RURAL DRAMA 245 



may be made in time to allow an early final printing of the text. 



Costumes should be made slowly and systematically, either by 

 the persons taking part or by seamstresses directed by some Mis- 

 tress of the Robes. Time in this provides inexpensively costumes 

 which, hurriedly prepared or rented in quantities, would be both 

 less artistic and very expensive. A book called " Festivals and 

 Plays," by P. Chubb, contains many valuable suggestions as to 

 economies in such preparations. 



Time means, too, a chance to work up wide enthusiasm among 

 the townspeople and to spread far and wide a knowledge of the 

 coming pageant. In the first days of many a pageant townspeo- 

 ple have said that local history, costumes of the past, old firearms 

 and domestic utensils were lacking. In the last days of prepara- 

 tion, however, costumes, souvenirs, relics have come flowing in 

 from all sides, resurrected from garrets and cellars. In one in- 

 stance a town that had been strangely lethargic, when urged by 

 an enterprising citizen to found a historical museum, took hold 

 of the plan with vigor after its pageant, placing in the museum 

 many of the costumes, implements and firearms which the 

 pageant had brought together. 



On one other account people of small communities are some- 

 times kept away from pageantry. "We are not an artistic com- 

 munity, ' ' they say. ' ' They are four or five among us who have 

 acted a little as amateurs, and still more who sing well, but there 

 is no widespread, marked artistic ability. Who is to prepare our 

 text and rehearse the pageant ? Who are to act, sing and dance 

 in it?" At first any pageant master must be prepared to meet 

 in the native American man an ill-concealed feeling that art 

 music, acting, painting, even singing, and, above all, dancing 

 is for women, not for men. It was certainly evident at first in 

 Peterboro, New Hampshire ; but as the pageant shaped itself be- 

 fore those who came somewhat timidly to watch rehearsals, those 

 who at the outset lacked the interest or the courage to take part 

 came in one by one. In the beginning it was hard to find men 

 enough for the necessary parts. But in the final rehearsals there 

 were enough, and among the most enthusiastic participants were 

 men who had at first stood aloof. Nc community that has co- 

 operated men, women and children of all ages in producing a 

 local pageant will ever again look down on art as effeminate- 



