ACT II

by Susan Glaspell

　　SCENE: A corridor in the library of MortonCollege, October of the year 1920, upon the occasion of thefortieth anniversary of its founding. This is an open place in thestacks of books, which are seen at both sides. There is areading-table before the big rear window. This window opens out,but does not extend to the floor; only a part of its height isseen, indicating a very high window. Outside is seen the top of atree. This outer wall of the building is on a slant, so that theentrance right is near, and the left is front. Right front is asection of a huge square column. On the rear of this, facing thewindow, is hung a picture of SILAS MORTON. Two men are standingbefore this portrait.

　　SENATOR LEWIS is the Midwestern state senator.He is not of the city from which Morton College rises, but of amore country community farther in-state. FELIX FEJEVARY, nownearing the age of his father in the first act, is an American ofthe more sophisticated type—prosperous, having the poise ofsuccess in affairs and place in society.

　　SENATOR: And this was the boy who founded the place, eh? It washis idea?

　　FEJEVARY: Yes, and his hill. I was there the afternoon he toldmy father there must be a college here. I wasn't any older thenthan my boy is now.

　　(As if himself surprised by this.)

　　SENATOR: Well, he enlisted a good man when he let you in on it.I've been told the college wouldn't be what it is today but foryou, Mr Fejevary.

　　FEJEVARY: I have a sentiment about it, and where our sentimentis, there our work goes also.

　　SENATOR: Yes. Well, it was those mainsprings of sentiment thatwon the war.

　　(He is pleased with this.)

　　FEJEVARY: (nodding) Morton College did her part inwinning the war.

　　SENATOR: I know. A fine showing.

　　FEJEVARY: And we're holding up our end right along. You'll seethe boys drill this afternoon. It's a great place for them, here onthe hill—shows up from so far around. They're a fine lot offellows. You know, I presume, that they went in as strike-breakersduring the trouble down here at the steel works. The plant wouldhave had to close but for Morton College. That's one reason Iventure to propose this thing of a state appropriation forenlargement. Why don't we sit down a moment? There's no conflictwith the state university—they have their territory, we haveours. Ours is an important one—industrially speaking. Thestate will lose nothing in having a good strong collegehere—a one-hundred-per-cent-American college.

　　SENATOR: I admit I am very favourably impressed.

　　FEJEVARY: I hope you'll tell your committee so—and let mehave a chance to talk to them.

　　SENATOR: Let's see, haven't you a pretty radical man here?

　　FEJEVARY: I wonder if you mean Holden?

　　SENATOR: Holden's the man. I've read things that make mequestion his Americanism.

　　FEJEVARY: Oh—(gesture of depreciation) I don'tthink he is so much a radical as a particularly humanhuman-being.

　　SENATOR: But we don't want radical human beings.

　　FEJEVARY: He has a genuine sympathy with youth. That'sinvaluable in a teacher, you know. And then—he's ascholar.

　　(He betrays here his feeling of superiority tohis companion, but too subtly for his companion to get it.)

　　SENATOR: Oh—scholar. We can get scholars enough. What wewant is Americans.

　　FEJEVARY: Americans who are scholars.

　　SENATOR: You can pick 'em off every bush—pay them a littlemore than they're paid in some other cheap John College. Excuseme—I don't mean this is a cheap John College.

　　FEJEVARY: Of course not. One couldn't think that of MortonCollege. But that—pay them a little more, interests me.That's another reason I want to talk to your committee onappropriations. We claim to value education and then we let highlytrained, gifted men fall behind the plumber.

　　SENATOR: Well, that's the plumber's fault. Let the teachers talkto the plumber.

　　FEJEVARY: (with a smile) No. Better not let them talk tothe plumber. He might tell them what to do about it. In fact, istelling them.

　　SENATOR: That's ridiculous. They can't serve both God andmammon.

　　FEJEVARY: Then let God give them mammon. I mean, let the stateappropriate.

　　SENATOR: Of course this state, Mr Fejevary, appropriates nomoney for radicals. Excuse me, but why do you keep this manHolden?

　　FEJEVARY: In the scholar's world we're known because of him. Andreally, Holden's not a radical—in the worst sense. What hedoesn't see is—expediency. Not enough the man of affairs torealize that we can't always have literally what we havetheoretically. He's an idealist. Something of the—man ofvision.

　　SENATOR: If he had the right vision he'd see that we don't everyminute have literally what we have theoretically because we'refighting to keep the thing we have. Oh, I sometimes think the manof affairs has the only vision. Take you, Mr Fejevary—abanker. These teachers—books—books! (pushing allbooks back) Why, if they had to take for one day theresponsibility that falls on your shoulders—big decisions tomake—man among men—and all the time worries,irritations, particularly now with labour riding the high horselike a fool! I know something about these things. I went to theState House because my community persuaded me it was my duty. ButI'm the man of affairs myself.

　　FEJEVARY: Oh yes, I know. Your company did much to develop thatwhole northern part of the state.

　　SENATOR: I think I may say we did. Well, that's why, after threesessions, I'm chairman of the appropriations committee. I know howto use money to promote the state. So—teacher? That would bea perpetual vacation to me. Now, if you want my advice, MrFejevary,—I think your case before the state would bestronger if you let this fellow Holden go.

　　FEJEVARY: I'm going to have a talk with Professor Holden.

　　SENATOR: Tell him it's for his own good. The idea of a collegeprofessor standing up for conscientious objectors!

　　FEJEVARY: That doesn't quite state the case. Fred Jordan was oneof Holden's students—a student he valued. He felt Jordan wasperfectly sincere in his objection.

　　SENATOR: Sincere in his objections! The nerve of him thinking itwas his business to be sincere!

　　FEJEVARY: He was expelled from college—you may remember;that was how we felt about it.

　　SENATOR: I should hope so.

　　FEJEVARY: Holden fought that, but within the college. Whatbrought him into the papers was his protest against the way the boyhas been treated in prison.

　　SENATOR: What's the difference how he's treated? You know howI'd treat him? (a movement as though pulling a trigger) If Ididn't know you for the American you are, I wouldn't understandyour speaking so calmly.

　　FEJEVARY: I'm simply trying to see it all sides around.

　　SENATOR: Makes me see red.

　　FEJEVARY: (with a smile) But we mustn't meet red withred.

　　SENATOR: What's Holden fussing about—that they don't givehim caviare on toast?

　　FEJEVARY: That they didn't give him books. Holden felt it washis business to fuss about that.

　　SENATOR: Well, when your own boy 'stead of whining around abouthis conscience, stood up and offered his life!

　　FEJEVARY: Yes. And my nephew gave his life.

　　SENATOR: That so?

　　FEJEVARY: Silas Morton's grandson died in France. My sisterMadeline married Ira Morton, son of Silas Morton.

　　SENATOR: I knew there was a family connection between you andthe Mortons.

　　FEJEVARY: (speaking with reserve) They played together aschildren and married as soon as they were grown up.

　　SENATOR: So this was your sister's boy? (FEJEVARY nods)One of the mothers to give her son!

　　FEJEVARY: (speaking of her with effort) My sisterdied—long ago. (pulled to an old feeling; with an effortreleasing himself) But Ira is still out at the oldplace—place the Mortons took up when they reached the end oftheir trail—as Uncle Silas used to put it. Why, it's ahundred years ago that Grandmother Morton began—makingcookies here. She was the first white woman in this country.

　　SENATOR: Proud woman! To have begun the life of this state! Oh,our pioneers! If they could only see us now, and know what theydid! (FEJEVARY is silent; he does not look quite happy) Isuppose Silas Morton's son is active in the college management.

　　FEJEVARY: No, Ira is not a social being. Fred's death aboutfinished him. He had been—strange for years, ever since mysister died—when the children were little. Itwas—(again pulled back to that old feeling) underpretty terrible circumstances.

　　SENATOR: I can see that you thought a great deal of your sister,Mr Fejevary.

　　FEJEVARY: Oh, she was beautiful and—(bitterly) itshouldn't have gone like that.

　　SENATOR: Seems to me I've heard something about Silas Morton'sson—though perhaps it wasn't this one.

　　FEJEVARY: Ira is the only one living here now; the others havegone farther west.

　　SENATOR: Isn't there something about corn?

　　FEJEVARY: Yes. His corn has several years taken theprize—best in the state. He's experimented withit—created a new kind. They've given it his name—Mortoncorn. It seems corn is rather fascinating to work with—verymutable stuff. It's a good thing Ira has it, for it's about theonly thing he does care for now. Oh, Madeline, of course. He has adaughter here in the college—Madeline Morton, senior thisyear—one of our best students. I'd like to have you meetMadeline—she's a great girl, though—peculiar.

　　SENATOR: Well, that makes a girl interesting, if she isn'tpeculiar the wrong way. Sounds as if her home life might make her alittle peculiar.

　　FEJEVARY: Madeline stays here in town with us a good part of thetime. Mrs Fejevary is devoted to her—we all are. (a boystarts to come through from right) Hello, see who's here. Thisis my boy. Horace, this is Senator Lewis, who is interested in thecollege.

　　HORACE: (shaking hands) How do you do, Senator Lewis?

　　SENATOR: Pleased to see you, my boy.

　　HORACE: Am I butting in?

　　FEJEVARY: Not seriously; but what are you doing in the library?I thought this was a day off.

　　HORACE: I'm looking for a book.

　　FEJEVARY: (affectionately bantering) You are, Horace? Nowhow does that happen?

　　HORACE: I want the speeches of Abraham Lincoln.

　　SENATOR: You couldn't do better.

　　HORACE: I'll show those dirty dagoes where they get off!

　　FEJEVARY: You couldn't show them a little more elegantly?

　　HORACE: I'm going to sick the Legion on 'em.

　　FEJEVARY: Are you talking about the Hindus?

　　HORACE: Yes, the dirty dagoes.

　　FEJEVARY: Hindus aren't dagoes you know, Horace.

　　HORACE: Well, what's the difference? This foreign element getsmy goat.

　　SENATOR: My boy, you talk like an American. But what do youmean—Hindus?

　　FEJEVARY: There are two young Hindus here as students. Andthey're good students.

　　HORACE: Sissies.

　　FEJEVARY: But they must preach the gospel of freeIndia—non-British India.

　　SENATOR: Oh, that won't do.

　　HORACE: They're nothing but Reds, I'll say. Well, one of 'em'sgoing back to get his. (grins)

　　FEJEVARY: There were three of them last year. One of them iswanted back home.

　　SENATOR: I remember now. He's to be deported.

　　HORACE: And when they get him—(movement as of pulling arope) They hang there.

　　FEJEVARY: The other two protest against our not fighting thedeportation of their comrade. They insist it means death to him.(brushing off a thing that is inclined to worry him) But wecan't handle India's affairs.

　　SENATOR: I should think not!

　　HORACE: Why, England's our ally! That's what I told them. Butyou can't argue with people like that. Just wait till I find thespeeches of Abraham Lincoln!

　　(Passes through to left)

　　SENATOR: Fine boy you have, Mr Fejevary.

　　FEJEVARY: He's a live one. You should see him in a footballgame. Wouldn't hurt my feelings in the least to have him a littlemore of a student, but—

　　SENATOR: Oh, well, you want him to be a regular fellow, don'tyou, and grow into a man among men?

　　FEJEVARY: He'll do that, I think. It was he who organized ourboys for the steel strike—went right in himself and took astriker's job. He came home with a black eye one night, presentedto him by a picket who started something by calling him a scab. ButHorace wasn't thinking about his eye. According to him, it was notin the class with the striker's upper lip. 'Father,' he said, 'Igave him more red than he could swallow. The blood just—'Well, I'll spare you—but Horace's muscle is one hundred percent American. (going to the window) Let me show yousomething. You can see the old Morton place off on that firstlittle hill. (pointing left) The first rise beyond thevalley.

　　SENATOR: The long low house?

　　FEJEVARY: That's it. You see, the town for the most part swungaround the other side of the hill, so the Morton place is still afarm.

　　SENATOR: But you're growing all the while. The town'll take thecornfield yet.

　　FEJEVARY: Yes, our steel works is making us a city.

　　SENATOR: And this old boy (turning to the portrait ofSILAS MORTON) can look out on his old home—and watch thevalley grow.

　　FEJEVARY: Yes—that was my idea. His picture really shouldbe in Memorial Hall, but I thought Uncle Silas would like to be uphere among the books, and facing the old place. (with alaugh) I confess to being a little sentimental.

　　SENATOR: We Americans have lots of sentiment, Mr Fejevary. It'swhat makes us—what we are. (FEJEVARY does not speak; thereare times when the senator seems to trouble him) Well, this isa great site for a college. You can see it from the whole countryround.

　　FEJEVARY: Yes, that was Uncle Silas' idea. He had a reverencefor education. It grew, in part, out of his feeling for my father.He was a poet—really, Uncle Silas. (looking at thepicture) He gave this hill for a college that we might become adeeper, more sensitive people—

　　(Two girls, convulsed with the giggles, cometumbling in.)

　　DORIS: (confused) Oh—oh, excuse us.

　　FUSSIE: (foolishly) We didn't know anybody was here.

　　(MR FEJEVARY looks at them sternly. The girlsretreat.)

　　SENATOR: (laughing) Oh, well girls will be girls. I'vegot three of my own.

　　(HORACE comes back, carrying an openbook.)

　　HORACE: Say, this must be a misprint.

　　FEJEVARY: (glancing at the back of the book) Oh, I thinknot.

　　HORACE: From his first inaugural address to Congress, March 4,1861. (reads) 'This country with its institutions belong tothe people who inhabit it.' Well, that's all right. 'Whenever theyshall grow weary of the existing government they can exercise theirconstitutional right of amending it'—(after a briefconsideration) I suppose that that's all right—butlisten! 'or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrowit.'

　　FEJEVARY: He was speaking in another age. An age of differentvalues.

　　SENATOR: Terms change their significance from generation togeneration.

　　HORACE: I suppose they do—but that puts me in bad withthese lice. They quoted this and I said they were liars.

　　SENATOR: And what's the idea? They're weary of our existinggovernment and are about to dismember or overthrow it?

　　HORACE: I guess that's the dope.

　　FEJEVARY: Look here, Horace—speak accurately. Was it inrelation to America they quoted this?

　　HORACE: Well, maybe they were talking about India then. But theywere standing up for being revolutionists. We were giving them anearful about it, and then they spring Lincoln on us. Got theirnerve—I'll say—quoting Lincoln to us.

　　SENATOR: The fact that they are quoting it shows it's beingmisapplied.

　　HORACE: (approvingly) I'll tell them that. Butgee—Lincoln oughta been more careful what he said. Ignorantpeople don't know how to take such things.

　　(Goes back with book.)

　　FEJEVARY: Want to take a look through the rest of the library?We haven't been up this way yet—(motioning left) Weneed a better scientific library. (they are leaving now) Oh,we simply must have more money. The whole thing is fairly burstingits shell.

　　DORIS: (venturing in cautiously from the other side, lookingback, beckoning) They've gone.

　　FUSSIE: Sure?

　　DORIS: Well, are they here? And I saw them, I tellyou—they went up to science.

　　FUSSIE: (moving the SENATOR'S hat on the table)But they'll come back.

　　DORIS: What if they do? We're only looking at a book.(running her hand along the books) Matthew Arnold.

　　(Takes a paper from FUSSIE, puts it in thebook. They are bent with giggling as HORACEreturns.)

　　HORACE: For the love o' Pete, what's the joke? (taking thebook from the helpless girl) Matthew Arnold. My idea of nowhereto go for a laugh. When I wrote my theme on him last week he was sodry I had to go out and get a Morton Sundee (the girls arefreshly attacked, though all of this in a subdued way, mindful ofothers in the library) Say, how'd you get that way?

　　DORIS: Now, Horace, don't you tell.

　　HORACE: What'd I tell, except—(seeing the paper) Umhum—what's this?

　　DORIS: (trying to get it from him) Horace, nowdon't you (a tussle) You great strong mean thing!Fussie! Make him stop.

　　(She gets the paper by tearing it.)

　　HORACE: My dad's around here—showing the college off to apolitician. If you don't come across with that sheet of mystery,I'll back you both out there (starts to do it)and—

　　DORIS: Horace! You're just horrid.

　　HORACE: Sure I'm horrid. That's the way I want to be. (takesthe paper, reads)

　　'To Eben

　　You are the idol of my dreams

　　I worship from afar.'