The southern cross : $b A play in four actsDaingerfield, Foxhall
History
The southern cross : $b A play in four acts
Daingerfield, Foxhall
American drama -- 20th century; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Drama
[Enter Marthy (Right). She carries a small, covered basket.
She is looking down, picking her way over the rough ground,
and does not see Winthrop.
Winth. Aunt Marthy.
Marthy (looks up, sees him, starts, looks again). Fo' Gaud! ef
hit ain't Mars Winthrop.
Winth. I'm mighty glad to see you, Marthy. What are you doing
'way out here?
Marthy. Well, sir, I sho is sprised ter see you. I don come
'cross de river to fotch Miss Charlotte her dinner.
Winth. Where is she?
Marthy. She up dar at de school house. Ain't you don hear 'bout
dat? She's teachin' school.
Winth. I haven't heard anything about them for a long time now. I
haven't been here since the fight last May.
Marthy. I come hyer most every day to fotch de lunch for her. She
bin teachin' since September. I couldn't git nobody to row de ferry, so
I had ter get in de skiff and row dat way. Cos I bleeged ter get hyer
some way.
Winth. How are they all now, Marthy? I hope they are all well. I
have tried so hard to get some word of them, but no one seemed to know.
How are they?
Marthy. Well, sir, dey ant so well as what de might be. Pears
like hits hard ter say just how dey is, de trouble done change um so. I
reckon, do, deys well, and cose, sir, dey ant give up; nor, sir, ant ney
one ob um done dat. You heard bout Mars George bein kill way down dar
bout two miles other side of the place. Yes, sir, dats when you was hyr
las time. Pears like hit come on us so fast I sorter disremember. Well,
dey brought him home--Old Mistus and Miss Charlotte did--but, sir, hit
change um mighty. Deys jus as brave and fine as dey ever bin, but cose,
sir, hit change um. Den dar was de time Mars Carter he was captured and
Mars Gorden go arter him and turn him loose, but he ant save hisself.
You know bout dat, do, I reckon. Dey--(she pauses, then continues with
an effort). Dey hung him, sir, next mornin fo de suns up good. Cose dey
offer him he freedom, but dat ant mek no difference ter him. He done
save de army, and dat what he kyr bout. Well, sir, dey brung him home
and me and Miss Charlotte and Miss Fair and Mars Bev we bury him wid our
own hands. De soldiers say dey dig de grave, but Mistus she say no, she
reckon we can do hit; so Cupid dig de grave down in de gyrden and we
bury him dar next day, close by Mars Phil and Mars George (she pauses
and draws her hand across her eyes). Well, sir, hit did seem dat ought
ter be de end ob de trouble, but de very next Sunday mornin we see de
ambulance wagen turn in at de gate, and hit was Mars Carter and Old
Marster, both on um, sir, both on um! Mars Carter was done shot dead
and Old Marster done had he leg shot off up near his body (she pauses
again). Peared like Old Mistus knowed dey was comin. She done dress up
in her black silk dress and standin out dar in de front porch waitin.
When dey come up to de do, she jus look down at um fer a minute, den she
say rite lo, "In hyr, please," and she turn and led the way back to her
room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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