Amelia-Jane and the Party.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 270, 13 November 1937, Page 3 (Supplement)

Amelia-Jane and the Party.

— (Continued) An Amusing Two-Ad Play for Girls and Boys.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Amelia-Jane —About 11, Elsie Cooke—About 10. (Jporge-Kdward—Her brother, about 10. Teddy Saunders—About 9. Thomas-Henry—Her brother, about 8. Queenie Blake—About 9. Kliziilietli-Maude—Her sinter, about 7. Billy Blake—About 7.

Krneat Mnrmndukr —Her brother, about 8. Miss Mary Mann. Doris Launders—About 11. Judith—Her housemaid.

(Other children, without speaking parts, may be introduced into Scene 11. ad lib.)

(Should there not be sufficient children for all the parts, those of the four younger little Smiths can be doubled with four of the children at the party, a slight change of costume and appearance being all that i« necessary.)

Thomas-Henry (with gloomy relish): Yer'll 'ave a fine sore nose, 'avin' ter nil> it like that!

George-Edward: Cam! Yer still jealous, baby! 'Cos you ain't had it! Who cares for a sore nose? (Throws the rag nt Thomas-Henry, whom it misses and hit* Klizabeth-Maude.)

Kli/abeth-Maude: Oh! Oh! AmeliaJane! George-Edward's bin an' thrown tiie dirty ole rag in my face!

George-Edward: Ha! Ha! Serves yer right for tellin' tales. But I meant it for Thomns-Henrv.

Thomas-Henry: Coo! Good straight shot yer arc. hain't yer? Coo! Git a bull's-eye hevery time, wouldn't yer? Not 'alf!

(teorge-Edward: I'd git 'em oftener than you would, me lad! (Seizes a large lump of orange peel and aime it at Thomas-Henry, but again, unfortunately, misses and hits Elizabeth-Maude right on the nose.)

Kli/abeth-Maude: Ow! Ow! 'MeliaJane I 'Melia-Jane! George-Ed ward'* bin an' 'it me right on the nose wiv a dirty ole orange peel!

Thomas-Henry (jeeringly): Git a bull's-eye oftener than me, wouldn't yer, George-EdwardT Not 'alf yer wouldn't!

Krnest-Marmaduke: I want ter play bull's-eye, too. 'Melia-Jane! 'MeliaJane!

Amelia-Jane (entering hurriedly R. 8.): Oh, clear, oh, dear! Whatever is the matter now! Thomas-Henry, what 'are yer bin up to?

Thomas-Henry (with injured innocence): Mel I ain't bin a-doin' nothink!

Kli/a!>eth-Matide: It's George-Edward. He's bin a-throwin' his 010 rags an' peelers at me, 'Melia-Jane! George-Edward: Oarn! 'Twas only one rag an' one peeler. Cry-baby!

Kli/abeth-Maude: I ain't a cry-baby! (Wails loudly.) Yer a nasty mean boy, George-Edward! Oh, 'Melia-Jane! 'MeliaJane! I wants ter go ter the party!

Krnest-Marmaduke (walling): So do I! So do I!

(They all four sob and sneeze in unison. ]

Amelia-Jane (desperately): Elizabeth Maude, be quiet this minufet ErneetMarmaduke, stop sniffing and snorting, do! I declare, if yer don't all stop niakisi' sech a 'orrible noise, I'll give yer all double medicine, an' not a single •cid-drop at all! Elizabeth-Maude (letting herself go): Don't care! Don't care! 'Orrible cross ole 'Melia-.Jane! Don't want yer 'orrible to id-drops! Thomas Henry (gloomily): It's all right for you—you ain't got no cold; you can go to the ole party an' enjoy yourself!

Amelia-Jane: Now, Thomas-Henry, tlmt ain't fnir. "Han't my fault you've nil pot cold* an' I ain't. I'm sure I wish there'd never bin any ole party, an' I'm »ure I wish I wasn't goin' to it. An' [ shan't be ready to, anyway, with all you naughty children 'inderin' me like this. And I don't want ter go without yi-r all, neither. (Collapse* suddenly in tears.) Ver know (weeping) I—don't want—tor go without yer. Elizabeth-Maude (hurling herself out of her chair on to Amelia-Jane): Thomas-Henry, you wicked boy! You've made my 'Melia-Jane cry. There, there, 'Melin, rlnrlin'i Don't you notice him. Thomas-Henry (struggling out of his ihawli: Your 'Melia-.Tane! 1 like that. Who was callin' her 'orrid an' cro*« jest now? J ain't makin' her cry. (Hurls him«elf on to Amelia-Jane also). She's my 'M.-lia .Fane jest a« much as yours, Eliaalj'th-Maude! Ain't yer, 'Mcliadune?; Ain't yer?

Amelia-Jane (pitting her arms round them): Oh, yes, darlin', I'm all your 'Melia-Janes!

Ernest-Marmaduke (following others): Me too —me too!

Amelia-Jane (still sobbing at intervals) : Oh, Ernest-Marmaduke, yer mustn't—git out—of your chair. Nor you—neither—Elizabeth an' ThomasHenry. You'll catch yer deaths! (Gathers them together and bundles them back to their chairs.) There! (Tucks them in one after the other.) Now you jest sit quiet a bit—do.

George-Edward: Like a bloomin' bena gerie it is in here.

Thomas-Henry (fiercely): And you're the liugliest monkey in it, GeorgeEdward!

Amelia-Jane (coaxingly): Now, don't begin again,, Thomas-Henry, dear. You jest see who can sit the quietest, without even eneezing, for two minutes, an' then we'll play "Schools" or "Fam'lies."

Elizabeth-Maude: But, 'Melia-Jane you'll be late for the party 1

Amelia-Jane (with assumed carelessness): Ob, bother the ole party! I ain't ,a-goin' to it.

Elizabeth-Maude and Thomas-Henry (astonished): Amelia-Jane!

Amelia-Jane (tidying room): I never did care for parties—nasty, noisy things they are!

Elizabeth-Maude: But you've bin countin' the days, same as we did.

Amelia-Jane (airily): Oh, that—that wu jest my fun! I never meant ter go, reely.

George-Edward: I know yer je«t did, then. An' I know yer jest goin' too! (Hurls himself out of his chair.) I'm the ban in thi* fam'ly, an' when I says a thing I beans it I You jest put on yer 'at, Jane, and start this very binute! (To be continued.)