Title: The cinnamon heart
A mediæval candy scrape in 3 acts
Author: Arthur L. Brown
Howard Hoppin
Release date: July 10, 2024 [eBook #74002]
Language: English
Original publication: Providence: J. A. & R. A. Reid
Credits: Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
A Mediæval Candy Scrape,
In 3 Acts.
WRITTEN BY
Mr. Arthur L. Brown and Mr. Howard Hoppin.
Authors’ Copy.
PROVIDENCE:
J. A. & R. A. REID, Printers, 24 Custom House Street.
1883.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, by Arthur L. Brown
and Howard Hoppin, in the office of the Librarian of
Congress, at Washington.
All Rights Reserved.
Address,
ARTHUR L. BROWN, or
HOWARD HOPPIN,
Providence, R. I.
PRINCESS CARAMELLA—Daughter of King Nougat I. | Soprano. |
SASSYFRASS, | Contralto. |
NOUGAT I., | Buffo. |
PROF. PARACELSUS FINIGIN, | Bass. |
THE LOVER, | Tenor. |
CHORUS OF MAIDS, | Alto & Soprano. |
CHORUS OF SUITORS, | Tenors. |
CHORUS OF CHEMISTS, | Basses. |
PAGES TO CARAMELLA. |
Castle Courtyard of Nougat I.:
Chemist’s Laboratory:
Same as Act I., but with window broken and signs of devastation.
Castle Courtyard of Nougat I.—Suitors grouped about stage, looking up at window, L. C. All with guitars. All singing.
Prof. (spoken).—Good morning!
All (disappointedly).—Good morning!
Chem.—H’m, H’m! (Assenting.)
Prof.—Well, this is Princess Caramella, daughter of our honored king, Nougat First.
Chem.—Ho! Ho! (Surprised.)
Prof. (to Cara.)—And these gentlemen are followers in my footsteps and like me, though in a minor degree. Doctors of Science and Registered Pharmacists.
Chem.—Ha! Ha! (Satisfaction.)
Prof. (introducing).—Princess Caramella—Registered Pharmacists. Registered Pharmacists—Princess Caramella.
Chem.—He, he! (Laughing.)
(Recit.) A box of candy I will give to you. In it you will find delicious choc’late creams and lemon drops, rose lozenges and sugar almonds, molasses candy, too, and soothing juju paste—but far above all others, you will find my caramels, of which his noble heart is to be made.
Scene.—Chemist’s Laboratory. Stone wall at back with raised stone step. Hidden pivoted door rear L. C. Arched stone ceiling. Stone forge R., with fire and retorts. Door L. Window at back R. C. Chemists seated and standing. All working upon different parts of Dummy. Half light. All pounding and sawing. Low music.
Prof. (hurriedly, breaking into prose).—See! he’s getting very angry—it’s no time for rhyme now.—Speak in prose—quick, for gracious sakes! and think of something; get up some kind of a name, and tell him—if he gets mad it will ruin all!
King.—That’s a fact! He is getting very angry. I can’t think—you think of something, Professor—he’s scowling at me!
Prof.—I see the force of your argument, and also observe the satanic depression of the eye-brows you refer to; but, for the life of me, I can’t think of anything but Johnny.
King.—Well, call him Johnny—quick!
Prof. (turning to Eben).—Ahem! your name is—
Cara. (suddenly coming front).—Oh! I have it! It is a name I always wanted my lover to have. How lucky it was that I remembered it. Oh! it’s perfectly lovely!
(Same scene as First Act, but windows all broken and everything smashed—placard nailed up: “Recruits Wanted!!” “Expedition Against Ebenezer Riley.” Telephone hung by L. C. door.)
(Curtain rises upon Suitors, worn and dejected looking, sitting in a row on back wall, holding guitars, all fast asleep.)
King (spoken).—Section one!
Whereas, A person calling himself Ebenezer Riley, has, by force and arms, cut the water pipes of our realm; cut the gas pipes of our realm; broken the window glass of our realm; upset the hay-stacks of our realm; frightened the women of our realm; prowled about our realm; and generally hurt, scared, damaged, terrified, and seriously deranged our realm;
Be it Resolved!
All.—Ebenezer Riley must be hanged!
(Telephone bell rings;—King goes back C., and speaks through it.)
King.—Hullo! Hullo! Hullo! Central office! Hey? Central office! Central office!!! (Aside.) (The central office is a little off his base.) Hey? Of course I did! Connect me with central barracks. Yes, they are too! Look in the Directory! Hey? Well, why didn’t you do it before? What’s that you say? I heard you!—you confounded—(Whispers in telephone.) What? You’d better pay attention to business, or I will. Hullo!—Central guard house and barracks! Of course it is.—Hey? Yes! Nougat First! Well, you’d better! Have you seen Ebenezer Riley this morning? Has he done anything in particular this A.M.? Can’t you understand? Has he done anything in particular this A.M.? Has-he-done-any-thing-in-par-tic-u-lar-this-D.-A.-M.!! Well, why didn’t you say so—(By George!!) that’s the worst yet! Why didn’t you stop him? Get it mended, then, so that it will shoot. Oh, tell them to charge it. Yes, they will—they know me. Riley broke it?—(Oh! the villain!) He does, hey? Was he coming very rapidly? What? Oh! More indignities, more destruction! (Very angry.) I’ll fix him! (Smiles.) You don’t say so! Of course we can. Is he there now? (Laughs.) That’s the best I’ve heard yet. Well! Be sure that nobody wakes him. Hey? Oh! Good-bye. (Comes down.) By George!
(Sings.) Whereas, This person aforesaid, calling himself Ebenezer Riley, has gone and been and laid himself down upon the lea side of a convenient haystack,[49] and whereas he has with him only a broom handle and two bricks, and whereas, besides all this, he is fast asleep and snoring like mad;
Be it resolved:
All.—Ebenezer Riley must be hanged!
(Aside.) I’m not going to be wheedled over to mercy—if she charges me I know I’ll explode.
King (low).—And captain, invite all the maids to the execution—25 cents a ticket—they’ll pay it. (Loud.) Well—why don’t you obey—do you hear me?
(Exit Capt., hurriedly.)
(King walks up and down, mumbling to himself—Cara. sobbing down R.)