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The Child on the Sea Shore.
Child upon the sea shore,
Gazing on the deep,
Angels watch above thee,
All thy footsteps keep.
Happy in the sunlight,
Warbling like a bird,
God has heard the music
Thus within thee stirred,
And will claim the worship.
Pretty one, of thee,
That thy soul is giving
To the deep blue sea.
All the world is singing,
Dearest one, to thee ;
God is round thee ringing
Notes of melody;
Catch them, little darling,
Ere the spring is past;
Sing them, little darling,
Sing them to the last.
CINDERELLA;
Or, the Little Glass Slipper.
ARRANGED SO THAT IT CAN RE ACTED BY CHILDREN.
Characters. —Cinderella —Grandmother, (a
Fairy,)—Two Sisters —Prince —Servant —Ladies
and Gentlemen.
Scene I.
[A room -where the two sisters, gaudily dressed,
are putting the finishing touches to their toilet —
Cinderella, dressed very meanly with rags, wait
ing on them; hands them a paper of pins and
comb and brush.]
First Sister. —(Looking in the glass.) —
Do you think this head-dress becoming?
Really, I think my dress is in excellent
taste to-night. What do you say, sister?
Second Sister. —Charming! I am sure
the prince will be fascinated. Oh, sister,
I hope he will ask us to dance before any
one else, at the ball.
Cinderella. — {Timidly.) —The prince !
Oh, I would give anything in the world
to see the prince. Sister, can you not
lend me some of your old things, so that
I can stand at the door of the ball-room
and look in ?
First Sister. — {Scornfully.) —Indeed !
You would be a pretty figure there. Why
all the people would stare at yo^t.
Second Sister. —Go wash up the dishes ;
that is your work. Come, sister, the car
riage is waiting—let us go.
[They flounce out of the room, and Cinderella
sits down, looking mournfully after them, and be
gins to cry. Enter the Godmother, who must be
fantastically dressed as a fairy, represented by a
little girl.]
Godmother. —Would you then, Cinderel
la, like very much to go to this ball?
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
Cinderella. —Oh, so much, godmother ;
but how can I ? I have no clothes but
Jf
these rags!
Godmother. —Never mind, child, per
haps we can find a dress that will look
quite as well as that tawdry finery of
your sisters. It is now ten o’clock ; meet
me here again at eleven, and in the mean
time don’t make your eyes red with cry
ing, for that will spoil everything.
Exit.
Scene 11.
[Enter Godmother and Cinderella —the latter
beautifully dressed in white, with little white slip
pers, (they can be easily ornamented with glass
bleads so as to look very -pretty.) Godmother
leads Cinderella up to a looking-glass, saying,]
Can you tell me who that is, Cinderella?
Cinderella.—{Starting in astonishment.)
Oh, godmother, that cannot, cannot be
poor little Cinderella!
Godmother. — {Kissing her.) —Yes, my
child, and a carriage waits at the door
for you. Go to the ball and enjoy your
self, but remember , you must leave the
ball-room before twelve o’clock, for if you
do not, your beautiful dress will disappear
and you will again be poor ragged Cin
derella.
Cinderella. —I will, I will, dear godmo
ther, {dancing out of the room.) Oh, how
delightful! 1 shall see the prince !
Scene 111.
[Ladies and Gentlemen —Music —Ladies to be
dressed in colors to contrast with Cinderella —
Prince to be handsomely dressed, lace ruffles, &c.,
the centre of attraction. Enter Cinderella. Eve
ry one looks towards her ; whispers of astonish
ment and admiration. Sisters do not recognize
her. The Prince hastens up to her and leads her
to the middle of the room.]
The curtain drops.
Scene IV.
[The Ball-room —A dance —Music —Cinderella
dancing with the Prince —A clock commences to
strike loudly, (the striking of the clock can be
easily imitated by someone behind the scenes) —
the music must be very soft so that the clock can
be distinctly heard. Cinderella stops, listens with
an affrighted look, and, as the clock strikes twelve,
drops abruptly the Prince’s hand and rushes from
the room. The Prince and all the company look
amazed, and the curtain drops.]
Scene V.
[The Prince reclining on a sos
Prince. —Have you then inquired if no
one saw this beautiful creature who dis
appeared so mysteriously ?
Servant. —Yes, your Highness, and no
one was seen to pass the gates but a rag
ged little beggar girl, who was supposed
to have found her way in among the
crowd; but here is a slipper {handing the
prince one of Cinderella's slippers,) that
was picked up in the garden. It looks as
if it might belong to some fine lady.
[The Prince takes it, looks at it attentively, and
presses it to his lips, exclaiming:]
It is, it is one of her slippers, for I no
ticed particularly how beautiful they
were, and this very slipper shall be the
means of my finding her. No other wo
man ever had so small a foot. Take it
{giving the slipper to the servant) to all the
women in my kingdom, and when you
find one who can wear it, hasten to tell
me, and she shall share my throne.
Exit servant. Curtain falls.
#
Scene VI.
[Servant —Several ladies, among them Cinde
rella’s sisters —Cinderella in background. They
are trying on the slipper.]
First Lady.—{Giving it to the next.) —
’Tis no use, I cannot force it on. Oh, I
would willingly give one half of my foot
to get that slipper on the other half.
Second Lady. —Who can the witch be
that it fits, for I do not believe it ever got
on mortal foot.
First Lady. —She did indeed surpass
most mortals in beauty. What a vision
of loveliness she was at the ball.
Cinderella's Sister. —( Taking it.) —I’m
determined my foot shall get into it. TU
not miss being a princess for want of a lit
tle squeezing. ( She tries to put it on, and,
throwing it from her impatiently exclaims,)
The thing is bewitched ; it will not begin
to get on !
Cinderella. —( Picking it up.) —Let me try
it, sister.
Sister. {Laughing scornfully.) You
try it! What a farce! Take care you
do not injure it with your coarse hands/
[Cinderella puts it on immediately, and while
her sisters and all the company raise their hands
and eyes in astonishment, the curtain drops.]
Scene VII.
[The Prince. Enter Godmother, leading Cin
derella, beautifully dressed, but without the glass
slippers. She puts Cinderella’s hand in that of
the Prince, who kneels to receive it.]
Godmother. —She is worthy to share
your throne, for she is as good as she is
beautiful.
Prince. —I shall ever prize her virtues
as much as I admire her loveliness; and
as soon as arrangements can be made for
celebrating our marriage with becoming
magnificence, I shall return to claim her
as my bride. In the meantime, Cinde
rella, {showing her the slipper) allow me to
retain the instrument by which I was en
abled to discover you; and believe that
until we meet again I shall always wear
next to my heart this dear little glass
slipper.
[Sisters in background crying and wringing
their hands.]
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