A SCENE FROM GEORGE M. BAKER'S NEW PLAY (FOR FEMALE CHARACTERS ONLY) IN THREE ACTS, ENTITLED "REBECCA'S TRIUMPH." Characters: Katy, an Irish servant, Gyp, a colored girl; Dora, a young lady. (Enter Katy, with a letter in her hand.) Katy (turning letter over and over). An' sure I got a love-lether frum Patsy; an' phat will I do wid it I dunno. I can't rade, and the misthress is away wid the company girls. How will I find out phat's inside it? It's bothered I am intirely. (Enter from L., through C. door, Dora.) Dora. Ah, Katy! Is it ther yees are? Where's Mrs. Delaine's shawl? I see it. (Goes towards window R.) Katy. If yees plase, Miss Dora, might I be after troubling yees? Dora (comes down). Certainly, Katy. What's the trouble? Katy. If yees plase, I have a lether. Dora. From the ould counthry? Katy. No, indade: it's from—it's from—sure you'll be afther laughin' if I tole yees. Dora. Then you needn't tell me, Katy; I can guess. It's a love-letter. Katy. An' who towld yees that? Dora. Yourself, Katy, by the blushes on your cheeks and the sparkle in your eyes. You want me to read it for you? Katy. If yees plase, Miss Dora. (Hands letter.) Dora (opening letter). I shall learn all your secrets, Katy. Perhaps the young man would not like that. Katy. Thin yees moight shkip the sacrets. Dora (laughs). All right, Katy. (Reads.) "Lovely Katy." Katy. That's me. Sure that's no sacret. Dora (reads). "I take me pin in hand wid a bating heart, to till yees uv the sthrong wakeniss I have for yees." Katy. Yees moight shkip that. Dora (reads). "I have nather ate, dhrunk, nor slipt, for a wake." Katy. Will, that jist accounts for the wakeniss. Dora (reads). "Barrin' my thray males a day, an 'me pipe an' tobacyer." Katy. An' he wid the hearty appetite! Dora (reads). "An' all me slapeliss nights are fill wid drames of yees, Katy mavourneen." Katy. Sure he's the darlin'. Dora (reads). "I have yees phortygraff nailed to the hid uv me bid; and ivery night, afther I've blown out the candle wid me fingers, I tak a good look at it, an' if ye'll belave me, there's not a dry thread in me eyes." Katy. Sure he was alwus tinder-hearted. Dora (reads). "If yees don't belave me, tak a good look at yees own face before yees open the lether, and see if I have not cause to wape." Katy. Sure I ought to have known that before the lether came. Dora (reads). "If yees foind these tinder loins blotted wid tears, it's all owing to the bad quality uv the ink, which has compilled me to pin this wid a pincil." Katy. That's no mather. Dora (reads). "If yees don't recave this lether, or can't rade it, niver moind: ye'll know that all that's in it is the truth, an' nades nather radin' or writin' to till the same. So name the day, Katy darlin', whin me single blissidniss is to exphire, an' the mathrimoonial noose shlipped over the hid of yees lovin' and consolin' Patsy Dolan. "P.S.—These last lines are the poethry uv love. "Second P.S.—To be rid fhirst. I inclose a ring for yees finger, which same yees will find in me nixt lether." That's all, Katy. (Hands back letter.) Katy. It's jist illigant. I'm obleeged to yees. Dora (takes shawl from chair). Quite welcome, Katy. When you get ready to name the day, I'll answer it for you. But be quick, Katy; for the poor fellow will not live long on "only his thray males a day, an' his pipe an' tobacyer." (Runs off C. to L.) Katy (looks at letter). Sure it's a darlin' lether, an' Patsy Dolan's a broth uv a bye. Enter R., Gyp. Gyp. Ah, dar you is, Katy! Whar's de misses? Whar's Miss Becky? Whar's eberybody? Katy. In the garden, sure. Yees may coom in, if yees wipe yers fate. Gyp. Yas, indeed! How yer was? And how's Patsy Dolan? Katy. He's will. I've jist recaved a lether from him. Gyp. Dat so? Dat's good! Lub-letters am bery consolin' to de flutterin' heart. Got a letter, hab you? S'pose you red it frough and frough. Katy. Sure I can't rade at all, at all. Gyp. Dat so? Well, well! De ignoramance ob de foreign poperlation am distressin'. Katy. Can you rade? Gyp. Read? What you take me for? How else could I debour de heaps and heaps ob lub-letters dat I constantly receibe from my adorers? Katy (Aside.) Faith, I'd loike to hear Patsy's lether again. (Aloud.) Thin plase rade this for me. (Hands letter.) Gyp (confused). Wh-wh-what you take me fur? (Aside.) Golly! she cotch me den. (Aloud.) No, chile: dose tender confections am fur you alone, and dey shouldn't be composed to de world. Katy. An' sure yees can't rade. Gyp. What's that? Can't read? (Takes letter, and turns it round several times.) Berry long letter. Want to hear it all? Katy. Ivery word. Gyp (Aside.) Mussn't gib in. Spec dase all alike. Katy. Sure that's not there. Gyp (shows letter). See fur yerself, see fur yerself. Katy. Go on wid the lether. Gyp. "Sublimest ob de fair sexes, dis am a whale ob tears. Dar ain't no sunshine of moonshine widout you." Katy. That's not thrue at all, at all. Gyp (shows letter). Read it yerself, read yerself. Katy. Go on wid the lether. Gyp. "De moon on de lake am beamin', de lubly sunflower perfumeries in de garden, de tuneful frogs meliferously warble in de riber, an' de breezes blow fro' de treeses; but my lub, my lub, whar, oh, whar am she?" Katy. I don't belave— Gyp (as before). See fur yerself, see fur yerself! Katy. Oh, quit yees talkin' an' talkin'. Go on wid the lether. Gyp. "My lub she isn't hansum, My lub she isn't fair; But to cook de beef and 'taters Can't beat her anywhar." Dat's potry, Katy, dat is; alwus find lots ob dat in lub-letters: it gibs dem a flabor. Katy. I don't belave it's there. Gyp (as before). See fur yerself, see fur yerself! Katy. Go on wid the lether. Gyp. Luf me see, wha was I? "Come rest on dis yere head your aching breast." Dey all got dat, Katy, an'—an' (aside), well, I'se jest puzzled fur more: guess we'll hab some more poetry (aloud) an'—an'— "We'll dance all night till broad daylight, An' go home with de girls in de morning." Katy. It's no such thing! Yer desavin' me, so yees are! Me Patsy wouldn't go home wid the girls at all, at all. Gyp. See fur yerself, see fur yerself! Katy (snatching letter). So I will. It's false and desateful yees are, for Miss Dora rid the lether, an'—an'—it was jist illegant, so it was an' it's yersilf.—bad luck to the [Exit door R. Gyp. Well, I guess she fooled me dat time. No use. Dar's alwus trubble interferin' in lub affairs, jest like domestic affairs: when man and wife am fighting, ef you try to be a messenger ob peace, ef you don't look out, you'll git de broomstick onto yer own head. [Exit. YANKEE DIALECT RECITATIONS. Edited by GEORGE M. BAKER. BOARDS 50 CENTS PAPER 30 CENTS. LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston.
THE GRAND ARMY SPEAKER. Edited by GEORGE M. BAKER. BOARDS 50 CENTS PAPER 30 CENTS. LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston.
IRISH DIALECT RECITATIONS. Edited by GEORGE M. BAKER. BOARDS 50 CENTS PAPER 30 CENTS. LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston.
FOR SCHOOL EXERCISES AND EXHIBITIONS. PARLOR VARIETIES (Part III.). Plays, Pantomimes, Charades. By Olivia Lovell Wilson. Containing nineteen bright and witty entertainments for amateur actors. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. PARLOR VARIETIES (Part I.). Plays, Pantomimes, and Charades. By Emma E. Brewster. 16mo. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. PARLOR VARIETIES (Part II.). Tableaux, Dialogues, Pantomimes, etc. By Emma E. Brewster and Lizzie B. Scribner. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. A BAKER'S DOZEN. Humorous Dialogues. Containing thirteen popular pieces. Seven for male characters; six for female characters. Boards, 60 cents. THE GLOBE DRAMA. A new collection of original Dramas and Comedies. By George M. Baker. Author of Amateur Dramas, etc. Illustrated. $1.50. BALLADS IN BLACK. By F. E. Chase and J. F. Goodridge. A Series of Original Readings, to be produced as Shadow Pantomimes. With full directions for representation, by F. E. Chase. Illustrated with fifty full-page Silhouettes, by J. F. Goodridge; containing the following Pantomimes: Drink, Driggs and his Drouble, Orpheus the Organ-Grinder, Anonymous, Cinderella, In Pawn. Price in boards, illustrated cover, oblong, $1.00; each ballad separate, in paper, 25 cents. THE BOOK OF ELOQUENCE. A Collection of Extracts, in Prose and Verse, from the most famous Orators and Poets. New edition. By Charles Dudley Warner. Cloth, $1.50. DIALOGUES FROM DICKENS. For schools and home amusement. Selected and arranged by W. Eliot Fette, A.M. First Series, Illustrated. Cloth, $1.00. Second Series, Illustrated. Cloth, $1.00. The Dialogues in the above books are selected from the best points of the stories, and can be extended by taking several scenes together. SOCIAL CHARADES AND PARLOR OPERA. By M. T. Calder. Containing Operas, Charades, with Popular Tunes. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. POETICAL DRAMAS. For home and school. By Mary S. Cobb. Containing Short Poetical and Sacred Dramas, suitable for Sunday-school entertainments, etc. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. FOOTLIGHT FROLICS. School Opera, Charades, and Plays. By Mrs. Charles E. Fernald. Thirteen entertainments, including "Christmas Capers," a capital "Tree" introduction. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. COBWEBS. A Juvenile Operetta. By Mrs. Elizabeth P. Goodrich, author of "Young Folks' Opera," etc. 50 cents. MOTHER GOOSE MASQUERADES. (The Lawrence Mother Goose.) By E. D. K. Containing full directions for getting up an "Evening of Nonsense," Shadow-Plays, Pantomimes, Processions, Mimic Tableaux, and all the favorite ways of delineating passages of Mother Goose. Just the book for exhibitions. 50 cents net. YOUNG FOLKS' OPERA. An illustrated volume of Original Music and Words, bright, light, and sensible. By that favorite composer for the young, Mrs. Elizabeth Parsons Goodrich. 8vo. Boards. $1.00. Sold by all booksellers and newsdealers, and sent by mail, postpaid, on receipt of price. LEE & SHEPARD, Publishers, Boston. NEW ELOCUTIONARY HAND-BOOK. EDITED BY GEORGE M. BAKER. IRISH DIALECT RECITATIONS. A series of the most popular Readings and Recitations in prose and verse. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. NEGRO DIALECT RECITATIONS. A series of the most popular Readings in prose and verse. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. THE GRAND ARMY SPEAKER. A collection of the best Readings and Recitations on the Civil War. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. YANKEE DIALECT RECITATIONS. A humorous collection of the best Stories and Poems for Reading and Recitations. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. MEDLEY DIALECT RECITATIONS. A series of the most popular German, French, and Scotch Readings. Boards, 50 cents; paper, 30 cents. THE READING CLUB and Handy Speaker, No. 18. Paper, 15 cents. Uniform with Nos. 1 to 17. BAKER'S HUMOROUS SPEAKER. A compilation of popular selections in prose and verse in Irish, Dutch, Negro, and Yankee dialect. Uniform with "The Handy Speaker," "The Prize Speaker," "The Popular Speaker," "The Premium Speaker." Cloth, $1.00. Sold by all Booksellers, and sent by mail, postpaid, on receipt of price, by the publishers, LEE & SHEPARD, Boston. |