THADDEUS TRASK
MARY TRASK
A NORTHERN SOLDIER
A SOUTHERN SERGEANT
DICK
SCENE: The kitchen of a farmhouse on the borderline between the Southern
and Northern states. TIME: Ten o'clock in the evening, September, 1863.
The back wall is broken at stage left by the projection at right angles
of a partially enclosed staircase, four steps of which, leading to the
landing, are visible to the audience. Underneath the enclosed stairway
is a cubby-hole with a door; in front of the door stands a small table.
To the left of this table is a kitchen chair. A door leading to the yard
is in the centre of the unbroken wall back; to the right of the door,
a cupboard, to the left, a stove. In the wall right are two windows.
Between them is a bench, on which there are a pail and a dipper;
above the bench a towel hanging on a nail, and above the towel a
double-barrelled shot-gun suspended on two pegs.
In the wall left, and well down stage, is a closed door leading to
another room. In the centre of the kitchen stands a large table; to the
right and left of this, two straight-backed chairs.
The walls are roughly plastered. The stage is lighted by the moon, which
shines into the room through the windows, and a candle on table centre.
When the door back is opened, a glimpse of a desolate farmyard is seen
in the moonlight.
When the curtain rises, THADDEUS TRASK, a man of fifty or sixty years
of age, short and thick set, slow in speech and movement, yet in perfect
health, sits lazily smoking his pipe in a chair at the right of the
centre table.
After a moment, MARY TRASK, a tired, emaciated woman, whose years equal
her husband's, enters from the yard, carrying a pail of water and a
lantern. She puts the pail on the bench and hangs the lantern above it;
then crosses to the stove.
MARY. Ain't got wood 'nough fer breakfast, Thad.
THADDEUS. I'm too tired to go out now; wait till mornin'.
[Pause. MARY lays the fire in the stove.]
Did I tell ye that old man Reed saw three Southern troopers pass his
house this mornin'?
MARY [takes coffee pot from stove, crosses to bench, fills pot with
water]. I wish them soldiers would git out o' the neighborhood. Whenever
I see 'em passin', I have t' steady myself 'gainst somethin' or I'd
fall. I couldn't hardly breathe yesterday when the Southerners came
after fodder. I'd die if they spoke t' me.
THADDEUS. Ye needn't be afraid of Northern soldiers.
MARY [puts coffee pot on stove]. I hate 'em all--Union or Southern. I
can't make head or tail t' what all this fightin's 'bout. An' I don't
care who wins, so long as they git through, an' them soldiers stop
stealin' our corn an' potatoes.
THADDEUS. Ye can't hardly blame 'em if they're hungry, ken ye?
MARY. It ain't right that they should steal from us poor folk. [Lifts a
huge gunny sack of potatoes from the table and begins setting the
table for breakfast, getting knives, forks, spoons, plates, cups, and
saucers--two of each--from the cupboard.] We have hard 'nough times t'
make things meet now. I ain't set down onct to-day, 'cept fer meals; an'
when I think o' the work I got t' do t'morrow, I ought t' been in bed
hours ago.
THADDEUS. I'd help if I could, but it ain't my fault if the Lord see'd
fit t' lay me up, so I'm always ailin'. [Rises lazily.] Ye better try
an' take things easy t'morrow.
MARY. It's well 'nough t' say, but them apples got t' be picked an'
the rest o' the potatoes sorted. If I could sleep at night it'd be all
right, but with them soldiers 'bout, I can't.
THADDEUS [crosses to right; fondly handles his double-barrelled
shot-gun]. Jolly, wish I'd see a flock o' birds.
MARY [showing nervousness]. I'd rather go without than hear ye fire. I
wish ye didn't keep it loaded.
THADDEUS. Ye know I ain't got time t' stop an' load when I see the
birds. They don't wait fer ye. [Hangs gun on wall, drops into his chair,
dejectedly.] Them pigs has got to be butchered.
MARY. Wait till I git a chance t' go t' sister's. I can't stand it t'
hear 'em squeal.
THADDEUS [pulling off his boots, grunting meanwhile]. Best go soon then,
'cause they's fat as they'll ever be, an' there ain't no use in wastin'
feed on 'em. [Pause, rises.] Ain't ye most ready fer bed?
MARY. Go on up.
[THADDEUS takes candle in one hand, boots in other; moves toward
stairs.]
An', Thad, try not t' snore to-night.