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The Americans

Chapter 9: ACT V CHRISTMAS EVE
By Edwin Davies Schoonmaker
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About This Book

A stage drama portrays an escalating industrial conflict in a timber-and-mill region, following owners, workers, union delegates, militia, clergy, and state officials as a labor strike unfolds. Scenes move from a mountain mine and a mill to the owners' mansion and communal settings, tracing attempts at negotiation, intimidation, and political intervention, and examining loyalty, class tension, and moral responsibility. Family ties and personal loyalties complicate public roles, while a mixture of grassroots organizing, corporate power, and legal force culminates in confrontation and reflection on the social consequences of industrial modernization.

If it was fair last week, then why not now?

Harry Egerton.

They're building something fairer.

(Walks back)

Ralph Ardsley.

It's no use.

Bishop Hardbrooke.

On what foundations, Harry? All about
 I see the wreck and ruin of our land;
 Her altars down, her sacred institutions——

(Cheering outside)

Harry, I beg of you to stop and think
 What it has cost, this Law that you defy
 And cast before the swine of riotous feet.

(Continuous cheering)

I appeal to you, my brother——

Harry Egerton.

Bishop Hardbrooke——

Bishop Hardbrooke.

In the name of everything that you hold dear——

Harry Egerton.

There's nothing you could say that could persuade me——

Bishop Hardbrooke.

Think of your country plunged in civil war!

Harry Egerton.

To stay even with a word what's rising there.

Bishop Hardbrooke.

Think of your mother, think of how she feels
 Sitting——

Ralph Ardsley.

Here's Anderson!

Harry Egerton.

What is it, Harvey?

Harvey Anderson.

(Hurrying in)

Well, President of Free Mill Number One
 And many more hereafter!

(Goes quickly left and, seizing the rope, pulls the flag up on the pole)

Up the mast,
 My beauty! Now you'll hear 'em raise the roof.

Harry Egerton.

And Dicey——?

Harvey Anderson.

Moved to make it unanimous.
 No opposition.

(Tremendous cheering outside)

Harvey Anderson.

(Comes right and takes Harry Egerton's two hands in his)

Well, boy?

Ralph Ardsley.

It's no use, Bishop.

Harvey Anderson.

You've dreamed it and it's a fact now, partner.

Harry Egerton.

Yes.

Harvey Anderson.

The years will multiply 'em.

Harry Egerton.

Hear! Just hear!

(Prolonged cheering)

Ralph Ardsley.

Let's leave 'em and let 'em stew in their own juice.

Harry Egerton.

The Living Mill!

(A volley of shots)

Harvey Anderson.

There goes the boys' salute!

(Seizes Harry Egerton by the shoulders and lifts him off his feet)

Up with you, up into the skies with you!
 We've lived to see a day will live forever.
 And you come right on out and make your speech.

(Hurries back through the mill)

Harry Egerton.

I'll be there shortly, Harvey.

Bishop Hardbrooke.

I suppose
 There's no use in our talking any more.

Harry Egerton.

I'm sorry, Bishop.

Bishop Hardbrooke.

Then—Good-bye.

Harry Egerton.

Good-bye.

(The Bishop and Ardsley go out down the stairs. Harry Egerton starts back toward the gate)

Jim King.

(Suddenly appears just beyond the railing)

There was a call just now 'fore you came in.
 I think it was your mother.

(Harry Egerton turns back to the desk and takes up the telephone. Jim King vanishes through the great door, left)

Harry Egerton.

Forty-nine
 Grand View, please. Yes.

(A pause)

Mother? I knew your voice.
 You called me up, one of the men said. No?

(A pause)

Or some one else.

(A pause)

Yes, mother, very well.
 You're going to the city?

(A pause)

That was it.
 I thought perhaps you had called me up to ask.

(A pause)

Four or five hundred pounds.

(A pause)

Mixed, I should say.
 And such toys as you think children would like.

(A pause)

O you know more about such things than I.

(A pause)

Yes.

(A pause)

Mother, while I think of it, has father
 Had any trouble with Jergens?

(A pause)

Ah, I'm glad.
 I overheard him talking with some men
 The other night, and thought from what he said
 It might be father they were talking of.

(A pause. The door, forward left, opens slowly and Rome Masters comes stealthily in with a bar of iron in his hand, and moves toward Harry Egerton, whose back is to him)

Harry Egerton.

I'm very glad. You might ask father though.

(Cheering outside)

I'll have some news for you when you return.

(A pause)

Here in the mill. And I'll be Santa Claus.

(A pause)

That will be beautiful.

(A pause)

And, mother——

(Masters strikes him)

Harry Egerton.

Ah!

(He sinks to the floor. Masters, iron in hand, flees down the stairs. The cheering outside continues. Then, as the noise subsides, there is heard a steady buzzing of the telephone as though some one were trying to get connection)

ACT V

CHRISTMAS EVE

Scene: Inside the large room of a newly built board cabin up at the mine. Centre, rear, the open mouth of the tunnel, with the wall resting upon the rocks above. Left, in this same wall, near the corner, a door opening outside. Right, near the other corner, about four feet up from the floor, a small oblong window through which one sees the snow lying thick upon the mountains, and beyond the snow the dark of the sky with the winter stars shining brightly. In the right wall, well back, a door opens into a bedroom. Centre, in the opposite wall, a second door opens into a sort of woodshed. Left, a little way to the rear from the centre of the room, a heavy iron stove with chairs standing about. A woodbox is over near the wall, left. Forward right, a table with a bugle lying upon two or three sheets of loose paper, and, farther over, a heap of ore samples in which, with the light of the near-by lamp falling upon them, the gold is plainly visible.

Harvey Anderson, his hat pulled low over his eyes, sits with his back to the bedroom, staring at the stove. The only motion discernible is an occasional pressing of the lip when he bites his moustache. Later, Mrs. Egerton, careworn and evidently in deep distress, enters from the bedroom and starts to say something to Harvey Anderson, but decides not to. Instead she goes to the window and stands looking out as though she were anxiously waiting for some one.

Time: Christmas Eve.

Mrs. Egerton.

(In a low voice)

It's after midnight, for the lights are out
 Down in the town. It must be after one.

(Speaks back as though into the bedroom)

You think the guard would let him come right through?

Harvey Anderson.

Yes, mother.

Mrs. Egerton.

I didn't mean to wake you, Harvey.

Harvey Anderson.

I ain't been sleeping.

Mrs. Egerton.

But it seems so long.

(Turns again to the window)

Harvey Anderson.

The snow's so deep upon the mountains, mother.
 And Sam and Chris—I know they'd hurry on—
 They ain't come either.

Nurse.

(Entering from the bedroom)

It's stopped snowing now.

Harvey Anderson.

It's getting colder. How's he seem to be?

Nurse.

There's very little change. What time is it?

Harvey Anderson.

(Looks at his watch)

Going on half past three.

(They look at one another)

Nurse.

Don't think such things.

(Anderson goes to the woodbox and looks in)

Mrs. Egerton.

(At the window, to herself)

If I only knew! If I only knew he'd come!

Nurse.

(As Anderson goes into the woodshed)

He may have telegraphed for specialists.

(She glances toward Mrs. Egerton, then goes quietly to the door, rear left, and looks out)

Nurse.

(Comes back)

I wish that there was something that I could do.

Mrs. Egerton.

You made it plain that he must come at once?

Nurse.

Yes, Mrs. Egerton. I told the truth.
 Some think it's better to deceive. I don't.
 And I find that people thank you in the end.

Mrs. Egerton.

And they've been gone since nine.

Nurse.

Lie down a while,
 Won't you? I wish you would.

Mrs. Egerton.

Isn't that some one?

Nurse.

(Goes to the window)

It's Mr. Bentley with the guard, I think.

(Mrs. Egerton leaves the window and walks about the room)

Mrs. Egerton.

(Half to herself)

The stars are so low down, so beautiful;
 And the world so full of joy. Isn't it strange?
 To-day we're here and to-morrow somewheres else.

(She stops by the bedroom door and stands looking in)

Nurse.

He's so your boy.

Mrs. Egerton.

Yes, yes.

Nurse.

And he loves you so.
 It's always 'mother' when he speaks at all;
 You and the mill.

(A pause)

And then you'll always know
 There's never been a man in Foreston
 Been loved as he has been.

Mrs. Egerton.

But he's so young!
 And his work—He'd just begun. So little chance!

Nurse.

I've nursed so many cases of old men,
 And men in prosperous circumstances, too,
 Who've had no friends at all, just relatives.

(Mrs. Egerton walks about)

Nurse.

And friends are so much closer, don't you think?

Mrs. Egerton.

Has he never, never mentioned Donald's name
 In his delirium?

Nurse.

(Shakes her head)

But then you know
 Those first weeks at the Hospital were a blank,
 Or almost so. And then when he came to
 After the operation——

Mrs. Egerton.

Donald! Donald!

Nurse.

I being a stranger, just a nurse, you know.
 In delirium of course it's different.
 But then I'd left the case.

(Harvey Anderson enters with an armful of wood)

Nurse.

I was surprised
 When I got word from Mr. Anderson
 That you had let him—It's so far up here.

Mrs. Egerton.

He wanted to so much.

Nurse.

They always do.
 But they don't always know what's best for them.

Harvey Anderson.

But he was getting on so well.

Nurse.

I know.

Harvey Anderson.

There was no fever till four days ago.

Nurse.

(To Mrs. Egerton)

When I got here he was quite rational.

Harvey Anderson.

And talked about the mine here and the mill.
 And figured out the timber that we'd need
 For next year's run. I don't know what it was.

(Quietly replenishes the fire)

Mrs. Egerton.

(At the bedroom door)

He hasn't moved.

Nurse.

It quite exhausted him.

Mrs. Egerton.

You think he recognized me?

Nurse.

I don't know.

Harvey Anderson.

(Who has come to the table, picks up one of the sheets of paper)

And he was planning homes here for the men
 Upon the valley land, with flowers and trees.

Nurse.

Wasn't it strange that he should hear the bells?

Harvey Anderson.

I hadn't heard them till he spoke.

Nurse.

Nor I.

Harvey Anderson.

He seemed to know that it is Christmas Eve.

Mrs. Egerton.

His speaking of the toys!

Nurse.

Lie down a while.

Harvey Anderson.

It's all right, mother, it's all right.

Nurse.

Won't you?
 We'll call you when he comes.

Buck Bentley.

(Entering hurriedly from outside)

Here comes a light.

Mrs. Egerton.

(Collecting herself)

If there's anything, Harvey, anything I can do
 To help the work along, you'll come to me.
 Promise me that. And you must keep right on.

Harvey Anderson.

Yes, mother. We talked of that.

(Mrs. Egerton kisses him and goes into the bedroom)

Buck Bentley.

How is he now?

Nurse.

About the same.

(She goes to the window)

Buck Bentley.

You didn't think he'd come.

Harvey Anderson.

He's been six weeks, almost. But that's all right.
 Is the Doctor with him?

Buck Bentley.

Yes.

(Starts for the door)

I'll tell the boys.

Harvey Anderson.

Then come back, Buck.

Buck Bentley.

I will.

(He goes out. Anderson stands staring at the door)

Nurse.

I'm so, so glad.
 These weeks and weeks——It's been so hard to bear.
 You see when Death comes, Mr. Anderson—
 It ought to be a lesson to us all.
 You'll stay, of course.

Harvey Anderson.

I? Sure.

Nurse.

He's felt so hard,
 So bitter toward you.

(Buck Bentley enters quickly. Looks from Harvey to the Nurse)

Harvey Anderson.

What?——

Buck Bentley.

It's Sam and Chris.

(Sam Williams and Chris Knudson come in with a lantern)

Harvey Anderson.

See anything of Egerton coming up?

(The men show surprise)

Buck Bentley.

They sent for him.

Sam Williams.

Is he as bad as that?

Harvey Anderson.

He hasn't been himself.

(To Bentley, who starts out)

Then come back.

Buck Bentley.

Yes.

(Anderson turns and shakes his head at the Nurse, who goes into the bedroom, closing the door after her)

Harvey Anderson.

He spoke of both of you.

Chris Knudson.

Too bad! too bad!

Harvey Anderson.

I thought you'd like to be here.

(They sit silent about the stove)

Harvey Anderson.

Colder.

Chris Knudson.

Yes.

(They are silent)

Harvey Anderson.

Things going all right, Sam?

(Sam Williams nods)

Harvey Anderson.

And in the camps?

Chris Knudson.

Hundred and fifty men.

(They are silent)

Sam Williams.

There's a report
 That Masters will turn State's evidence.

Harvey Anderson.

Good news.

Chris Knudson.

The citizens are pressing on the case.

Harvey Anderson.

They'll find the trail leads where we said.

Chris Knudson.

That's sure.

Sam Williams.

His throwing down the silver don't help though.

(They are silent)

Harvey Anderson.

You see about those young pines, Chris. With spring
 We'll begin setting out as partner wished,
 And start all over with the land all green.

(They are silent)

Chris Knudson.

The boys will be so sorry.

Harvey Anderson.

I don't mind,
 Now that it can't be, telling you of a plan——

(There is a slight noise in the bedroom. Anderson turns and listens; but everything becomes quiet again)

Harvey Anderson.

Of a surprise he had for Christmas day,
 For all of us and the families of the men.

Nurse.

(Appears at the door and calls quickly)

Harvey!

(Anderson starts for the bedroom. Suddenly Harry Egerton appears struggling with his mother and the Nurse. His head is bandaged and his face is covered with a six weeks' beard)

Harry Egerton.

No, no! See there! see there! see there!
 They're here already!

(A shadowy line of workmen with their wives and children in their Sunday clothes comes in left)

Harry Egerton.

(Shouting right)

In the dry-kiln, Sam!
 And fetch the other barrel, Harvey.

Mrs. Egerton.

Harry!

Harry Egerton.

A Merry Christmas, friends, to all of you!
 I'm glad you've come!

(Shaking himself free)

It's all right, it's all right!
 Candy, candy, candy, children!

(The children crowd about him)

Mrs. Egerton.

Harry!

Harry Egerton.

Let them come! let them come! There! there! there!

Harvey Anderson.

Partner!

Harry Egerton.

(Laughing)