Padraic colum
  new York
  August, 1916

   CONTENTS

  Author’s Note
  the fiddler’s house
  the land:  An agrarian comedy in three acts
  Thomas Muskerry

  THE FIDDLER’S HOUSE

  CHARACTERS

Conn Hourican, a Fiddler. 
Maire (Mary) [1] Hourican, his daughter. 
Anne Hourican, a younger daughter. 
Brian MACCONNELL, a younger farmer. 
James Moynihan, a farmer’s son.

The action passes in the Houricans’ house in the Irish Midlands.

[Footnote 1:  The name is pronounced as if written “Maurya.”]

ACT I

Scene:  The interior of a farmer’s cottage; the kitchen.  The entrance is at the back right.  To the left is the fire-place, an open hearth, with a fire of peat.  There is a room door to the right, a pace below the entrance; and another room door below the fire-place.  Between the room door and the entrance there is a row of wooden pegs, on which men’s coats hang.  Below this door is a dresser containing pretty delpht.  There is a small window at back, a settle bed folded into a high bench; a small mirror hangs right of the window.  A backed chair and some stools are about the hearth.  A table to the right with cloth and tea things on it.  The cottage looks pretty and comfortable.  It is towards the close of an Autumn day.

James Moynihan has finished tea; Anne Hourican is at the back, seated on the settle knitting, and watching James.  James Moynihan is about twenty-eight.  He has a good forehead, but his face is indeterminate.  He has been working in the fields, and is dressed in trousers, shirt, and heavy boots.  Anne Hourican is a pretty, dark-haired girl of about nineteen.

  James Moynihan rises.

Anne
And so you can’t stay any longer, James?

James (with a certain solemnity) No, Anne.  I told my father I’d be back while there was light, and I’m going back. (He goes to the rack, takes his coat, and puts it on him) Come over to our house to-night, Anne.  I’ll be watching the girls coming in, and thinking on yourself; there’s none of them your match for grace and favour.  My father wanted me to see a girl in Arvach.  She has three hundred pounds, besides what the priest, her uncle, will leave her.  “Father,” says I, “listen to me now.  Haven’t I always worked for you like a steady, useful boy?” “You have,” says he.  “Did I ever ask you for anything unreasonable?” says I.  “No,” says he.  “Well then,” says I, “don’t ask me to do unreasonable things.  I’m fond of Anne Hourican, and not another girl will I marry.  What’s money, after all?” says I, “there’s gold on the whin-bushes if you only knew it.”  And he had to leave it at that.