THE ANGEL ON THE SHIP

THE ANGEL ON THE SHIP

The fore-deck of the Nancy Bray lying disabled in mid-ocean. The figurehead of the ship has been torn from its place and nailed to the forepost, facing the stern,—back to back, as it were, with its former position. It is the half-length of an angel bearing wreaths; she is highly colored and buxom and has flowing yellow hair. On the deck lie three persons in the last stages of rags and exhaustion: Minna, the captain’s wife, the remnant of a stout, coarse woman; Van, the under-cook, a little, sharp youth; and a fat, old, sleepy member of the crew, Jamaica Sam.

VAN

[Driving the last nail into the figurehead.]

There she is. She’s the new gawd of the Atlantic. It’s only a she-gawd, but that’s a good enough gawd for a sailor.

MINNA

[Seated on the deck.]

Us’ll call her Lily. That’s a name like a god’s.

SAM

Youm be quick. Youm say your prayers quick.

MINNA

[Blubbering.]

Her can’t hear us. Her’s just the old figgerhead we had thirty years.

VAN

Her’s an angel. Her knows everything.

[He throws himself on his knees and lays his forehead on the boards. In a hoarse whisper.]

That’s the joss way. We all got t’do it.

[The others do likewise.]

SAM

Us’ll pray in turns. Us must be quick. There ain’t no more water to drink, and there ain’t no more sails left to carry us on. Us’ll have to be quick. Youm begin, Van. Youms a great lad with the words.

VAN

[With real fanaticism.]

Great Gawd Lily, on the ship “Nancy Bray,” all’s lost with us if you don’t bring us rain to drink. All the secret water I saved aside is drunk up, and we got to go over the side with the rest, if you don’t bring us rain to-day,—or to-morrow. Youm allus been the angel on the front of this yere ship “Nancy Bray” and you ain’t goin’ to leave us rot now. I finished my prayer, great gawd Lily. Amen.

MINNA

Great God Lily, I’m the captain’s wife that’s sailed behind you for twenty years. Many’s the time, great God Lily, that I shined your face so you’d look spick and span and we sailing into London in the morning, or into heathen lands. You knows everything, and you knows what I did to my husband and that I didn’t let him have none of the secret water that me and Van saved up, and that when he died he knew it and cursed me and Van to hell. But youms forgiven everything and send us some rain or bye-and-bye we’ll die and there’ll be no one here prayin’ to you. This is the end of my prayin’, great God Lily.

VAN

[Whispers.]

Say Amen.

MINNA

Amen, great God Lily.

SAM

I ain’t goin’ to pray. I’m just a dog that’s been on the sea since I was born. I don’ know no land eddication.

MINNA

We all got to pray for some rain.

VAN

You got t’say your word, too.

SAM

God forgive me, great God Lily, I’m old Jamaica Sam that don’t never go ashore. Amen. I’d be drowned, too, only for Van and the captain’s wife who gave me some of the secret water, so that if they died I could roll ’em over the side and not leave ’em on the clean deck. Amen. Youms known my whole life, great God Lily, and how I stole the Portagee’s red bag, only it was almost empty, and ... and that other thing. Send a lot of rain and a ship to save us. Amen.

VAN

[Crawling up beneath the figure and throwing himself full-length, hysterically.]

You’ve gone and forgiven me everything. Sure you have. I didn’t kill the captain. The secret water was mine. Save us now, great gawd Lily, and bring me back to my uncle in Amsterdam and make him leave me his three coal barges.

MINNA

[Rocking herself.]

We’m lost. She’ll save Sam, but I’ve done what the gods don’t like. They’m after me. They’ve got me now.

[Suddenly staring off the deck.]

Van! Van! Them’s a ship coming to us. Van, look!

[She falls back crying.]

VAN

Them’s comin’!

SAM

[Trying to jump up and down.]

It’s the “Maria Theresa Third,” comin’ right at us.

VAN

[His eye falls on the angel.]

What’ll they say to the figgerhead here?

SAM

[Sententiously.]

But that’s the great God Lily. Her’s saved us. You ain’t goin’ to do anything to her?

VAN

[Starting to beat the angel forward with his hammer.]

They’ll call us heathen, bowin’ down to wood and stone. Get the rope, Sam. We’ll put her back.

MINNA

[Frightened.]

But I can’t never forget her and her great starey eyes. Her I’ve prayed to.