FERRY FARM EPISODE

CHARACTERS

LORD FAIRFAX MARY BALL WASHINGTON GEORGE WASHINGTON Plantation hands AUNT RACHEL SAMBO LUCY DINAH PETER NELLY SUSY UNCLE NED

SCENE: The lawn of Ferry Farm, 1748. A wide expanse of green. Trees right, left, and background. The trees in background supposedly screen the Colonial house from view. At the left the estate supposedly stretches to the highway. At the right, behind the trees, it is given over to flower and vegetable gardens.

At the beginning of the scene the grassy space is deserted, but from the distance, right, comes the sound of singing. The sound swells louder and louder in the rhythm of one of the oldest of African songs, "Mary and Martha just gone 'long to ring those charming bells." The first verse is sung before the singers appear. With the second verse those who have been at work in the fields come into view, their gay and colorful costumes bright against the green background.

Two of the children run into sight first; then comes a group of nine or ten young people. Some carry between them baskets heaped quite high with fruit and vegetables. One boy holds a hoe. A girl carries a rake. Another an armful of dried corn on the ear. Two more a low basket heaped with cotton. In the center of this group hobbles old Aunt Rachel, turbaned, and leaning on a cane. By her side walks Lucy, carrying a great bunch of pink "Winter Roses."

The third verse is sung as this group emerges into full view of the audience. The children stand looking at Aunt Rachel as they sing, as if they were catching some of the words from her. She beats time with her finger to see that they learn correctly. Other voices take up the song in right background, swelling it higher and higher. Uncle Ned, with his fiddle under his arm, comes slowly from right to join the group in foreground. The baskets are set down. The boy leans on his hoe, the girl on her wooden rake, rapt and happy. All are given over to the rhythmic joy of the music.

UNCLE NED (with a sigh of happiness).

I certainly do love music. Nothing cheers the heart like singing—unless it's the voice of the fiddle.

SUSY (hopping up and down).

Play to us, Uncle Ned, play to us!

[Uncle Ned tucks his fiddle under his chin and begins to play. At first the air is chant-like, and has a strain of melancholy, then it grows gayer and gayer, until it turns into a dance tune. The children first stand about Uncle Ned in a circle, listening. Then they begin to dance, with swaying bodies and cries of delight. Here and there a girl and boy dance opposite each other, hands on hips. There should be five or six dancing groups in all. Uncle Ned finishes with a flourish, and turns towards left.

THE CHILDREN.

Play us another tune, Uncle Ned! Play us another tune!

UNCLE NED (to a little girl who is especially imploring).

No, no, honey. There's work for me to do up yonder at the house.

[Goes off, left background.

AUNT RACHEL (still swaying a little and nodding her head).

It certainly does take the fiddle to make old bones feel young again. Where are you going, Susy?

SUSY (taking up her basket and indicating left).

Off to the stables.

AUNT RACHEL (center).

And where are you going, Lucy?

LUCY.

Up to the house with this bunch of roses for Mistress Washington.

SUSY.

Look! Here comes Nelly from the house now.

NELLY (running down from background).

Have you-all heard the news? This is the day that Master George is leaving for his surveying trip with Lord Fairfax. See! Mistress Washington is coming to speak to us now!

[All look in the direction of house. Madam Washington is seen approaching from the background, center, a stately figure in Colonial dress, her hair slightly touched with gray. Cries of "Good-morning, Mistress Washington! Good-morning!" Children skip up and down. Baskets, hoe, and rake are alike forgotten. Madam Washington stands in center, and the plantation children are grouped in a wide semicircle about her, so that all she does is in full view of audience. Lucy presents Madam Washington with a bunch of roses. Madam Washington takes them, bows, and smiles. Lucy drops a courtesy.

MADAM WASHINGTON.

How is your fever, Aunt Rachel?

AUNT RACHEL.

Better, better, I thank you.

LUCY.

Is this the day that Master George is starting for--

PETER (as he comes running down from background).

Mistress Washington! Mistress Washington! Lord Fairfax has come, and Master George's horse is all saddled and waiting.

[Madam Washington turns and, follows Peter back to the house.

AUNT RACHEL (indicating left).

Come, children! You can see the road from here. There he is on his horse!

[Young George Washington, in tan-colored frontiersman's garb, is seen dimly through the trees. With him a stately figure that is Lord Fairfax. They wave and bow in direction of house. Then George waves in direction of plantation group in foreground.

SAMBO (shielding his eyes with his hand).

I can see him! I can see him!

ALL (looking off towards left, waving, gesticulating).

Good-by, good-by, Master George!

OTHERS.

Come back soon, Master George. Good-by! Good-by!

AUNT RACHEL (sadly shaking her head).

He is gone! How we will miss him!

[An instant's dejection falls on the group. They stand saggingly, joy gone from them.

AUNT RACHEL (brightening).

It's only for a short time. Only for a short time. He'll be back. He'll surely be back.

[The group brightens. A tambourine drops jinglingly. It is picked up. Baskets and hoe are resumed. The group starts towards background, leisurely, tunefully singing:

(Air: Chorus of "Down Where the Cotton Blossoms Grow.")

Bright shines the sun, the clover-fields are white, Through the woods the happy children go: As gay are our hearts as flowers swinging light, When balmy airs of Springtime blow.

Gaily we work with spade and rake and hoe, Golden shines the burnished sun of noon; Then in the fields the shadows longer grow, Time to be looking for the moon!

Then twilight comes, and then the velvet night, Stars shine like a beacon through the gloam, The old cabin road is gray beneath their light, The long road that leads us to our home.

[As they sing the darkies move towards background. The voices grow fainter and fainter. The scene ends.

COSTUMES

LORD FAIRFAX. Plum-colored velvet. Three-cornered black hat. White wig with cue.

GEORGE WASHINGTON. Frontiersman's suit of cotton khaki, made on Indian lines, with Indian tunic, and knee-breeches. Tan stockings, with strappings of khaki wound round them, and moccasins.

MADAM WASHINGTON. Dark green quilted petticoat. Overdress and bodice of dark green, flowered in old rose. Elbow sleeves. White ruffles of lace. White lawn fichu. Powdered hair.

The plantation negroes wear tropically bright colors. All the colors are solid. Aunt Rachel has a bright blue dress with a white apron and kerchief, and a black cloak across her shoulders. She wears a scarlet and yellow turban, and huge gold hoops in her ears. The negro girls wear red and blue and green cotton dresses with white kerchiefs, and colored aprons—a yellow apron with a red dress, and so on. Some of them wear gay little turbans. Their feet are bare. The boys wear black knee-breeches, and bright-colored shirts, open at the neck. Uncle Ned wears black knee-breeches, low black shoes, and a faded scarlet vest with gilt buttons opening over a soft white shirt.