Six Plays

ELIZABETH. [_Picking it up and speaking to herself in exasperation_.] If ever there was a careless little wench, ’tis she. I never did hold with the bringing up of other folks c...

MILLIE _is standing by the table folding up the silken cloak_. ANNET _sits watching her_, _on her knees lies a open parcel disclosing a woollen shawl_. _In a far corner of the r...

GILES. Well, the both of you shall rest this night beneath the grandest roof that ever sheltered a man’s head. And you shall sit at a table spread as you’ve not seen this many a...

_The parlour at Camel Farm_. ELIZABETH, _in her best dress_, _is moving about the room putting chairs in their places and arranging ornaments on the dresser_, _etc._ MAY _stands...

ELIZABETH _stands tying her bonnet strings before a small mirror on the wall_. DANIEL _is mopping his face with a big_, _bright handkerchief_. ANNET, _dressed for church_, _is b...

GEORGE, _carrying an empty basket_, _comes slowly through the wood_. _On reaching a fallen tree he sits down on it_, _placing his basket on the ground_. _With his stick he absen...

CLARA, _followed by_ JOAN, _comes through the wood_. CLARA _is dressed in a long_, _rich cloak and wears a bonnet that is brightly trimmed with feathers and ribbons_. JOAN _wear...

_The kitchen of Ox Lease Farm_. _There are three doors_. _One opens to the staircase_, _one to the garden and a third into the back kitchen_. _At a table in the middle of the ro...

[JOAN, _in a flowered silk gown_, _comes slowly and carefully into the room_, _followed by_ CLARA, _who carries a lace shawl over one arm_. _She has put on a large white apron_,...

MAGGIE. Missis be very high in her ways and powerful sharp in the tongue, but I declare as your young lady will be worser nor missis when she do come to that age.

THOMAS. [_Nervously_.] Mistress haven’t told you—haven’t she? Well—well—at such a time we must all—all rejoice one with t’other, like. No difference made t’wixt master and man....

MRS. GARDNER. No, William. I’m got to be an old woman now, and ’tis time that I had someone at my side to help in the house-keeping and to share the work.

JOHN. Out, and a taking of the air in the wood, be they? Well, bless my soul, but ’tis a rare caddling business what master’s put upon I. ’Tis worse nor any job he have set me t...

JOHN. Don’t you get flustered, Master William. See here, I’ll hide me ahind of yon bushes, and if so be as you should want me, why, there I’m close at hand.

JULIA. Much the same as ’tis with that bird flying yonder. I did so as I listed. If I had a mind to sleep when the sun was up, then I did sleep. And if my limbs would not rest w...

MRS. GARDNER. Then you’ll please to remain as you are. You may take what gift you like along with you this time, so long as it’s none of my home-cured meat.

_Under a tree at the far end of the green the old gipsy is sitting—she lights a pipe and begins to smoke as_ ROSE, _her basket full of market produce_, _comes slowly forward rea...

[_They pass over to the tree where the_ GRANDMOTHER _sits down and_ SUSAN _crouches by her side_. _Presently they are joined by_ JOCKIE. _The girls sing a verse or two of anothe...

I sowed the seeds of Love, And I sowed them in the Spring. I gathered them up in the morning so soon. While the sweet birds so sweetly sing, While the sweet birds so sweetly sin...

_The living room at Daniel’s Mill_. _In the window_ ROSE-ANNA _is seated awkwardly sewing some bright ribbons on to a muslin gown_. KITTY _is moving about rapidly dusting chairs...

KITTY. [_Runs in_.] They’ve come. All of them. And do you know that Robert’s cousins are no fine ladies at all, as he said, but just two common old women dressed grand-like.

LIZ. [_Shaking her finger at him_.] Sister an’ me knows what comes of such words, don’t us, sister? ’Tis an old saying in our family as one wedding do make a many.

_The same room half an hour later_. ISABEL _is picking up the scattered orange blossom which she ties together and lays on the window sill_. LUBIN _comes in with a large bunch o...

JEREMY. Come now. Let’s have a try. I count as no one have a steadier hand nor me this side of the river, nor a finer eye for seeing as everything be in its place. I’ll settle t...

MAY. There, you don’t need to come no further with I, Harry Moss. You get on quick towards the town afore the night be upon you, and the snow, too.

_To the right of the fireplace is a door leading upstairs_. _Chairs are grouped round the hearth_, _and there is a table at which_ JANE BROWNING _is ironing a dress by the light...

ANNIE. Well, you be got up fine and grand, Dorry—I shouldn’t hardly know ’twas you. [_Turning to_ VASHTI REED.] Good evening, Mrs. Reed, my eyes was very near blinded when I fir...

_The same room_, _two hours later_. VASHTI REED _seems to be sleeping as before by the fireside_. _On the settle_ MAY _is huddled_, _her head bent_, _the shawl drawn over her fa...

MAY. Get off to your drunken sleep and to your dreams! Your dreams—your dreams—Ah, where is it as they have gone, I’d like for to know. The dreams as comed to I when I was laid...

JANE. Will you bide still! However’s this frock to get fastened and you moving this way and that like some live eel—and just see what a mark you’ve made on the elbow last night,...

VASHTI. And ’tis no bit of rest as I gets for my bones, but they must come and hustle I and call I from the dreams which was soft. [_The knocking is heard again_.