,transcriber's ,note3 ,words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores2 those in blackletter font are surrounded by tildes4 ,,the ,,duquesne ,,christmas ,,mystery ,,the ,,duquesne ,,christmas ,,mystery ,,as ,,written ,,by ,,thomas ,,wood ,,stevens ,,to ,,be ,,enacted ,,by ,,the ,,people ,,of ,,duquesne ,,pennsylvania ,,xxiii ,,december ,,mcmxvi ,illustration3 colophon ,,with ,,decorations ,,by ,,harry ,,lawrence ,,gage ,copyright #aiaf ,by ,thomas ,wood ,stevens ,all rights reserved ,illustration3 decorative banner ,,before ,,us is a steep hillside1 crossed midway by a paved road4 ,up the center of the hill are stairways of stone1 with wide landings2 at the top1 blocking out the stars1 is a dark building with crenellated turrets4 ,beside the roadway is a windowless hut--a mere blind wall--and at each side of this wall the stairways ascend4 ,below is a playing field1 and beyond this1 further down1 a river1 with great mills beside it1 where even at ,christmastide the loud forges are flaming4 ,from the high turrets a sound as of many trumpets floats down4 ,then a light breaks on the level above the roof of the hut1 and one sees dimly three figures1 grave1 majestic1 imperative--the ,prophets ,hosea1 ,micah1 and ,isaiah4 ,,isaiah ,list ye1 as it is written1 so spake ,i ,isaiah3 ,for the ,lord ,himself shall send ,ye forth a sign2 a virgin shall conceive1 ,and bear a son1 and ye shall call his name ,immanuel4444 ,and to thy light shall come ,gentiles1 and kings unto the brightness of ,thy risen star4 ,,micah ,list ye1 as it is written1 so spake ,i1 ,micah1 prophet of ,god's will3 ,thou1 ,bethlehem1 though thou be little among ,the thousands of ,judah1 out of thee shall come ,him who shall rule in ,israel1 whose path ,hath from of old been destined1 everlasting4 ,,hosea ,list ye1 as it is written1 so spake ,i1 ,hosea3 ,when ,israel was a child ,i loved him well1 and for his sake ,i called ,my son out of dark ,egypt4 ,,isaiah ,so spake we1 prophets of the wandering years1 ,lifting our hearts in hope to beat with ,god4 ,list ye1 for ,he hath wrought our visions out1 ,and ,he hath sent ,his ,son to feed ,his flock ,like to a shepherd4 ,he hath gathered home ,the lambs unto ,his bosom4 ,praise ,his name4 ,the three ,prophets disappear4 ,below1 on the hillside1 three ,eastern ,kings are seen approaching4 ,,jaspar ,stay1 brothers and princes4 ,the star is lost4 ,,balthasar ,now for twelve nights it hath burned clear4 ,,melchoir ,and floated on before to guide our steps4 ,here is some evil thing that it should fade4 ,,balthasar ,some evil near4 ,stay we our course4 ,the star ,that westward we have trailed from ,araby ,and your bright orient kingdoms1 will not fail ,until the prophecies we read of old ,be new fulfilled4 ,but peril to the ,child ,might dim its fire4 ,,jaspar ,yea1 in the ancient scrolls ,are dangers written deep4 ,the star-flame blows ,back at the heavy tread of mailed feet4 ,below1 on the stairway1 ,herod appears1 and comes slowly up followed by guards and counsellors4 ,,melchoir ,what gleam of helmets yonder1 and of gold8 ,,balthasar ,some lord is this1 whose rule is not as ours4 ,,jaspar ,hail1 ,prince1 and peace1 and light unto thy path6 ,,herod ,what stranger kings are these who come unknown1 ,unbidden1 to my realm8 ,,balthasar ,from out the ,east ,we come1 ,melchoir1 and ,jaspar1 ,king of ,taurus1 ,and he who speaks you here1 ,balthasar ,prince of ,araby4 ,we are come to seek ,a ,child new-born whose mystic star we found ,as prophets had foretold from long ago1 ,a ,child born to be ,king of the ,jews4 ,we come ,with gifts to greet and worship ,him4 ,say thou ,where is this ,child8 ,,herod ,king of the ,jews1 ye say4 ,i know ,him not4 ,,jaspar ,who art thou1 good my lord8 ,,herod ,forgive mine evil courtesy1 sir princes1 ,but ,i am troubled4444 ,herod is my name1 a king ,in this lean land of ,judah4 ,speak you fair1 ,and say again--this star--these prophecies8 ,,jaspar ,the star hath led us westward1 wondering on2 ,the prophecies name ,bethlehem1 a town ,little in ,judah1 whence shall come a ,king ,to rule in ,israel1 anoint of ,god4 ,,herod ,i knew it not4 ,i have no child4444 ,but when ,first saw ye this new star8 ,,balthasar ,twelve nights ago4 ',tis like the ,child was born that night4 ,,herod ,yea1 very like1 and have ye told me all8 ,,balthasar ,all that hath been revealed4 ,we wait ,here with our gifts4 ,the star may burn again4 ,,herod ,my greetings1 ,princes4 ,freedoms of my realm ,be yours4 ,but this ,i pray you1 when you find ,the ,child indeed1 bring me straight word of it4 ,for ,i would worship also4 ,,jaspar ,peace be thine4 ,herod goes down the stair1 and pauses at the central landing1 his spearmen and counsellors about him4 ,,herod ,dreams and seditions6 ,when these kings return1 ,these dark intruding ,magi1 with their babe1 ,bring them before me4 ,they adventure far ,but ,i will send them on a longer quest4 ,a ,,counsellor ,whither wilt send them1 ,tetrarch8 ,,herod ,unto death4 ,for all their dreams are treason 'gainst my house4 ,,counsellor ,and if they do not find the child8 ,,herod ,still--death4 ,for they have mocked me1 searching4 ,,counsellor ,and the child8 ,,herod ,hear ye my sentence3 if they find this child1 ,he dies4 ,and if they find him not1 but slip ,out of my hands unrecompensed1 then all ,men children of this young child's year1 shall die1 ,that he escape not4 ,,counsellor ,these be bloody words4 ,,herod ,i have my prophets too4 ,wouldst flout their law ,and mine8 ,set on4 ,herod and his people move slowly down the stairways into darkness4 ,in radiance above the center appears the ,messenger ,gabriel4 ,,gabriel ,the watchers of the skies1 ,god's messengers1 ,keep ward upon this land to-night4 ,the tyrant ,speaketh true3 the olden words shall fall ,like blades of harvest on the innocents ,and ,rachael weep1 and weep uncomforted4 ,so it is written4 ,but the child they seek ,dies not1 but waits his agony1 serene ,amid the singing of the morning stars4 ,the ,gloria in ,excelsis is heard afar off4 ,at the left1 on the hillside1 a faint light glows upon a group of watching shepherds4 ,as the light brightens1 they hear the heavenly voices1 see the angel1 and1 struck with awe1 fall upon their knees4 ,,gabriel ,fear not1 for behold ,i bring you good tidings of great joy1 which shall be to all people4 ,for unto you is born this day1 in the city of ,david1 a ,saviour which is ,christ the ,lord4 ,and this shall be a sign unto you3 ,ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes1 lying in a manger4 ,the shepherds gather wondering1 as the heavenly messenger disappears and the chorus echoes into silence4 ,,first ,,shepherd ,saw ye1 my brothers8 ,,second ,,shepherd ,yea truly1 and marveled4 ,,third ,,shepherd ,and lo1 our people come now from the hills ,with wonder upon them4 ,,second ,,shepherd ,let the sheep graze alone4 ,the ,lord his hand ,is over us and all our flocks to-night4 ,,first ,,shepherd ,this we have seen is in ,god's will4 ,and men ,hearing of us this strange new word1 will come ,from far to kneel adoring1--all such men ,as we who toil and watch4 ,not unto captains ,of wrath1 high lords1 and governors of cities ,did he speak1 but unto simple folk he came ,and cried his tidings of great joy4 ,to us ,god's messenger doth pledge a ,saviour ,christ1 ,and they who toil and watch1 shall know of it4 ,he turns toward the windowless wall at the center4 ,let us go now unto ,bethlehem and see the thing which is come to pass1 which the ,lord hath made known unto us4 ,again the trumpets sound1 and a mighty music of voices aspires as the thronging messengers of heaven appear along the central causeway4 ,before them1 above the windowless wall1 a star swings magically into flame4 ,the ,shepherds and the ,eastern ,kings move toward the star1 enwrapt and silent4 ,now the wall seems suddenly to vanish4 ,in its place1 filled with a golden radiance1 is the manger1 and ,mary the ,mother holding the ,child4 ,the ,shepherds kneel in adoration2 and the ,kings lay at her feet their gifts1 gold1 frankincense and myrrh4 ,up from below come slowly the men and women of the nations who dwell in the city1 they too kneeling till the stairways are dark with them2 and all the while the music swells with a great gladness4 ,the vision fades1 and the people turn singing to the darkness below1 where the forges are clanging4 ,and now the ,tree on the playing field breaks into light1 and down the stone stairways patter the feet of many children1 trooping with song to dance around its glistening spire4