The Mandie Collection

by Lois Gladys Leppard

  Mandie, with tears flowing down her face, once again ran back up to the stage to shake the man’s hand.

  The audience became noisy as they pushed their way to the front to give money and to offer labor on the house.

  Suddenly the piano blasted loudly over the uproar as the old hymn, “Count Your Blessings,” quieted shouts from the crowd and stirred them into loud singing.

  Mandie looked down and saw Joe pounding away on the piano. He looked at her and grinned.

  Everything was working out. The Lord had answered their prayers. Mandie found Uncle Ned at her side and together they looked upward and said, “Thank you, dear Lord.”

  THE END

  MANDIE AND JOE’S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE

  A Drama in Three Acts

  by Lois Gladys Leppard

  TIME: 1901

  PLACE: Franklin, North Carolina

  ACT I: Scene 1—The Sunday school room in a church basement.

  Late afternoon in December.

  Scene 2—The Sunday school room in a church basement.

  One evening several days later.

  ACT II: Sanctuary of church.

  Sunday morning, three days before Christmas.

  ACT III: Sanctuary of church.

  Christmas Eve night.

  CHARACTERS

  (in order of appearance)

  Mandie (Amanda) Shaw, 13-year-old blond girl

  Joe Woodard, 15-year-old boy

  2 small orphan girls

  2 small orphan boys

  Mrs. Taft, Mandie’s grandmother

  Liza, the maid in Mandie’s house

  4 additional orphan girls

  2 additional orphan boys

  George Simpson, New York actor

  People in audience of church

  Jenny, cook at Mandie’s house, as Mary

  Abraham, yardman at Mandie’s house, as Joseph

  Uncle Ned, elderly Cherokee Indian

  Man who speaks out in church

  Local retired minister, elderly

  ACT I—Scene 1

  THE SCENE:

  AT CURTAIN:

  MANDIE: (Hastily removing the girls’ coats and bonnets and tossing them on a chair as the girls race for the toys.) We need more. I was hoping we could locate at least a dozen.

  JOE: (Picking up the boys’ coats and hats as the boys throw them off and race to join the girls at the toys.) It’s going to be hard, if not impossible, to find eight more, especially with Christmas so close. (He sits on a bench nearby.)

  MANDIE: (Pushing back the hood on her cloak and sitting down beside Joe.) But we’ve just got to do it. I want this Christmas, in this year of 1901, to be remembered as a real Christmas with all its true meaning, and this is the way we planned to do it.

  JOE: We might could try something else.

  MANDIE: But this was the only idea we could come up with. (Rising, she takes off her cloak and hangs it and the children’s clothes on pegs on the wall upstage and walks over to the heater.) We need to build up this fire and get the children warm, don’t you think?

  JOE: I’ll take care of it. (He hurries offstage through the hallway exit and quickly returns with an armload of wood, which he places by the heater. Opening the heater door, he adds a piece of wood to the fire. Closes door.)

  MANDIE: (Watching.) That ought to warm this place up.

  JOE: (Dusting off his hands as he straightens up.) How are we going to do everything that is necessary, just the two of us? I think we need someone to help us, maybe Liza?

  MANDIE: I’m not sure we can trust Liza. I know she wouldn’t deliberately give away our secret, but she might just forget and say something to somebody. Besides, what would the other servants say if Liza just disappeared now and then and didn’t do her work?

  JOE: Well, who else is there?

  MANDIE: There’s my mother and there’s Uncle John, but I don’t want them to know what we’re doing. What we really need is a wagon so we could go farther out into the country.

  JOE: A wagon? The only wagon we’d have a chance of getting belongs to your Uncle John. When my father and mother get here, I’m sure they’ll be in the buggy.

  MANDIE: I sure am glad y’all are spending the holidays with us. I couldn’t do all this by myself. (She looks up at Joe and smiles.)

  JOE: (Running his fingers through his hair.) And I don’t think you and I together can do all this. Mandie, we need someone else in on this. For instance, how are we going to take care of these children down here in the church basement? They have to be fed and will need supervision. We can’t just go off and leave them in here all alone.

  MANDIE: (Walking about the room and glancing at the children playing.) I know that, Joe. One of us can stay here while the other one goes to find more. And I’m sure I can get plenty of food from our kitchen. After all, I live just across the road. And we’ve got that stack of shuck mattresses in the other room for them to sleep on, plus all those quilts I found in our linen closet. So I don’t see any problem with anything.

  JOE: (Strolling over to look out the window.) It’s an awfully big job for just the two of us.

  MANDIE: (Walking over to the window.) Look! It’s beginning to snow. (Snowflakes can be seen falling on the shrubbery outside the window.)

  JOE: Yes, and I think we’d better get some food in here for the night.

  MANDIE: All right. It’s not quite time for Jenny to begin preparing supper at our house, so while there’s no one in our kitchen, I’ll make a quick trip over there and bring back whatever I can find. (She walks over to the clothes hanging on the pegs upstage, takes down her cloak, and quickly puts it on.)

  JOE: (Turning around to watch Mandie.) Thank goodness you don’t have a pastor at this church right now, or he’d be sure to catch up with us.

  MANDIE: (Walking to the door.) The new one won’t arrive until February. I’ll be right back. (Mandie opens the door.) Grandmother!(Mandie steps back into the room.)

  MRS. TAFT: (Mrs. Taft enters through the door. She is expensively dressed in winter clothes.) Mr. Bond brought me from the depot, and he told me you were probably over here getting a play ready for the holidays. (She looks around the room, sees the four children.)

  MANDIE: You’re a day early.

  MRS. TAFT: Amanda, whose children are these?

  MANDIE: (Mandie glances at Joe, who stands listening.) Grandmother, they are a secret. And we need some help.

  MRS. TAFT: Help, dear? What kind of help?

  MANDIE: (Mandie glances at Joe again.) Well, all kinds of help. But, please understand, Grandmother, what I’m about to tell you is a secret, and you won’t give away my secret, will you?

  MRS. TAFT: Amanda, what on earth are you talking about? I’ve got to get on across the road to your house. Mr. Bond will be taking in my luggage, and your mother is going to wonder where I am.

  MANDIE: Well, you see, Joe Woodard and I have determined that we will make this Christmas a real Christmas, the way Jesus’ birth ought to be celebrated. And we’ve made these secret plans, but we need some help. We don’t want anyone to know what we’re doing so it will be a big surprise.

  MRS. TAFT: (Looking from Mandie to Joe and back.) Amanda, what are you and Joe up to? Please hurry and explain.

  MANDIE: We are collecting orphans to put on a Christmas play here at the church. We got permission to give a play since we don’t have a pastor right now, but nobody knows how we are planning on doing this. And there are so many angles and odds and ends to this, and only two of us to get it all done. We need someone in on our secret, and I think you are the best secret-keeper I know of. (She grins at Mrs. Taft.)

  MRS. TAFT: Oh, dear! And where are you getting all these orphans? (She looks at Joe.)

  JOE: Mandie is in charge. (He grins.)

  MANDIE: We just brought two little girls from the Swafford farm and two boys from the Pinsons down on Bryson City Road. And we are looking for more. We need about twelve to sing in the play. But now that we’ve begun all this, I can see that
we need someone to help. Will you, Grandmother, will you, please? (She looks at her grandmother anxiously.)

  MRS. TAFT: Do you mean to say these people just let you take the children off like that?

  MANDIE: They’re orphans, Grandmother. It seems nobody cares about orphans—where they go, or what they do. That’s why we decided to have no one but orphans in our play. We want everybody to change their attitude toward these little children without mothers and fathers.

  MRS. TAFT: (Watching the children playing in the corner.) Amanda, I know you’re always trying to do good, but sometimes you have some strange ideas about how to accomplish things. (She sighs.) What is it you want me to do, dear?

  MANDIE: (Smiling.) Oh, thank you, Grandmother, for understanding. Here’s what we need. First of all, we need some money to buy wood for the heaters, the one in here and the one in the sanctuary. We need food for the children, and some of them just have to have warmer clothes. And we need a wagon, so we can go on out into the country and find more orphaned children—

  MRS. TAFT: (Interrupting.) All right, all right. Please tell me quickly what you want me to do.

  MANDIE: (Glancing at Joe.) Joe and I are hoping the people here in Franklin will join with us in helping the orphans, but we also need someone to help us with the work.

  MRS. TAFT: And just how do you think this play and whatever else you do will help the orphan situation?

  MANDIE: After the play is over, we are going to ask the audience to make a contribution toward the support of the orphans. (She quickly looks at Mrs. Taft.) Did you know that people give orphans a home in order to get free labor? These tiny children who don’t have a place to live are farmed out to anyone who is willing to give them a place to stay in exchange for work. Imagine these small children having to work for their living!

  MRS. TAFT: It is a sorry situation right now, Amanda. I agree on that. But it will take a lot to make a difference. (She looks at Mandie.) And you said you need help with this. Have you spoken to your father’s old Cherokee friend, Uncle Ned, about what you’re doing? Maybe he could help.

  MANDIE: I haven’t seen Uncle Ned since Joe and I decided to do this. We’ve had to act so fast. Christmas is just around the corner, you know.

  MRS. TAFT: Of course I’ll be glad to give you whatever money y’all need, but I think you should ask Liza to help out with this. She would be really good at taking care of the children.

  MANDIE: I’m not sure she can keep a secret. Maybe you could explain to her that no one else is to know what we’re doing. She would listen to you.

  MRS. TAFT: I’ll see what I can do, but right now I must be getting over to the house, or someone will come looking for me.

  MANDIE: I’ll go with you, Grandmother. I have to get food from our kitchen for the children’s supper. (She turns to Joe.) Joe, I’ll be right back.

  (Mandie and Mrs. Taft walk toward the door. The door opens. Liza, the Shaw maid, enters.)

  LIZA: (Closing the door.) Miz Taft, Mistuh Bond he told me to come and git you. Miz ’Lizabeth seen you come over heah.

  MRS. TAFT: You came at just the right time, Liza. We need your help. Amanda has these children (She motions toward the children.) staying here in the basement of the church, and we would like you to watch them while Amanda and Joe eat supper since you won’t be having your meal until later.

  LIZA: (Looking at the children in surprise.) Chillun in de church? (She looks at Mrs. Taft.) But, Aunt Lou, whut she gwine say if I run off like dat?

  MRS. TAFT: (With her hand on the doorknob.) I’ll explain to her. Now, Amanda, you and Joe hurry on over to the house. (She exits the door, closing it behind her.)

  JOE: We won’t be gone real long, Liza. We’ll be back in plenty of time for you to go have your supper.

  LIZA: (Looking at the children.) Where you git dese heah chillun? Who dey be?

  MANDIE: They’re orphans. Just like you. They don’t have a mother or father. We need you to watch them to be sure they don’t get too close to the heater and they don’t go outside.

  LIZA: Dem po’ lil’ chillun, no mamas and no papas.

  MANDIE: And I forgot to tell you, Liza, but we need you to stay here with them tonight.

  LIZA: You means spend de night in dis heah spooky church? (Her eyes widen.)

  MANDIE: Liza, this church is not spooky. It’s God’s house.

  LIZA: But I cain’t see God. How does I knows He be heah? S’pose de Devil he be heah, too?

  MANDIE: Oh, Liza, the Devil wouldn’t dare come into God’s house. Remember, these little children need you. They don’t have any mothers and fathers.

  LIZA: (Glancing at the children and then looking back at Mandie.) But, Missy ’Manda, I’se jes’ plain skeered to stay in dis heah place all night ’ess y’all stays, too. (She glances toward the window.) And all dem dead people out dere in de graveyard.

  JOE: I tell you what, Liza. As soon as everyone in the house goes to bed I’ll come back over here and sleep in the next room if you’ll stay in here with the children.

  LIZA: (Slowly replying.) Well, I s’pose me and dese heah chillun be all right if you sleeps in de next room. (She adds quickly.) But mind you now, if I wakes up and you done gwine left dis heah place, den I be leavin’, too.

  MANDIE: And I’ll come and stay any time Joe is not here. We won’t leave you alone all night. Now we’ve got to get some food for the children’s supper and we’ll be right back.

  LIZA: I guess dat’s all right den.(She walks over to watch the children.)

  JOE: (Putting on his cap and opening the door.) We won’t be gone long. (He waits for Mandie to step outside ahead of him.)

  MANDIE: (Going out the door.) We can rotate nights, Joe. I can stay tonight, and you tomorrow night, and so on.

  JOE: (Following Mandie out the door.) That’s fine.

  CURTAIN

  ACT I—Scene 2

  THE SCENE:

  AT CURTAIN:

  MANDIE: (Holding up a small, white robe.) Aunt Lou certainly did a good job on these. I’ve got to tell her how much I appreciate her work.

  JOE: (Holding a pair of wings to go on the robe.) She certainly did. We’re lucky your grandmother came to our rescue. Without your cook, Jenny, preparing food for the children and Aunt Lou making the costumes, we would never in this world get finished on time.

  MANDIE: You’re right. (She puts the costume down on the table and looks at the children.) You know, anybody could look at Jasper and Jake and tell they were brothers, but the boys themselves don’t seem aware of it. It’s a shame they’ve been put into different homes since they were babies. I imagine this is the first time they’ve ever really seen each other.

  JOE: (Also looking at the children.) I think we ought to tell them they’re brothers.

  MANDIE: I don’t imagine Mrs. Oglesby, who keeps Jake, would mind. But that bunch of bootleggers who have Jasper would probably raise the roof.

  JOE: There’s nothing they could do about it if we did tell the boys. In fact, Jasper might be taken away from them if the right people knew what kind of home he is in.

  MANDIE: But, Joe, think how it would hurt the boys to know they were brothers and couldn’t live together.

  JOE: (Pacing the floor.) This thing has become too complicated for comfort.

  MANDIE: It’s not much longer to wait. Sunday we’ll give the play, and Grandmother has already promised we could all go Christmas caroling on Christmas Eve, and keep the children here until late Christmas Day on Wednesday so we can give them the presents she is going to place beneath the tree.

  JOE: Don’t you think we’d better practice a little more for the play? The children need to learn to stay together on the songs.

  MANDIE: All right. (She looks over at Liza.) Liza, let’s line the children up and sing some of the songs. The more they practice, the better they’ll be.

  LIZA: (Getting up off the floor where she has been sitting with the children and urging the ten children to line up.) Let’s stand up straight heah do
wn by de table and show Missy ’Manda how good we is. How ’out dat “Silent Night” song we done learned? (All ten children obey as they line up and begin singing.) Silent Night, Holy Night—loud now so Mistuh Joe he kin hear you, too.

  MANDIE: (Mandie and Joe stand nearby to watch and listen as the children go through the whole song without a noticeable mistake. Claps as the song ends. The children go back to play.) That was wonderful! (Turning to Joe.) They need some music. I didn’t even think about that. And I don’t know where we’re going to get someone to play the piano.

  JOE: (Walking toward the hallway exit.) There’s a piano in this next room here. (He exits.)

  MANDIE: (Remains on stage.) Yes, but what good is it to us? (Suddenly the sound of “Silent Night, Holy Night,” bursts forth from the piano in the next room.)

  MANDIE: (Hurrying to the hallway exit. She looks offstage as she calls to Joe.) Joe Woodard! (The music stops.) When did you learn to play the piano?

  JOE: (Entering from the hallway exit.) A long, long time ago.

  MANDIE: I’ve known you all my life, and I didn’t know you could play the piano. Why have you been so secretive about it?

  JOE: (Flopping into a chair near the table.) I haven’t been. My mother taught me as soon as I could walk, just about. But I revolted after I got up in school.

  MANDIE: I’m glad to find this out about you, because I’m sure we’re going to make use of your talent for this play. (She grins at him.)

  JOE: (Stands up and yawns, picks up his coat and cap from a chair.) I think I’m going to the house now. It’s late.

  MANDIE: (Stands up.) I know. The children have stayed up way past their bedtime.

  JOE: (Placing his coat and cap back on the chair.) I’ll stoke up the fire in the heater for you and get the mattresses ready for the children. (He goes to the heater, opens the door, pokes at the fire inside, and adds more wood from a pile on the floor.)