Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays Part 65

[_Praskovya stumbles towards the eikons and sinks blindly before them._]

FOMa [_looking after Sasha_]. Poor devil!

ASTeRYI. What's a man compared to an idea?

[_Praskovya rolls over, dead._]

[_Curtain._]

MARY'S WEDDING

A PLAY

BY GILBERT CANNAN

Copyright, 1913, by Sidgwick and Jackson.

All rights reserved.

MARY'S WEDDING was first produced at the Coronet Theatre, in May, 1912, with the following cast:

MARY _Miss Irene Rooke_ TOM _Mr. Herbert Lomas_ ANN _Miss Mary Goulden_ MRS. AIREY _Miss Muriel Pratt_ BILL AIREY _Mr. Charles Bibby_ TWO MAIDS.

VILLAGERS AND OTHERS.

SCENE: _The Davis's Cottage_.

NOTE: There is no attempt made in the play to reproduce exactly the Westmoreland dialect, which would be unintelligible to ears coming new to it, but only to catch the rough music of it and the slow inflection of northern voices.

Reprinted from "Four Plays," by permission of Mr. Gilbert Cannan.

MARY'S WEDDING

A PLAY BY GILBERT CANNAN

[_The scene is the living-room in the Davis's cottage in the hill country. An old room low in the ceiling. Ann Davis is at the table in the center of the room untying a parcel. The door opens to admit Tom Davis, a st.u.r.dy quarryman dressed in his best and wearing a large nosegay._]

ANN. Well, 'ast seed un?

TOM. Ay, a seed un. 'Im and 'is ugly face--

ANN [_untying her parcel_].'Tis 'er dress come just in time an' no more from the maker-up--

TOM. Ef she wouldna do it....

ANN. But 'tis such long years she's been a-waitin'.... 'Tis long years since she bought t' dress.

TOM. An' 'tis long years she'll be a livin' wi' what she's been waitin'

for; 'tis long years she'll live to think ower it and watch the thing she's taken for her man, an' long years that she'll find 'un feedin' on 'er, an' a dreary round she'll 'ave of et....

ANN. Three times she 'ave come to a month of weddin' an' three times 'e 'ave broke loose and gone down to the Mortal Man an' the woman that keeps 'arf our men in drink.... 'Tis she is the wicked one, giving 'em score an' score again 'till they owe more than they can ever pay with a year's money.

TOM. 'Tis a fearful thing to drink....

ANN. So I telled 'er in the beginnin' of it all, knowin' what like of man 'e was. An' so I telled 'er last night only.

TOM. She be set on it?

ANN. An', an' 'ere's t' pretty dress for 'er to be wedded in....

TOM. What did she say?

ANN. Twice she 'ave broke wi' 'im, and twice she 'ave said that ef 'e never touched the drink fur six months she would go to be churched wi'

'im. She never 'ave looked at another man.

TOM. Ay, she be one o' they quiet ones that goes about their work an'

never 'as no romantical notions but love only the more for et. There've been men come for 'er that are twice the man that Bill is, but she never looks up from 'er work at 'em.

ANN. I think she must 'a' growed up lovin' Bill. 'Tis a set thing surely.

TOM. An' when that woman 'ad 'im again an' 'ad 'im roaring drunk fur a week, she never said owt but turned to 'er work agin an' set aside the things she was makin' agin the weddin'....

ANN. What did 'e say to 'er?

TOM. Nowt. 'E be 'most as chary o' words as she. 'E've got the 'ouse an'

everything snug, and while 'e works 'e makes good money.

ANN. 'Twill not end, surely.

TOM. There was 'is father and two brothers all broken men by it.

[_She hears Mary on the stairs, and they are silent._]

ANN. 'Ere's yer pretty dress, Mary.

MARY. Ay.... Thankye, Tom.

TOM. 'Twill be lovely for ye, my dear, an' grand. 'Tis a fine day fur yer weddin', my dear....

MARY. I'll be sorry to go, Tom.