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.