CORNELIUS And you come along the road when I'm herding. I don't want to be going near your father's house. SALLY O Cornelius, it won't be lucky for us when father hears about Ellen and Matt. CORNELIUS That's true. No man sees his house afire but looks to his rick. SALLY Come down a bit of the road with me, Cornelius. The sow will be grunting and grunting, reminding father that I'm away. Och, a minute ago I was as contented as if there was no land or pigs, or harsh words to trouble one. _(She goes to the door)_ The boys and girls for America are coming here. CORNELIUS Give me your hands to hold, Sally. _(She gives him her hands)_ We are as young as any of them after all. _They hold each other's hands, then stand apart_. SALLY It's a fine time for them to be going when the leaves are opening on the trees. _Three boys and three girls enter. They are dressed for going away_. SALLY God save you, girls. Good-bye, Cornelius. I'll have to run like a redshank. _Sally goes out_. CORNELIUS I'll call Ellen down to you. _(He goes to the room door and calls)_ I'm going herding myself. Herding is pleasant when you have thoughts with you. _He takes up the rod and goes out. The girls begin whispering, then chattering_. FIRST GIRL Sure I know. Every night I'm dreaming of the sea and the great towns. Streets and streets of houses and every street as crowded as the road outside the chapel when the people do be coming from Mass. I could watch the crowd in the street; I would think it better than any sight I ever knew. SECOND GIRL And the shops and the great houses. SECOND BOY There's no stir here. There's no fine clothes, nor fine manners, nor fine things to be seen. THIRD BOY There's no money. One could never get a shilling together here. In America there's money to have and to spend and to send home. THIRD GIRL Every girl gets married in America. _Ellen comes down_. ELLEN I'm glad you came. I have tea ready for you. I can't go to Gilroy's to-night. _Some come to the table and some remain near the door_. A GIRL _(at table, to Ellen)_ They say that a peat fire like that will seem very strange to us after America. Bridget wondered at it when she came back. "Do civilized people really cook at the like of them?" said she. A BOY It's the little houses with only three rooms in them that will seem strange. I'm beginning to wonder myself at their thatch and their mud walls. ANOTHER GIRL Houses in bogs and fields. It was a heart-break trying to keep them as we'd like to keep them. A GIRL _(at door)_ Ah, but I'll never forget Gortan and the little road to Aughnalee. ANOTHER GIRL I think I'll be lonesome for a long time. I'll be thinking on my brothers and sisters. I nursed and minded all the little ones. FIRST BOY A girl like you, Ellen, is foolish to be staying here. SECOND BOY She'll be coming in the fall. We'll be glad to see you, Ellen. ELLEN I have no friends in America.