"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."
With a flourish he draws back the curtain, announcing "Mrs. Santa Claus!" There, with a mammoth pumpkin standing by her side, is seen a beaming-faced little fat woman. She is dressed in a fur cloak, or fur-lined circular turned wrong side out, an ermine poke bonnet, made of white cotton-wool, with black worsted tails, and an immense muff of the same. She steps forward, and in a dramatic style delivers this address:
"Good-evening to you, children dear; I know you cannot guess The reason I am here to-night, And so I'll just confess That I am Mrs. Santa Claus-- Old Santa Claus's wife; You've never seen me here before, I'm sure, in all your life.
"So if you'll listen patiently, I'll tell the reason why Old Santa could not come to-night, And why instead came I; He is so very busy now, Has so many schools--you see He can't find time to visit all, And deck each Christmas tree.
"And so he said unto his wife: 'My faithful partner dear, That Sunday-school's expecting me To help keep Christmas cheer; As I can't possibly reach there, I'm disappointed quite; I know that they will look for me With shining eyes so bright!'
"I, Mrs. Santa, thus replied: 'Please let your better-half Go visit that nice Sunday-school; 'Twill make the children laugh.' This plan just suited Santa Claus; He sent Jack Frost to drive; He knew what fun 'twould be for me Among you thus to arrive!