The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Ghetto, by Herman Heijermans, Translated by Chester Bailey Fernald

Title: The Ghetto

A Drama in Four Acts

Author: Herman Heijermans

Release Date: June 2, 2011 [eBook #36307]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GHETTO***

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THE GHETTO

Plays

THE PLAYS OF HENRIK IBSEN. Small 4to, cloth, 5s. each, or paper covers, 1s, 6d. each.

*Also a limited Large Paper Edition, 21s. net.

BRAND: A Dramatic Poem in Five Acts. By Henrik Ibsen. Translated in the original metres by C. H. Herford. Small 4to, cloth, 7s. 6d.

THE PLAYS OF GERHART HAUPTMANN. Paper covers, 1s. 6d., or cloth, 2s. 6d. each.

*Also small 4to, with Portrait, 5s.

THE PRINCESS MALEINE, and THE INTRUDER. By Maurice Maeterlinck. With an Introduction by Hall Caine, and a Portrait of the Author. Small 4to, cloth, 5s.

THE FRUITS OF ENLIGHTENMENT: By Count Lyof Tolstoy. With Introduction by A. W. Pinero. Small 4to, with Portrait, 5s.

CYRANO DE BERGERAC. By Edmond Rostand. Small 4to, 5s. Also, Popular Edition, 16mo cloth, 2s. 6d.; paper, 1s. 6d.

LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN
21 Bedford Street, W.C.

THE GHETTO

A DRAMA

In Four Acts

Freely Adapted from the Dutch of

HERMAN HEIJERMANS, Jr.

By

CHESTER BAILEY FERNALD

LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN

MDCCCXCIX

Copyright, 1899

All rights, including Acting rights in the English Language, reserved

Entered at the Library of Congress

Washington, U.S.A.

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

A Watchman. Inhabitants of The Ghetto.

The action takes place in The Ghetto, Amsterdam, at the present time.

The incidental music composed by Mr. N. Clifford Page.

PREFACE

In the not wholly grateful task of adapting this play to the present demands of the English and American stage, partly as those demands have been interpreted by others than me, numerous alterations have been thought necessary. I hope that this adaptation does not conceal the fact that Mr. Heijermans' original is a work of very admirable unity and force.

CHESTER B. FERNALD.

September, 1899.

THE GHETTO

THE FIRST ACT

Scene: A street in the Ghetto in Amsterdam. On the left the shop of Sachel. Running down from the centre to the right, diagonally, the wall of a canal; a bridge across the canal; a vista of the river and the city at the back.

Enter Samson and Daniel.

Samson.

Have trade and traffic gone to bed for Sabbath?

Daniel.

Not till old Sachel shuts his shop. See, he sits there in the gloom like a spider waiting in its web. He would keep open all night for two cents.

Samson.

He's waiting for his son. What if the old man knew that Rafael spent half his time composing music—music for which he gets nothing? He would lock the door on Rafael to-night.

Daniel.

Let him! The world shall hear from Rafael. Wait till we play his music.

Samson.

But he still has time to devote to his father's Christian servant-maid.

Daniel.

Eh—you have noticed too? [They look into the shop.] Ah, see her! I say, she's the handsomest in Amsterdam—high or low! You had better be careful what you say about her to Rafael.

Samson.

I am. When I spoke a trifle lightly of her, he offered to smash my head with your 'cello.

Daniel.

And you apologized?

Samson.

Not wanting it smashed.

Daniel.

Meaning your head.

Samson.

No, meaning your 'cello. But I shall proceed with her. She is unhappy—I think she needs me!

Enter Mordecai, with a piece of lace, by way of the bridge. He goes into the shop.

I thought we had done with trade in this street. There goes an old sheep to pawn his fleece. I say—bah!

Daniel.

So will the old sheep say