THE SOUTHERN CROSS

A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS

By
FOXHALL DAINGERFIELD, JR.

Produced at Opera House, Lexington, Ky., April 13, 1909,
for benefit of Morgan Monument.

Copyright 1909.

PRESS OF
J.L. RICHARDSON & Co.
LEXINGTON. KY.

TO
THE MEMORY
OF
GENERAL JOHN HUNT MORGAN.
—F.D.

THE PEOPLE OF THE PLAY.

GORDON CABELL MR. McCOMAS

CARTER HILLIARY (Charlotte's brother) MR. HARBISON

COL. PHILIP STUART MR. OBERCHEIN

GEORGE STUART (his son) MR. H. YANCEY

BEVERLY STUART (called "Bev.") MR. ROACH

STEPHEN WINTHROP (of the 12th Mass.) MR. McCONNELL

MAURICE HOPKINS (of his command) MR. SALLEE

CORPORAL EVANS (also of the 12th Mass.) MR. THORNTON

BILL (a turnkey at the prison) MR. MOORE

CUPID (an old negro servant) MR. ADDY

THE FIRST SOLDIER MR. YANCEY

THE SECOND SOLDIER MR. McGEEVER

THE THIRD SOLDIER MR. THIESING

FAIRFAX STUART (called "Fair") MISS WHITE

MRS. STUART MISS DAINGERFIELD

CHARLOTTE HILLIARY (her niece) MISS BUCKNER

AUNT MARTHY (Cupid's wife) MRS. BENNETT

Soldiers of the 12th Massachusetts.

A guard at the prison.

SYNOPSIS.

ACT I.
OUTSIDE THE STUART HOME, MAY 11, 1864.
"If love were all!"

ACT II.
THE PARLOUR OF THE STUART HOME. ON THE FOLLOWING NIGHT.
"The Signal."

ACT III.
THE PRISON AT COLUMBUS. ONE HOUR BEFORE MIDNIGHT, MAY 22.
"The heart of a soldier."

ACT IV.
THE BANKS OF THE ASPEN RIVER, SIX MONTHS AFTERWARD. LATE IN NOVEMBER.
"Once more we pass along this way; Once more, 'tis where at first we met!"

Time—1864.
Scene—A Southern State.
Production under the personal direction of Miss Julia Connelly.

THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

ACT I.

Outside the Stuart home, May, 1864. The large beautiful lawn of a typical Southern home. On the left and partly at the back stands the house, of colonial build, a wide porch running the entire length of the house, with three broad, low steps leading down to the garden. Many vines, mostly wisteria, in full bloom, cover the walls and some climb around the banisters. The porch has four white pillars reaching to the second story. On the right is a green garden bench, and at the back may be seen a road leading past the house, a low picket fence between many trees; box-bushes and shrubs are near the right. It is near twilight of an afternoon in May. On the right and through the picket fence a small gate leading to the garden and thence to the family graveyard. Over the whole scene there is a half look of decay: the grounds are not in order, the bushes are untrimmed, as though poverty had come suddenly to its occupants. At rise of curtain Aunt Marthy, an old negro mammy of the familiar Southern type, is discovered by the gate leading into the garden; in her hands she holds some roses and other flowers she has been gathering.

Marthy. 'Clare hit don't seem natural—it suttenly don't. Dis hyer place ain't what it was; look at dat fence and at dem bushes! It's gittin run down, dat's what's the matter; it's gittin run down.

[Enter Cupid from the gate at back, leading into the lane. He is an old negro of about the same age as Marthy. His clothes are very old and worn, yet there is a pathetic suggestion of neatness in his ragged dress.

Cupid. Marthy, is you seen dem chullen?

Marthy. Nor I ain't seen um since lunch. Mars Bev and Miss Fair don suttenly tek dis place since de war brek out. I hear um say dey gwine down to de mill.

Cupid. How dey go?

Marthy. I hear Miss Fair say she was gwine ter walk, and den Mars Bev say hit too far for her; dat she got ter ride de mule: and she up an tell him ef it too far fer her ter walk, she ain't gwine, 'cause it suttenly too far fer old Jack.

Cupid (indignant). Jack's er good mule yet, ef he is de onliest one we got lef. Somehow I don't feel exactly rite wid jes dem two hosses on de place sides dat ole mule; cose he's a good mule yet, onderstan; but den I can't get used to jes dem three. I often set and study 'bout dem hosses and wonder whar de is, and ef de soldiers treat um good and ef dey gits dey feed regular, and ef—

Marthy. Ef dey gits de feed regular hit more dan what we does. Since de soldiers bin comin' what wid de sewin' and de cookin' and gibin' way, I wonder dat we gits on er tall. Not dat I grudge hit ter um—law, no. Wid us got Mars George and dey cousin Mars Carter, and dars Mars Gorden same as one ob de fambily, to say nothin' ob Old Marster in de army.

Cupid. And dars Mars Bev, most pester his mar to def ter let him go; but cose dat chile he too young; he ant more'n fou'teen. But den I'm frade he gwine: fer ef dat chile set his head on er thing, he good es got it.

Marthy. Go on wid you! Dat chile ant no mo' gwine in de army dan what I is. He know hit all but kill Ole Mistis when she let Mars George and Old Marster go; and den—(her voice grows soft, she looks over toward the gate (Right)—dar's Mars Phil's grave over dar. She ant neber bin quite de same since dat ambulance wagen turn in at de gate.

Cupid. Hits bin more'n two years ago; but sometimes hit 'pears like hit was only yestidy. (Marthy starts toward the gate). Whar you gwine wid dem flowers?

Marthy. Deys fer Miss Charlotte; she love ter hab um on de table. 'Pears like hit mek hit sorter brighter fer um.

[Cupid goes to gate at back and stands looking anxiously off down the road (Right).

Cupid. I'm gettin' mighty oneasy 'bout dem chullen. Dey's terbil careless 'bout demselves.

Marthy (stops on the steps and listens). 'Pears like I hears a hoss.