[_As she sings BOOKER stealthily slips off his stool and going around to the opposite side of the table takes a spoon with which he approaches a dish set upon a warming-shelf fixed to the stove. He furtively dips his spoon in the dish and begins to eat. LUCY continuing her singing._] Play on youah harp, little David, Little Davy, how ole are you? “I’m only twelve yeahs ole.” [_She turns and discovers BOOKER._] What! You stealin’! I’ll show you! [_She gives him a cuff and a shake, depositing him again upon his stool._] You shorely is on de way to de fieh but I’m goin’ pluck you out ef it skins you alive. Steal, will you? What de sevenf commandment? BOOKER [_Sniveling._] Thou shalt not steal. LUCY See dat. You knows it but you des won’t live hit. Well, I’m goin’ live it into you. I’m goin’ slap sin out of you. [_She gives him another shake._] An’ de grace into you. Now you say dat commandment sevumty times sevun. Begin. Say hit. BOOKER Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not steal— [_The door at back opens and MADISON SPARROW stands in the doorway looking on the scene within the room. He is a tall, loose-jointed, lazy-looking man. In one hand he carries a long green bag._] MADISON [_After a survey of the situation._] What de boy do? LUCY He steal, dat what he do. MADISON Um. What he steal? LUCY Mush. I tole him not to tech it. MADISON Well, he was hongry, weren’t he? LUCY Dat ain’ de p’int. Tweren’t his till I give it to him. MADISON [_Places the bag carefully by the doorway, throws his hat upon it, then seats himself at the table._] Bring on dat mush. I’m tia’hd of dese fool doin’s. Dey ain’t no git ahead wif um. Ef de boy wants mush let him git mush. LUCY [_Placing food before him on the table._] Yes, but not rob it. MADISON Who talkin’ ’bout robbin’? LUCY Madison, dat’s de wrong kin’ of trash fo’ dis baby to heah. Go lay down, honey. Tek de bowl wif you. [_BOOKER whines but takes a dish and goes to doorway at Left._] MADISON No, hit’s de right kin’ of preachin’. I’m tia’hd of all dat ol’ fashion way of doin’. Ef I wuz to wuk my ahms off dat ol’ fashion way I couldn’t git no furder. LUCY What you bin wukin’ at dis yeah, Madison? MADISON Dat’s it. You know dat I’m bin lookin’ fo’ it and couldn’t find hit. LUCY What you wuk at last yeah? MADISON You knows I wuk in de strippin’ factory. LUCY Jes’ two weeks. MADISON You knows I wuk till I strain my back. But neveh min’ about all dat. I done tuhn oveh a new leaf. I goin’ to be a business man. I goin’ to let de otheh man wuk. LUCY ’Sposin’ everybody was to do dat away. MADISON Let ’em do hit. I don’ ask nothin’ of nobody. I goin’ to have every toof in my haid covehed wif gol’. I’ll get youah’n an’ Book’s fix dat way too. I goin’ to have plenty society grub in me all de time. I ain’ goin’ to let my fam’ly suffeh. I got too sweet a disposishun fo’ dat. I’ll git ’em whateveh I want. BOOKER