) There, there. Now listen while Mother Goose sings about

Goosy, goosy gander
Where shall I wander?
Up stairs, down stairs,

And in my lady's chamber. ELIZABETH (Enters with "Mother Goose" book.)-Thomas wants you to see his new book.

MOTHER GOOSE (Reading)-"Songs of the Nursery or Mother Goose's

Printed by

T. Fleet at his printing house, Pudding Lane, 1719. Price two coppers." Well, I never. (Reads again) "Mother Goose's Melodies." Here Elizabeth, take the baby. (Looks at book curiously, finds and sings)

Tom, Tom, the Piper's son Stole a pig and away he run. (Still examining the book.)-What made Thomas do it? Put my name on the front of a book? The idea. What did he do it for anyway, Elizabeth?

ELIZABETH (Looking cautiously toward house. In half whisper)-I think, mother, it was to sort of get even with you for singing so much. You won't sing so much will you?

MOTHER GOOSE-Of course I shall

sing to my precious grandson just the baby. Hear him cry for his grandsame. (Baby cries.) Here give me the mother. There, there, we will go in and congratulate your daddy on his new book. (Goes off singing.)

Second Episode. 19th Century Poets in Boston.

Scene 1. From Longfellow's "Evangeline."

Someone behind the scene reads while the scene is acted in pantomime. (Enter Evangeline.)

Half-way down to the shore Evangeline waited in silence,

Not overcome with grief, but strong in the hour of affliction

Calmly and sadly she waited, until the procession approached her. (Enter Gabriel.)

And she beheld the face of Gabriel, pale with emotion.

Tears then filled her eyes, and, eagerly running to meet him,

Clasped she his hands, and laid her

head on his shoulder, and whispered, "Gabriel! be of good cheer! for if we love one another

Nothing in truth can harm us, what

ever mis-chances may happen." Smiling she spake these words; then suddenly paused, for her father (Enter Evangeline's father.) Saw she slowly advancing. Alas! how changed was his aspect!

The leper raised not the gold from the dust;

"Better to me the poor man's crust, Better the blessing of the poor, Though I turn me empty from his door;

That is no true alms which the hand can hold;

He gives only the worthless gold Who gives from a sense of duty." (Exit leper.)

Scene 3. From Whittier's "Barefoot Boy." (Enter barefoot boy.) Blessings on thee, little man, Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan! With thy turned-up pantaloons. And thy merry whistled tunes; With thy red lips, redder still Kissed by strawberries on the hill; With the sunshine on thy face, Through thy torn brim's jaunty grace; From my heart I give thee joy,I was once a barefoot boy!

Price thou art, the grown-up man
Only is a publican.

Let the million-dollared ride!
Barefoot, trudging at his side,
Thou hast more than he can buy
In the reach of ear and eye-
Outward sunshine, inward joy;
Blessings on thee, barefoot boy!
(Exit barefoot boy.)

Scene 4. From Holmes' "Last Leaf."
(Enter old man.)

I saw him once before,
As he passed by the door;
And again

The pavement-stones resound
As he totters o'er the ground
With his cane.

They say that in his prime,
Ere the pruning-knife of time
Cut him down,
Not a better man was found
By the crier on his round

Through the town.

And he shakes his feeble head, And it seems as if he said, "They are gone."

I know it is a sin

For me to sit and grin

At him here,

But his old three-cornered hat,
And the breeches, and all that,
Are so queer.

And if I should live to be
The last leaf upon the tree

In the spring

Let them smile, as I do now,
At the old forsaken bough
Where I cling.

(Exit old man.) Third Episode. 20th Century Prose. From "The Awaking of of Helena Richie." By Margaret Deland. Chapter 10. (Copyright, 1905, 1906, by Harper & Brothers.)

(Enter David and Helena Richie. She leads him to the rabbit-hutch to show him the rabbits.)

DAVID-What are their names? MRS. RICHIE-They haven't any names; you can name them if you like. DAVID-I shall call them Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

MRS. RICHIE (After a pause.)-You came to Old Chester in the stage with Mr. Pryor. He told me you were a very nice little boy.

DAVID-How did he know?

MRS. RICHIE He is very nice himself.

DAVID (Meditating)-Is that gentleman my enemy?

MRS. RICHIE-Of course not.
DAVID-I'm glad.

MRS. RICHIE-Mr. Pryor is nobody's enemy. (David turns to the

rabbits.) Why did you think that he was your enemy?

DAVID-I just hoped that he wasn't; I don't want to love him.

MRS. RICHIE-What!

DAVID-If he was my enemy, I'd have to love him, you know. (David turns to the rabbits.) They ought to have fresh water. (Mrs. Richie reaches into the hutch for the battered pan. She watches David as he goes out and returns, holding the pan in both hands, walking very slowly.)

DAVID-Are there any snakes in this grass? A snake is the only insect I am afraid of.

(Mrs. Richie stoops down and cuddles him reassuringly and leads him off. PART III.

Enter two Heralds of Art and blow their horns as in parts I and II and pass on.

Architecture. Enter Charles Bulfinch with a small model of the State House. He comes down front and passes on.

Sculpture. Enter Thomas Ball with a small model of the statue of Washington on horseback. Comes down front and passes on.

(Curtain.)

A procession of those taking part should now be formed and march around the hall. During this time the stage should be cleared of scenery and the tableau of Sargent's Prophets arranged on a raised platform at the back of the stage.