(Mrs. Banks enters carrying large pile of clothing, which she deposits upon a chair.)

Mrs. Banks. Dear me, that was heavy! Now for the newspapers.

(Exit and returns with newspapers which she places on a table near the pile of clothing.)

Mrs. B. Now I have twine all ready and scissors, and everything but the folks to do the work. It’s the same way in every church. A few are willing to do all the work and the rest are all willing to have them. There comes Martha Jenkins now!

(Hurriedly straightens sofa cushion, changes position of chairs, smoothes hair.)

(Enter Mrs. Jenkins.)

Mrs. B. (effusively). Well, Martha, I am glad to see you! I began to think that not a soul was coming to help me pack the missionary box. Take off your things!

Mrs. Jenkins. Thank you. (Removes hat, gloves and coat.)

Mrs. B. What a pretty waist! Did you buy it ready made?

Mrs. J. New! No indeed! I made that out of last year’s and the one before that pieced together. John has read an article about how you can make nice dresses out of stuff you have in the rag bag, so he says I’m just as smart as the woman that wrote that article, and he wanted me to try it. (sits).

Mrs. Banks. Well, William did say something about that to me, so I suppose he read the same article, so I said all right, but I’d have to economize on him too. I’d cut off the tops of his socks for wristlets for cold weather, and I’d make neckties out of Mildred’s hairbows for him, and I’d try to make over his old frock coat into a sack coat to wear to the store on week days, so that silenced him all right!

Mrs. Jenkins. There’s really no reason for economy being an exclusively feminine virtue.

Mrs. B. (Taking up several of the articles from the pile of clothing). These things look as if somebody had been economizing all right.

Mrs. J. (placing newspaper carefully in the bottom of the box). Suppose we get busy now and pack the box.

Mrs. B. (doubtfully). I don’t believe any of the others are coming.

Mrs. J. Emmeline Miller told me she couldn’t come on account of domestic affliction.

Mrs. B. (surprised). How terrible! What was it?

Mrs. J. Her husband’s mother and two aunts have come to spend a week, and Emmeline said if that wasn’t domestic affliction she didn’t know what was!

Mrs. B. Well we can soon get the box packed. Here’s a nice overcoat! (Holds it up.)

Mrs. J. Marcia Hill sent that. The sleeves are a bit raggedy and the lining is torn quite badly but the missionary’s wife can fix it. They say that’s one of the qualifications of a missionary’s wife to be able to do anything.

Mrs. B. I’ll fold it and wrap it and you can put it in the box. (folds coat, wraps in paper. Hands to Mrs. Jenkins who places it in the box).

Mrs. B. I’m going to give this white shawl. (Holds up shawl.) It really ought to be cleaned or washed but I simply haven’t the time. You know how busy everyone is just before Christmas.

Mrs. J. O that can easily be cleaned in cornmeal or flour or gasoline, I forget which, (aside). I should think she’d be ashamed to send it!

Mrs. B. (wrapping shawl). I know that the missionaries lead much simpler lives than we do so of course they have more time.

Mrs. J. Hand it to me and I’ll put it beside the overcoat.

Mrs. B. Mrs. Hodges sent this dress of Clara’s. (Holds up dress.)

Mrs. J. It’s rather fadey looking but there’s a lot of wear in it yet.

Mrs. B. There’s a guimpe that goes with it, but when I asked Clara for it, she said her mother said the guimpe was too good to give away.

Mrs. J. (examining dress). It isn’t a bad quality gingham and it could easily be boiled out and used for a white dress. Wrap it up and hand it over, (aside). If she is going to hold a farewell service over every last thing that goes in the box, we’ll never get it packed.

Mrs. B. Here’s Emmeline Miller’s red dress! (holding up shabby dress.)

Mrs. J. (surprised). O that dress! I don’t see how she ever brought herself to part with it for she has worn it years and years!

Mrs. B. The material isn’t so bad and it can be scoured, and scrubbed and pressed and mended and it will look quite respectable. (Wraps dress and hands to Mrs. J.) I’m going to give this suit of Albert’s. Albert simply insists that he will not wear it another day, and so I thought it would do very well for the missionary’s son. (Holds up patched and worn suit.)

Mrs. J. Well, I’m sure the missionary’s son will be very thankful to get it. (Places suit in box.)

Mrs. B. I’m going to give these ties too. (holds up gaudy ties). Two or three of them are new but Albert is so fussy he won’t wear them. I’m afraid I’ve brought him up to be too particular.

Mrs. J. I’m afraid you have, Louisa.

Mrs. B. (indignantly). I don’t know as he is any more fussy than anybody else’s boy. I like to see a boy particular about what he wears. (Folds ties and wraps them.)

Mrs. J. (apologetically). Well, don’t get mad, Louisa. I was just agreeing with you. (aside). Isn’t she a tinder-box when anybody mentions her boy!

Mrs. B. Here’s a cape from Mrs. Winter. It’s warm, but you can’t say much else about it.

Mrs. J. Why it will be just the thing for those cold Montana winters. I think the missionary’s wife will be glad to get it.

Mrs. B. (examining cape). You see its some moth-eaten and I was scared for fear it would get moths in my house. I never have them.

Mrs. J. Well wrap it up quick, and I’ll tuck it in here beside the other things. Why we are getting quite a box full. (Places package in box.)

Mrs. B. I thought I would contribute this red wrapper. It’s warm, even though it isn’t so good looking. (Holds up shabby wrapper.)

Mrs. J. I’m sure that will be very useful. But what’s that?

Mrs. B. Miss Loomis has actually contributed her hat. Isn’t it awful?

Mrs. J. (hesitating). Really Louisa, we can’t send that! It’s terrible!

Mrs. B. Miss Loomis would never forgive me if I didn’t. I’d like to put it in the ash barrel though. (Holds up hat.)

Mrs. J. Let’s see it! (examines hat). Well, I suppose if it were steamed and pressed and dyed and other trimming put on, it wouldn’t be so bad. We’ll have to put it in for a finishing touch.

Mrs. B. (handing hat to her). I am certainly thankful that I will not see that hat in front of me in church any more. Here’s some more newspapers, Martha, to stuff in at the top.

Mrs. J. (completes task by packing top of box firmly with papers.)

Mrs. J. Now thank goodness, that’s done. Dear me, it’s five o’clock and I must hurry home. I had no idea it was so late.

Mrs. B. (hospitably). Can’t you stay and have supper with us?

Mrs. J. (rising and pinning on her hat). O no, thank you just the same.

Mrs. B. (helping her on with coat). Well thank you very much for coming. I’m glad that one member of the society was conscientious enough to help.

Mrs. J. (drawing on gloves). O I never shirk my duty. Good-bye Louisa. Come and see me real soon.

Mrs. B. You come and see me. Thank you ever so much for helping me.

Mrs. J. Good-bye.

Mrs. B. Good-bye, Martha.

Mrs. B. (picking up papers and rearranging room). I suppose Martha thought it would have been absolutely impossible for me to have packed that box by myself. Well, thank goodness it’s done, and Amelia’s box is done, and I’m about done, too. (Seats herself wearily.)

(Enter Mildred, swinging skates in one hand.)

Mildred. Well, mother, you look about fagged out. (goes over to her mother, and smoothes her forehead). Is the rummage sale over?

Mrs. B. Rummage sale? We were packing the missionary box.

Mildred. (smiling). I hope the gifts will be appreciated. I wish I were to get Miss Loomis’ hat, and Mrs. Hodges’ dress, and a few other adornments.

Mrs. B. (irritably). Mildred, I am really too tired to stand any nonsense. I have your Aunt Amelia’s box all ready, and I’ve worried over that, for I know whatever I send will be criticised.

Mildred. (continuing to smooth her mother’s hair). Well, I don’t see how they could possibly find fault with those presents. Dad is always so liberal about that box, but I know Aunt Amelia always finds faults with every last thing we send. I should think though she would be pleased with the waist I embroidered for her, and those lovely handkerchiefs.

Mrs. B. She won’t though.

Mildred. It was the limit though for Dad to go shopping on his own account and buy Gladys a dress pattern that I’d have given my eyes for, and fur gloves for Uncle and a fur cap for Joe, and an embroidered dress pattern for Aunt Amelia too. The saleswoman coaxed him into getting those embroidered dress patterns, all right.

Mrs. B. (irritably). O your father always has some foolishness about Amelia loving him because he is her youngest brother. But the box is packed anyway, and the expressman is to call in the morning the first thing. I’ve just got to nail the cover on both boxes and mark them.

Mildred. (eagerly). O let me do that mother. I’ve been gallivanting with the girls out skating while you’ve been working, and I feel ashamed of myself. Let me do that little bit. (coaxingly).

Mrs. B. (gratefully). Thank you, dear. I am tired and my head aches, so I’ll go rest awhile if you will finish up. Thank you ever so much, (rises). Be careful you don’t spill ink.

Mildred. (reassuringly). O I’ll be careful all right. You go rest.

(Exit Mrs. Banks.)

Mildred. (cheerfully). Now for the amateur carpentry! Who says a girl can’t drive a nail? (Hums a tune as she nails the lid upon first box.) There, Mrs. Missionary! Your valuable donations are safe. Let us hope that they may not be injured in transit! Now Aunt Amelia, here’s something to complain about! (takes up cards). O poor mother! She’s forgotten to put the cards on the presents. Well, I can’t unpack the box again, and I’m not going to worry her by telling her that she forgot them. Uncle William will know that the sash and embroidered dresses aren’t for him. (nails box). Now for the marking. Let’s see how artistic I can be! Mrs. William Worthington, Morningside Apartments, 524 W. 118th Street, New York. (suddenly). O I wonder if that was the right box? (hesitates). O I’m sure it was, I couldn’t make a mistake about anything like that! Now for the other! (repeats as she marks). Mrs. David Brown, Silver Creek, Montana. Now ladies, for what you are about to receive may you both be truly thankful!

CURTAIN.