The cinnamon heart

ACT II.

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.

No. 1.

(At signal all pound and sing.)

Chemists.—

Pound with the hatchet and the hammer,

(Pound and sing loudly.) Hammer.

Rip with the chisel and the saw,

(Loudly.) The saw and

Slam just as hard as you can slam her,

Slam her,

Slam as you never slammed before.

1st Chem.—

All this work we are making

All (low).—

Making,

1st Chem.—

Must be done by noon,

All (low).—

By noon, so

1st Chem.—

This great undertaking

All (low).—

Taking,

Must be finished soon.

(Pause. All pound, saw, etc., furiously for some time, then at signal all sing.)

Chorus.

All.—

Pound with the hatchet and the hammer,

Hammer,

Rip with the chisel and the saw,

The saw and

Slam just as hard as you can slam her,

Slam her,

Slam as you never slammed before.

(All stop, talk together and quit work. All start. Hear some one coming; all go back to places, and at signal, sing.)

2d Verse.

All.—

Plane just as hard as you can plane her,

(Pound and sing loudly.) Plane her,

Work with play we can’t confound

(Very loud.) Confound it,

Paint her and varnish her and stain her,

Stain her.

Rip, chisel, hammer her and pound.

1st Chem.—

All this work, etc., (with chorus.)—

“Plane just as hard,” etc.

(After chorus all work furiously. Enter Prof. L. door, carrying Dummy’s hat and coat.)

Prof.—

Is all arranged? The parts all fitting tight

To one another?

Chem.—

Yes! they are.

Prof.—

That’s right!

His head?

1st Chem.—

A marvel. (Showing head.)

Prof.—

Legs?

2d Chem.—

Superb!

Prof.—

And arms?

Are they in working order?

3rd Chem.—

Work like charms.

Prof.—

His nose?

4th Chem.—

A dream of beauty!

Prof.—

Decent ears?

I want them good.

5th Chem.—

Enough to bring forth tears!

Prof.—

His stomach well proportioned, too? Of course

We must be sure of that!

6th Chem.—

O! that’s the boss.

Prof.—

’Tis well! Now go! for I must be alone,

So leave me to my mysteries. Begone!

(Chemists put parts of Dummy together, attach it to concealed door C. back, and exeunt all L.)

(Pause. Prof. puts on apron.)

Prof.—

And now to work—the candy—ah! ’tis here;

The pans to mix it in—I’ll have them near.

The water—well distilled—the skull and bones,

The basket filled with bloody paving stones,

Where are those bloody paving stones—O yes!

They’re here behind the table—what a mess.

The thunder—where can that be—thunder! Ho!

Oh thunder—here it is—I ought to know

I put it there myself. And now the hail,

The hail,—let’s see—O yes! it’s in that pail,

Quite near and handy. Now, as to effect,

The lover in the centre, stiff, erect;

The table on this side—crammed with all sorts

Of bottles, boxes, glasses, and retorts;

Mysterious music here—in sharps and flats,

And just in front we’ll put that bag of cats,—

That bag of cats, now, was a fine idea.

Stage R. Low music, cats, and thunder over here.

That side is weird enough—now on the right

Stage L. A horrid darkness, now and then a light.

Which, when it flashes, shows a heap of bones,

And when it don’t, why then we’ll utter moans.

Yes! agonizing moans, and bones, and groans,

By rattling that big box of paving stones.

’Tis fine—the cats on this side—lightning here,

The lover standing upright in the rear;

King Nougat there—the Princess standing by,

And here—no, here—no, here—

(Changing position to study the effect.)

Mysterious I!

I—Paracelsus Finigin—the seer.

Ha! ha! Yes, I’ll be operating here.

I—who command, at will, the universe,

Command by word, where others use the purse;

Change universal laws the way I please—

Yea, keep this basket upside down, with ease.

Ha! ha! with ease.

(Turns basket of tin pans all over him—quickly picks them up and looks around—then speaks low.)

I mean, without these.

But now it’s time to mix

The lover’s vital senses—there are six:

The sense of locomotion, touch, and sight,

That’s three—his hearing, voice, and heart—all right.

I’ll take them all in order, one by one,

Then Caramella’s lover will be done.

(Takes candy from box, and while singing, mixes each in pans. After second verse Sassy. and Maids look in L. door, dressed in poke bonnets and cloaks.)

Music. (Prof. sings.)