Chapter Thirty-One
At a quarter to three,Jane was seated in the ballroom with a surprising number of neighbours. Anytime all the Bennets, Gardiners, and Phillipses were together, it was always a goodly number of people. Added to this number were Mr and Mrs Goulding, as well as Mrs Goulding’s sister and her husband, Mr and Mrs Portman, who had generously agreed to allow Elizabeth to place their swaddled babe in the well-padded manger between scenes. The Phillips were present, as well as Sir William and Lady Lucas, and their two oldest unmarried children, John and Maria. Mr Abbot, the parson, was part of the group, as well as a number of parish ladies, and local spinsters, and widows. They all took seats in the chairs that had been assembled the night before by Charles and the footmen, and waited patiently.
The ballroom had been transformed. Some monstrously large velvet draperies that had probably once graced the walls in this very ballroom had been rigged up with ropes, and the two footmen who were assigned to pull them open and closed for the scenes waited patiently by the makeshift stage.
None of the children were practiced enough, so it was agreed that the youngest Bennet, Miss Lydia, would narrate the scenes, and the children would have only a few lines, but they were all excited to be participating.Elizabeth, Kitty, and Georgiana remained behind the stage with the children to keep them calm and prompt them at their turns. Elizabeth had been declared the director of the production. Miss Mary sat by at the pianoforte waiting to play for entrances and effects.
Mrs Bingley hurried from behind the curtains and took her seat, then nodded to Miss Mary who played a short tune with a flourish, and the footmen opened the curtains to show Justine, dressed asMary,standing in front of a small wooden table, kneading a small bundle of white rags that was meant to serve as dough for bread making, without the mess of flour.
Lydia’s voice came from behind the curtain. “Many years ago in a place called Nazareth, lived a girl calledMary, and her intended husband, a young carpenter calledJoseph. They loved each other and God very much.Mary of Nazarethwas very special because God had chosen her to be the Mother of His Only Son.”
Nicholas came onto the stage, robed in a man’s white nightshirt and wearing an old hat wrapped in gold paper. “You are going to have a baby! It is God’s baby, and you have to name him Jesus!”
Marylooked at the angel and said. “I cannot have a baby! I am not married yet!”
“This baby is special; he is the Son of God, and you must call him Jesus,”the angelinsisted as he left the scene. A moment later, Henry Lucas entered, dressed in a costume meant to be that ofJoseph.
“An angel came today, and said I am having God’s baby.”Maryplaced her hands on her hips like a long suffering wife.
“You cannot have a baby now!”Josephobjected. “We have to go to Bethlehem to pay our taxes!” The adults in the audience laughed in amusement asMaryrounded on him like a hardened farmwife.
“It is not up tome, it is theSon of Godwho is coming,” answeredMary. “We are to be blessed by the coming of the Son of God, and we must call him Jesus.”
Josephsighed heavily. “I’ll go find a donkey.” He left the scene for a few minutes, then returned pulling thedonkeyasMaryfilled a basket with apples and other small items. “Get on the donkey, Bethlehem is far away.” He pulledMaryand the donkey out of the scene as the footmen hurried to close the curtains. Miss Mary played a lively hymnal tune, andthe audience clapped politely as they heard shuffling and moving of furniture behind the curtain.
When the curtains opened again, there was nothing but an old wooden door removed from an empty third floor parlour for the afternoon.Josephentered the scene, pulling the donkey on wheels, whichMarywas riding.
Margaret Goulding, dressed as theinnkeeper’s wifecame from around the door and said, “There is no room at the inn. No room at any of the inns, we’re all full! You ought to have made a reservation!”
“We must have a room, my wife is having a baby!”Josephobjected.
“A baby! She cannot have a baby on a donkey!” cried the innkeeper’s wife as the audience chuckled. “Follow me!”
The curtains closed for longer this time, as Miss Mary played again on the pianoforte, and when they opened, there were three makeshift stalls made of doors, and in the stalls, clean hay had been quickly strewn about. All but one stall had a large stuffed toy in it. There was also an empty wooden manger.
Theinnkeeper’s wifeledJoseph and Maryinto the stable. “That stall has just been cleaned. It is better than having a baby on a donkey.”
“Thank you, and may God bless you,” thankedMary. Theinnkeeper’s wifeleft them again and the curtains closed as Miss Mary began to play on the pianoforte.
When the curtains opened, the two robed shepherds–Edward and Madeleine Gardiner–stood with a multitude of large stuffed toys purloined from the attics of Netherfield and the nursery of Longbourn.
Lydia spoke from behind the curtain. “Nearby on a hillside overlooking Bethlehem, the shepherds were watching over their flock. As they did, a bright light appeared in the sky.”The angelentered. “The light was an angel sent by God.”
Theshepherdsheld little staffs that were cut at just the right height for them, and watched over their flock asthe angelapproached them and said “Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy. The Son of God has been born. You will find him in a stable in Bethlehem.”
Miss Mary applied herself to the piano with a flourish as the curtains closed and in short order, were opened again, revealing Mr Bingley sitting in a grand chair, wearing a red velvet drape over his shoulders,which served as quite a train that wrapped about him, and a giant contrived crown made of a hat wrapped in the last of Jane’s gold paper, and with ribbons, and as many coloured glass beads and affectations as could be found affixed to it. Next, entered the three wise men, James and Peter Goulding, and Franklin Lucas. The adults in the audience laughed at Mr Bingley and his crown.
Lydia spoke from behind the curtain. “From far away in the East, three wise men saw a bright new star shining in the sky. They knew that this meant a great ruler had been born. The three wise men decided to go and find the baby. Thinking that the baby king would be in the palace, they went to seeKing Herod.”
Mr Bingley bellowed exaggeratedly, shaking his fist in the air. “What do you mean there is a new king? This is terrible news. I am the King! There is no new king here! I demand that you find this new king and learn more about him, and then return to tell me where he is so that I may also honour him and bring him gifts.”
Lydia narrated, “ThoughKing Herodtold the wise men he wanted to honour the newborn king, he was angry, for he feared this new king might take away his throne.”
Miss Mary played again as the curtain closed, and the stable scene was again prepared.
The curtain opened to a lovely pink babe sleeping on a thick white rug in the manger. There were claps and murmurs of adoration from the audience.Mary and Josephkneeled behind the manger and looked upon the babe as the wise men and shepherds entered, each bearing a small wooden box.
Lydia narrated from her hiding place. “The wise men and shepherds followed the star to the stable in Bethlehem. They found Jesus sleeping in a manger under the watch ofMaryandJoseph.”
