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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75977 ***
+
+Transcriber’s Note: Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by
+_underscores_; those in blackletter font are surrounded by ~tildes~.
+
+
+
+
+                             THE DUQUESNE
+                          CHRISTMAS MYSTERY
+
+
+
+
+                             THE DUQUESNE
+                          CHRISTMAS MYSTERY
+
+                            AS WRITTEN BY
+                         THOMAS WOOD STEVENS
+                    TO BE ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF
+                        DUQUESNE PENNSYLVANIA
+                            XXIII DECEMBER
+                                MCMXVI
+
+                        [Illustration: colophon]
+
+                         WITH DECORATIONS BY
+                         HARRY LAWRENCE GAGE
+
+
+
+
+                            Copyright 1916
+                        By Thomas Wood Stevens
+                         All rights reserved
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: decorative banner]
+
+
+BEFORE US _is a steep hillside, crossed midway by a paved road. Up
+the center of the hill are stairways of stone, with wide landings; at
+the top, blocking out the stars, is a dark building with crenellated
+turrets. Beside the roadway is a windowless hut--a mere blind
+wall--and at each side of this wall the stairways ascend. Below is
+a playing field, and beyond this, further down, a river, with great
+mills beside it, where even at Christmastide the loud forges are
+flaming._
+
+_From the high turrets a sound as of many trumpets floats down. Then
+a light breaks on the level above the roof of the hut, and one sees
+dimly three figures, grave, majestic, imperative--the Prophets Hosea,
+Micah, and Isaiah._
+
+
+                                ISAIAH
+
+    List ye, as it is written, so spake I
+    Isaiah: For the Lord Himself shall send
+    Ye forth a sign; a virgin shall conceive,
+    And bear a son, and ye shall call his name
+    Immanuel.... And to thy light shall come
+    Gentiles, and kings unto the brightness of
+    Thy risen star.
+
+                                MICAH
+
+    List ye, as it is written, so spake I,
+    Micah, prophet of God’s will:
+    Thou, Bethlehem, though thou be little among
+    The thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come
+    Him who shall rule in Israel, whose path
+    Hath from of old been destined, everlasting.
+
+                                HOSEA
+
+    List ye, as it is written, so spake I,
+    Hosea: When Israel was a child
+    I loved him well, and for his sake I called
+    My son out of dark Egypt.
+
+                                ISAIAH
+
+    So spake we, prophets of the wandering years,
+    Lifting our hearts in hope to beat with God.
+    List ye, for He hath wrought our visions out,
+    And He hath sent His Son to feed His flock
+    Like to a shepherd. He hath gathered home
+    The lambs unto His bosom. Praise His name.
+
+                                  _The three Prophets disappear.
+                                  Below, on the hillside, three
+                                  Eastern Kings are seen approaching._
+
+                                JASPAR
+
+    Stay, brothers and princes. The star is lost.
+
+                              BALTHASAR
+
+    Now for twelve nights it hath burned clear.
+
+                               MELCHOIR
+
+    And floated on before to guide our steps.
+    Here is some evil thing that it should fade.
+
+                              BALTHASAR
+
+    Some evil near. Stay we our course. The star
+    That westward we have trailed from Araby
+    And your bright orient kingdoms, will not fail
+    Until the prophecies we read of old
+    Be new fulfilled. But peril to the Child
+    Might dim its fire.
+
+                                JASPAR
+
+                        Yea, in the ancient scrolls
+    Are dangers written deep. The star-flame blows
+    Back at the heavy tread of mailed feet.
+
+                                  _Below, on the stairway, Herod
+                                  appears, and comes slowly up
+                                  followed by guards and counsellors._
+
+                               MELCHOIR
+
+    What gleam of helmets yonder, and of gold?
+
+                              BALTHASAR
+
+    Some lord is this, whose rule is not as ours.
+
+                                JASPAR
+
+    Hail, Prince, and peace, and light unto thy path!
+
+                                HEROD
+
+    What stranger kings are these who come unknown,
+    Unbidden, to my realm?
+
+                              BALTHASAR
+
+                            From out the East
+    We come, Melchoir, and Jaspar, King of Taurus,
+    And he who speaks you here, Balthasar
+    Prince of Araby. We are come to seek
+    A Child new-born whose mystic star we found
+    As prophets had foretold from long ago,
+    A Child born to be King of the Jews. We come
+    With gifts to greet and worship Him. Say thou
+    Where is this Child?
+
+                                HEROD
+
+                          King of the Jews, ye say.
+    I know Him not.
+
+                                JASPAR
+
+                     Who art thou, good my lord?
+
+                                HEROD
+
+    Forgive mine evil courtesy, sir princes,
+    But I am troubled.... Herod is my name, a king
+    In this lean land of Judah. Speak you fair,
+    And say again--this star--these prophecies?
+
+                                JASPAR
+
+    The star hath led us westward, wondering on;
+    The prophecies name Bethlehem, a town
+    Little in Judah, whence shall come a King
+    To rule in Israel, anoint of God.
+
+                                HEROD
+
+    I knew it not. I have no child.... But when
+    First saw ye this new star?
+
+                              BALTHASAR
+
+                                 Twelve nights ago.
+    ’Tis like the Child was born that night.
+
+                                HEROD
+
+    Yea, very like, and have ye told me all?
+
+                              BALTHASAR
+
+    All that hath been revealed. We wait
+    Here with our gifts. The star may burn again.
+
+                                HEROD
+
+    My greetings, Princes. Freedoms of my realm
+    Be yours. But this I pray you, when you find
+    The Child indeed, bring me straight word of it.
+    For I would worship also.
+
+                                JASPAR
+
+              Peace be thine.
+
+                                       _Herod goes down the stair, and
+                                       pauses at the central landing,
+                                       his spearmen and counsellors
+                                       about him._
+
+                                HEROD
+
+    Dreams and seditions! When these kings return,
+    These dark intruding Magi, with their babe,
+    Bring them before me. They adventure far
+    But I will send them on a longer quest.
+
+                             A COUNSELLOR
+
+    Whither wilt send them, Tetrarch?
+
+                                HEROD
+
+                                       Unto death.
+    For all their dreams are treason ’gainst my house.
+
+                              COUNSELLOR
+
+    And if they do not find the child?
+
+                                HEROD
+
+                                       Still--death.
+    For they have mocked me, searching.
+
+                              COUNSELLOR
+
+                                        And the child?
+
+                                HEROD
+
+    Hear ye my sentence: if they find this child,
+    He dies. And if they find him not, but slip
+    Out of my hands unrecompensed, then all
+    Men children of this young child’s year, shall die,
+    That he escape not.
+
+                              COUNSELLOR
+
+                         These be bloody words.
+
+                                HEROD
+
+    I have my prophets too. Wouldst flout their law
+    And mine? Set on.
+
+                                          _Herod and his people move
+                                          slowly down the stairways
+                                          into darkness. In radiance
+                                          above the center appears the
+                                          Messenger Gabriel._
+
+                               GABRIEL
+
+    The watchers of the skies, God’s messengers,
+    Keep ward upon this land to-night. The tyrant
+    Speaketh true: the olden words shall fall
+    Like blades of harvest on the innocents
+    And Rachael weep, and weep uncomforted.
+    So it is written. But the child they seek
+    Dies not, but waits his agony, serene
+    Amid the singing of the morning stars.
+
+                               _The Gloria in Excelsis is heard
+                               afar off. At the left, on the hillside,
+                               a faint light glows upon
+                               a group of watching shepherds.
+                               As the light brightens, they hear
+                               the heavenly voices, see the angel,
+                               and, struck with awe, fall
+                               upon their knees._
+
+                               GABRIEL
+
+   ~Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of
+    great joy, which shall be to all people.
+    For unto you is born this day, in the city of David,
+    a Saviour which is Christ the Lord.
+    And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find
+    the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a
+    manger.~
+
+                                      _The shepherds gather wondering,
+                                      as the heavenly messenger
+                                      disappears and the chorus
+                                      echoes into silence._
+
+                            FIRST SHEPHERD
+
+    Saw ye, my brothers?
+
+                           SECOND SHEPHERD
+
+    Yea truly, and marveled.
+
+                            THIRD SHEPHERD
+
+    And lo, our people come now from the hills
+    With wonder upon them.
+
+                           SECOND SHEPHERD
+
+    Let the sheep graze alone. The Lord his hand
+    Is over us and all our flocks to-night.
+
+                            FIRST SHEPHERD
+
+    This we have seen is in God’s will. And men
+    Hearing of us this strange new word, will come
+    From far to kneel adoring,--all such men
+    As we who toil and watch. Not unto captains
+    Of wrath, high lords, and governors of cities
+    Did he speak, but unto simple folk he came
+    And cried his tidings of great joy. To us
+    God’s messenger doth pledge a Saviour Christ,
+    And they who toil and watch, shall know of it.
+
+                                       _He turns toward the windowless
+                                       wall at the center._
+
+   ~Let us go now unto Bethlehem and see the thing
+    which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made
+    known unto us.~
+
+
+_Again the trumpets sound, and a mighty music of voices aspires as
+the thronging messengers of heaven appear along the central causeway.
+Before them, above the windowless wall, a star swings magically into
+flame. The Shepherds and the Eastern Kings move toward the star,
+enwrapt and silent._
+
+_Now the wall seems suddenly to vanish. In its place, filled with
+a golden radiance, is the manger, and Mary the Mother holding the
+Child._
+
+_The Shepherds kneel in adoration; and the Kings lay at her feet
+their gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh._
+
+_Up from below come slowly the men and women of the nations who dwell
+in the city, they too kneeling till the stairways are dark with
+them; and all the while the music swells with a great gladness._
+
+_The vision fades, and the people turn singing to the darkness below,
+where the forges are clanging._
+
+_And now the Tree on the playing field breaks into light, and down
+the stone stairways patter the feet of many children, trooping with
+song to dance around its glistening spire._
+
+
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 75977 ***