drive, we went straight to one of the busiest men in this country, Theodore N. Vail of the telephone, and conscripted him. He and the other members are heart and soul in the work. The vast bulk of the personnel is volunteers, and administrative expenses are estimated not to exceed 1 per cent. of the amounts expended for actual relief. Can any business show a lower ratio? The Red Cross represents you, whether you join or not. Congress and the President have so decided. They are in constant conference with its officers; they approve its work. To the Red Cross Headquarters in Washington come the cables and telegrams, calling for hospital supplies, for surgical dressings and the rest; calling for refugee garments for the stricken lands, facing a winter without fuel; and the Red Cross will do its best. If it fails, it will be because there are only twenty-four hours in a day. But the Red Cross will be efficient, will be truly representative only as the whole American people are behind it. And that means you; that means ten million Christmas members through all this land of ours. The Red Cross needs you if it is to be democratic, if it is to profit by your interest and your experience, your criticism and your praise. No one has a right to criticize the Red Cross who is not a member, with his coat off and plunged up to the neck in Red Cross work. There are no bleachers in this world's series. We are all in the game together. We can pull it off if we have team play. Are you with us? Will you be a Red Cross Christmas member? Your dollar will entitle you to membership for 1918. Two dollars brings not only a year's membership but a year's 'subscription to the RED CROSS MAGAZINE as well. If you joined earlier, join now for the Christmas joy of it and come in on the new plan of linking the Red Cross Path of Service forever with the Christmas spirit. We hope to make membership hereafter for the calendar year, to simplify bookkeeping of membership files in the chapters. Fifty cents of your membership goes to your Red Cross chapter-goes into wool for comfortable sweaters, for the kind, soft bandages, for warm garments for freezing children. Fifty cents goes to Washington, to pay to get the supplies to those who need them, and to send experts and workers to the field. Of the two dollar membership, seventy-five cents goes to the chapter, the rest for the magazine and the national work, and the magazine pays into the Red Cross fund a substantial dividend from sales and advertising. Our treasurer is the Treasurer of the United States; our accounts are audited in a national way. Our President is your President, Woodrow Wilson. Will you stand with him this Christmas, Americans? Are you with us to the end, for humanity? Then join the Red Cross now, and be a Christmas member, letting the good deeds of the Red Cross be the expression of your own Christmas good will. Red Cross Work BY AMELIA JOSEPHINE BURR (Of the Vigilantes) Interminable folds of gauze Here is a charming little play which the Red Cross kiddies can easily act for the benefit of the Red Cross. The parts and staging are all so simple that they can easily be understood by even the very smallest tots, yet the underlying motive of the protective spirit of the Red Cross can readily be grasped. As a play for the schoolroom or the junior branches it is ideal. The Red Cross Policeman A REALISTIC PLAY FOR CHILDREN BY STARK YOUNG (Notes for production: The theatre may be as simple or as splendid as you wish-a box, an opening in some sort of wall-board or wood, or a little model of a regular theatre. Dolls or figures cut out and tacked on to blocks to make them stand up, and worked by hand from the sides, or worked from above with wires, may be (The night before Christmas. A street in front of Andrew's house. It is almost dark and the light of the windows shines in bright squares here and there. At the corner of the house the Policeman with the Red Cross. on his breast stands like a statue, though one can scarcely see him at all just now. The clock is striking two. Two robbers enter.) THE ROBBER WITH THE CLOAK (In a harsh, cruel voice.) Two o'clock. He will be asleep now surely. And I know he has some pennies and a silver cup that we can get. We will sell them and spend the money for ourselves. Heh, Partner? THE FAT ROBBER (In a growling, thick voice.) Yes. We will just tie the .boy down and take what we please. Perhaps his mother used for the characters. Or real children may act the parts. Andrew, the little boy's, house is painted on a cardboard sheet with windows cut here and there, pasted over with thin paper. The policeman appears by being lighted from off the scene, or by an electric bulb in his inside.) has some rings too, and his father a gold watch. THE ROBBER WITH THE CLOAK Well, we'll see who has the pretty trinkets to-morrow. Come, where's your false key for the door? THE FAT ROBBER (The POLICEMAN with the Red Cross on his breast suddenly shines out like one of the little glass statues of him with a light inside that go on the Christmas Tree. The robbers give a yell of surprise.) THE ROBBER WITH THE CLOAK THE FAT ROBBER Andrew lives, his house is here. What is it you want? But you don't mean to hurt him, do you? MR. PINECONE Oh, no, not at all. I'd never hurt such a dear little boy. To tell you the truth I have been coming ever since sunset to this house, bringing him some presents from the woodpeople. You see he is kind to them and never tears them up from the earth and leaves them to die by the roadside. These are gifts for him when he grows to be a soldier. Miss Pussy Willow sends silken down for his pillow. Miss Forgetmenot sends a blue ribbon to remember his friends by. And there is a golden bugle from Mr. Foxglove and a box of sweets from Mrs. Honey Bee that has the candy shop in the hedge. And a hero's wreath from the Laurels. Ugh, I'm tired of this heavy basket. Too far, too far! THE POLICEMAN How jolly, all those pretty things! The little boy will be very happy. He is going to be a soldier some day. MR. PINECONE Well, good-bye, I'll just leave them here with you and thanks. And now I've got to stumble all the way back again! Too far, too far! (He goes out. The FAIRY PRINCE appears. He came either from the side or down out of the sky above, you may not be quite sure which; and he looks like an angel dressed in a shining Christmas tree.) THE FAIRY PRINCE You are the friend that watches over the merry little Andrew, who loves us fairies and sends messages to us? Are you? THE POLICEMAN I am that. And what will you have, Sir? THE FAIRY PRINCE My mother, the Faerie Queen sends me with these beautiful things, forty-eight golden stars and a piece of blue sky, and bands of sunset and white cloud, to put them together and make his flag of them. She sends these beautiful things because this little boy loves the fairies. I will leave them with you. I must hurry on away before the day comes. But look, there is a faint rose opening in the sky, I must away. Ahoy, Ahoy! (He is gone all of a sudden, down the dark street or floating away into the air.) THE POLICEMAN Bless my soul, the pretty young fellow is gone! (He disappears. Morning dawns. You can see the POLICEMAN plainly now, standing there like a wooden statue in front of a cigar shop. The little boy comes out of the house.) ANDREW standing at his corner. What a happy day! Ah, I see the policeman standing at his corner. Everyone thinks it is only a wooden statue painted over; Cook says so and Nurse says so, but I know better. Mr. Policeman, Mr. Policeman, I have been a good boy, please speak to me, won't you please! Oh, what if I was dreaming and he is only a statue after all, as Nurse says. Oh dear! THE POLICEMAN (Suddenly growing brighter.) Ha, ha, ha, so you thought you were dreaming. Oh no, little Boy, there are no dreams, they are all true things. No, I won't leave you. I have some presents for you. ANDREW Presents for me? Oh, how jolly! Who could have left them? Who has been here? THE POLICEMAN Oh a number of persons have been here. I will tell you about it all. But I must disappear so that no one will see me. Come close and I will whisper it all to you. (He disappears and seems to be only a statue again.) ANDREW Just wait a minute till I put the stars and the blue sky and the sunrise stripes together. (He leans over the presents and unfurls a beautiful flag.) Now, good old policeman, I'm coming. Now tell me. And I love you and nobody knows. |