أنت هنا
قراءة كتاب Martha; or, The Fair at Richmond
تنويه: تعرض هنا نبذة من اول ١٠ صفحات فقط من الكتاب الالكتروني، لقراءة الكتاب كاملا اضغط على الزر “اشتر الآن"
class="i0">Lady H. Take them, nor my prayer deny!
(lifts skirt at side and dances a step).
With the village people dancing,
Nancy's partner you're enroll'd.
Man can do all, if he's bold.
This way, that way, loosely hopping,
Each one jigging as he can,
Lumb'ring, stumbling, never stopping,
Mighty maze without a plan.
That's well I vow.
'Tis we who ask, so come along.
(All run off stage dancing, Tristan between the two ladies, who drag him.)
ACT TWO.
(Curtain rises on Richmond market place. Stall around sides of stage and back. In foreground, tables and benches; side show of some funny sort. Tents at one side. Country folk walking about, farmers and wives.)
No. 4.
Yes, come, but come with cheerful looks!
Handsome is as handsome does,
The rule that suits our books.
Hasten, hasten, cheerful maidens,
Do not linger on the way,
Soon the Hiring Fair will open
And advancing is the day.
Done! once the bargain is agreed to
Neither can undo it.
Done! faithful servants, kindly masters,
Neither then will rue it.
Neatness is the best of graces,
Smooth of hair come every one;
In a row all take your places,
Soon the choosing will be done.
If you'll be but quick and neat
And try to do your best,
You will find a happy home,
And the pay of your deserving. Come!
Find a home, yes, come.
Fate a home will allot, etc.
We have waited you many a day.
We are tired, we are shy.
The best rule that ever was.
(Farmers and wives try to bring servants into a line forward on stage. The servants hold back.)
Now we shall know,
Just where each girl is going to go.
Now our journey's o'er and here we rest with you at last,
After many a mile so long and lone is over past.
(Servants scatter about stage, some lying down as if to rest, as Lionel and Plunket enter. They come on talking. Plunket is dressed as a peasant farmer and carries a whip. Lionel is dressed as a gentleman, but plainly.)
Plunket. Here is a jolly howdoyoudo. What a clatter they make! The farmers are all going to engage servants for the coming year out of this crowd of chattering hussies. It is a good thing to take your time to choose, though, for once the bargain is made you have to stick to it for at least a year. What do you say, Lionel? Have you picked out your Betsy Ann?
Lionel. Betsy Ann—what do you mean? (He speaks absently, slowly, and his demeanor throughout is one of dreamy abstraction. He is very grave and pensive, altogether a young man who would be likely to take a love affair very seriously and perhaps lose his mental balance temporarily over it.)
Plun. I mean our serving girl. You know mother put it in her will that we must keep up the farm together. So now like two good housewives we must fly around and choose a maid. Her name may be Sally or Katy or Jane, but I shall call her Betsy Ann! (Laughs.)
Lio. I shall always remember your dear mother and be grateful.
Plun. Yes, she was a good woman and a good mother, aye, a good manager, too. She knew how to make the maids attend to their work.
Lio. But she was kind. She was always so kind to me.
Plun. Yes, she loved you. If you had