mmmmmmirmmmatm The TRIUMPH OF LIGHT By CHARLES KEELER p s 3521 E2 XXc, Noi Copyright 1904 By Charles Kebler Application has been made to have the copyright of this Mystery cover the acting rights. Arrangements fof'^r&matic presentation may be n>q(te« by addressing the author. Press of Standard Publishing Company Berkeley, California CHARACTERS REPRESENTED In ihe order of their appearance Priest of the Sun Chorus of Night Mortality Seraph of Dawn The Spirits of California — Quercus — the oak Pinus — the pine Madrono Sequoia Sacramento Shasta Pacificus The Sierrades Nymphs and Dryads, led by Pan Chorus of Birds — Meadow Lark Quail Goldfinch Wren Jay Robin Golden-crowned Sparrow Song-Sparrow Wren Tit California Woodpecker CHARACTERS REPRESENTED Nature — Mother of Earth and Sea Chorus of Flowers — Violet Nightshade Orange Mimulus Fern Brake Thimble-Berry Mustard Buttercup Scouring Rush Wild Currant Purple Lupine First, Second, Third and Fourth Heralds of the Sun Chorus of the Sun, representing the twelve signs of the Zodiac King of Light Love — a little child Scene — A Church. The organ plays Fantasie in Freiem Style by Gustav Merkel (Leipsic, J. Reiter — Biedermann). the: triumph or light (Enter a Priest of the Sun in scarlet robe, piped with gold.) PRIEST OF THE SUN Attend, O host devout, we bid you heed A pageant timed for the ascending sun. The southmost arc is traced, and day by day The orb of light in widening zones aspires, Scaling the zenith in triumphant round. Season of eld to Saturn dedicate. With twinkling tapers and new-lighted pyres, Commemoration of the golden age When Cronus with titanic hierarchy Dominion held within the zodiac. Here by the wide west sea another race Of forms Cyclopean have conspired to rear Wild monuments of wonder and delight. With fire and ice, with wind and rain and snow The giant sculptors long have striven here. Fashioning with tireless zeal their work sub- lime. Attend, O friends devout, and learn what chanced To that world-surfeited, unhappy man. Mortality, who, lost in ebon gloom. Unfriended wandered. Lore of earth had he THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT With Science probed, and to its utmost deeps With microcosmic scrutiny explored; And he was tyrant in that mighty realm Where well-stored coffers buy what men will sell- Labor and life and honor — all for gold! (Alas that we are subjects of this lord!) You shall behold the harbinger of Dawn Encounter him amid the sombre night, And summon round the spirits of the West — The everlasting hills, the trees, the sea. The birds and flowers. And then a pageant bright, The King of Day with radiant throng shall come, While all the wild things chant a hymn of praise. And stately Nature shall invoke his power To lift the veil and show Mortality The mystery of life. O hallowed sight ! The mystery that Hindoo Krishna taught. That Indian Buddha preached by Ganges stream. That Plato in Athenian groves made plain, That Christ maintained in death on Calvary. Now at this festal hour we hail the light, THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT And peace on earth, good will to men we sing. O Lord, we pray Thee, lead us toward the right. As sure as winter moveth toward the spring ! (Exit Priest of the Sun. The lights are turned off, leaving the church in total darkness. A low murmur of the organ is heard. Oriental Sketch No. 2, F minor, by Arthur Bird. Voices sound in the darkness intoning sol- emnly while the music plays.) CHORUS OF NIGHT Darkness and gloom and the spectres noctur- nal enthralled, Flutter of bat-wings tumultuous fanning the air! Weird ullulations of owls by night unappalled, Echoing deep through the caverns of doom in despair! Hoo! too hoo! Hoo! too hoo! With the whisk and the whir of the bat-wings astir 'Mid the boughs of the oak, in the needles of fir ! O dolorous darkness, O chaos of gloom. We chant from the deeps of the forest of doom ! (From another part of the church is heard a voice crying out in the dark) . THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT MORTALITY Woe is me ! Woe is me ! Lost is Mortality! Whelmed in iniquity! Cursed by grim destiny ! Ghosts of the haunted wood Bode naught of vaunted good, Dead things are clattering, Demons are chattering, Lost is Mortality, Cursed by grim destiny ! CHORUS OF NIGHT Spirits of the dark wind. Spectres of the damp wind, Furies of the cruel wind. Croon us a lullaby. Sigh us a hushaby song of despair ! Gasp of the flowers that shrivel before you. Cry of the birdlings that shiver and flee! Wail us a dirge for the things that abhor you. Croon us a catch from the rune of the sea ! MORTALITY Hark to the fiends in funereal din ! 8 THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT Woe to Mortality, cursed and alone! Night with tempestuous troubles of sin Shudders about with lugubrious moan ! Where is the light? Not a beam in the night, Not a star in the heavens to lead me aright ! CHORUS OF NIGHT Hoo! too hoo! Hoo! too hoo! King Bubo is crying And echoes are dying In grottos of gloom, Hoo! too hoo! Hoo! too hoo! List to his calling ! Echoes are falling To faint on his tomb ! (A voice is heard chanting in another part of the church. The Seraph of Dawn appears carrying a dim taper representing the morn- ing star. A faint light gleams on the black- robed shrinking figures of the Chorus of Night.) SERAPH OF DAWN Make way for my master — the King of the Day! THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT Flee spirits unhallowed in fearful array! Hence ! owls and bats to your caverns in fear, For the conquering King of the Morning is near! CHORUS OF NIGHT Murmur and mumble and mutter and moan, The bats are a-winging, the owlets have flown. The night wind is sleeping. The dawn mist is weeping And we must be sweeping to drearier zone! (Exit Chorus of Night.) SERAPH OF DAWN Spirits of the winter brooks and rills, Piping Pan with all your rabble rout. Valley nymphs and Oreiads of the hills, Attend the dawn with jocund song and shout ! Bearded Quercus, gnarled and bent, Stately Pinus, green and straight. Madrono gay with berries sprent, Hoar Sequoia, titan great — Attend the dawn! Attend! Attend! Come Sacramento, lift your silver voice. And lead your mother Shasta, frore and white, lO the: triumph or light Come vast Pacificus and shout, Rejoice! The King of Day is nigh with boon of light ! Ye hoar-crowned brethren, the Sierrades, With call of storms on peaks above the trees, Attend the dawn ! Attend! Attend! (The organ plays the War March of the Priests in Athalie, by Mendelssohn — organ arrangement by Charles Steggall. Enter the Spirits of California, Quercus, Pinus, Ma- drono, Sequoia, Sacramento, Shasta, Pacifi- cus, the Sierrades, with Nymphs and Orei- ads; led by Pan. The light of dawn brightens.) MORTALITY Look, what a pageant troops from dusk of night ! The solemn conclave of the priests of light ! O would that I might find the pure serene That, hallowed, broods o'er their sublime de- mesne CHORUS OF THE SPIRITS OF CALI- FORNIA (Sung to the tune of War March of the Priests.) II THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT O wake, wake, wake! Cometh the promise of the morning! O hope ! O boon of joy, the King of Day as- cends his throne! O wake, wake, wake! Banished is night! Blessed be light! light! light! Lord of the Day! Conquering King! Hail! Hail! Light, light, light, light! Hail! Hail! All cry! shout! sing! Sing forth the tidings glad of morn. O hallelujah ! praise the Lord of Light ! Hail the King of Day! MESSENGER OF DAWN Sleeping winter birdlings waken, Morning's breeze your boughs have shaken. Lift your heads and whet your bills. Stretch your wings and peck your quills! Meadow-larks on misty lea Pipe a winter melody ! Tit-larks teetering on the plain. Twit your merry calls again. Rouse you saucy blue-coat jay, Kinglets wake at break of day ! Bustling wren and tiny tit 12 THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT 'Mid the manzanitas flit ! Sleeping winter birdlings waken — Morning's breeze your boughs have shaken ! (Enter a troop of boys dressed to represent the Chorus of Birds. They hop and skip about, each impersonating a particular bird.) CHORUS OF BIRDS Light hearts, Bright hearts, Beating gay At peep of day! Full throats. Glad notes, Rippling free In bush and tree! MEADOW LARK Gold in the mist are the meadows at morn. Little mate list while I wind my horn! Twie, twie, twill de dill dee ! QUAIL Coo, coo, coo! Coo, coo, coo! The top of the morning, kind friends, to you ! 13 THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT GOLDFINCH O we twitter on the thistle-down, twit, twit, twit! WREN O we chatter in the bramble and we never mind a whit! JAY Squawk, squawk, squawk ! and squeak, squeak, squeak ! ROBIN O cheer up at the dawning and be merry when you speak! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ! GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW I'm so sad ! I'm so sad ! (Recited with a sigh on a downward scale.) SONG SPARROW Why not be glad Like me? Tweedle de dee! WREN TIT Tit! tit! tit! ta reeeeeee! 14 THE TRIUMPH or LIGHT CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER O rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat on the tree! CHORUS OF BIRDS We flutter and flit With a tweet and a twit ! Swift wings a-whirring 'Mid winter leaves stirring! We frolic and flutter And merrily utter Our trill-de-dill-dillings, Our chirrups and trillings. (Mortality advances to the front. He is an old man with long white beard, and leans on a staff.) MORTALITY Alas, and woe is me, there is no peace. Though night is gone, from care is no sur- cease ! Why, look you little birds, how blithe your notes ! Do sorrows never choke your gurgling throats? (Enter Nature, Mother of Earth and Sea.) Behold, your Mother Nature draweth near, 15 THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT The fair earth matron greets her children dear! NATURE What ho, my children, waken all and sing ! CHORUS OF BIRDS We flutter and flit With a tweet and a twit ! Swift wings a-whirring 'Mid winter leaves stirring. NATURE Ah, blithe you are, my birdlings gay, Singing and chirping at peep of day! Sweet meadow-lark, arise and heed The flush of dawn ! come, tune your reed ! MEADOW-LARK (dancing forward). Twee, twee! twill diddle dee! NATURE And where is proud Sir Plumed Quail? QUAIL (dancing forward). Coo, coo, coo ! How do you do ! i6 THE TRIUMPH or LIGHT NATURE Now little black-capped goldfinch, hail ! GOLDFINCH (dancing forward). Twie-te-te-te-te-te-te-te-te ! NATURE And is my saucy wren about? WREN (dancing forward). Chat-chat-chat-chat-chat-chat ! NATURE And Where's the jay with laugh and shout? JAY (dancing forward). Squawk! squawk! squawk! squawk! NATURE Ho ! birdlings all with song and call, Behold the winter sun is coming ! So flit about the forest hall With whistling pipe and wings a-hum- ming. (The birds dance about her and then retreat.) Ho! messenger of dawn, where sleep my flowers? 17 THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT Bid drowsy heads uplift in woodland bowers ! MESSENGER OF DAWN Winter flow'rets lift your heads, Nod no more in mossy beds, Violet nightshade's clustering bells Open wide in darkling dells. Orange mimulus awake. Fronds uncurl, O fern and brake. Crinkly thimble-berry white. Mustard gay in yellow dight, Buttercups that star the hills. Scouring rushes by the rills. Pungent currant wild in pink. Swaying at the canbn's brink. Purple lupines frilled with gray, — All attend in blithe array. (Enter the Chorus of Flowers marching and singing to the organ accompaniment of Marche Religieuse, by A. Chauvet (Best's Collection of Organ Pieces, Augener & Co., London.) Waking at peep of day. Lightly we swing and sway! Gaily! gaily! i8 THE TRIU MPH OF LIGHT Tossing our heads in play! Opening our petals bright, Ah what a happy sight! Hail ho! hail ho! Hail to the dawning! (Organ interlude.) Soon will the sun appear, Scattering joy and cheer, Brightly! brightly! Down on his children dear! (The music changes and the flowers dance, singing in chorus.) Shimmering leaves and bells a-shaking. Morning weaves its spell of waking. Tossing heads and stems a-swaying, Come and join our troop a-playing ! Fuzzy bees are buzzing round us. Morning's gentle breeze has found us, And a merry pipe 'tis blowing While we frisk in flounces flowing ! (Organ interlude in march time.) All sing: 19 THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT Hail! hail! the dawning! Fondly swells our song of peace! MORTALITY. Ah Mother Nature, would that I might be, Like these your children, young and full of joy, Making the welkin ring at flush of day With song and laughter from a care-free breast ! NATURE Alas, Mortality, thou hast not learned The way to happiness ! the road to youth ! Take counsel of my children and be blessed ! MORTALITY Ah, I have learned of them these many years; The lore of ages sits upon my brow. High as the eagle have I soared for truth, And delved darkly with the ant and mole. The seas interminable have I ranged; Aye, to the pole star have I searched the dome. But like an incubus my garnered store Is slowly pressing me within my tomb ! 20 THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT NATURE Nay, nay, Mortality, thou hast not learned The mystery of mysteries, I ween. Unholy creatures gave you tutelage And held your heart in thrall. Mortality, Had'st thou a mother? MORTALITY. 'Twas so long agone I scarce recall her voice or countenance. NATURE And hads't a mate to bear you children dear? MORTALITY. No mate, no children, save my brood of thoughts. MOTHER NATURE. Alas Mortality, your thoughts are dead. And so you wander childless in the gloom ! Hark, your compatriots call you from afar! (The voices of the Chorus of Night heard in the distance.) Murmur and mumble and mutter and moan. The bats are a- winging, the owls have flown; 21 THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT The night wind is sleeping, The dawn mist is weeping, And we must be sweeping to drearier zone. MORTALITY. Oh save me, Mother Nature, from my doom ! NATURE Go follow the birds and flowers in search of truth, And if as you wander you find what you lost, — your youth. Ah, cherish it tenderly, ask it the riddle you seek. And list with your heart to its words if per- chance it but speak. (The Spirits of California lead the Chorus of Birds and Flowers. Mother Nature beckons to her children, and all march around the church, followed by Mortality, to the tune of Mendelssohn's War March of the Priests. The Messenger of Dawn alone remains at the altar.) O wake, wake, wake! Cometh the promise of the morning! 22 LofC. the: triumph or light O hope! O boon of joy, the King of Day as- cends his throne! O wake, wake, wake! Banished is night! Blessed be light! light! Hght! Lord of the Day! Conquering King! Hail! Hail! Light, light, light, light! Hail! Hail! All cry ! shout ! sing ! Sing forth the tidings glad of morn ! O hallelujah! praise the Lord of Light! Hail the King of Day! Out of the south Armored in gold Sparkling with fire! Yonder he comes. King of the Day ! Lord of the Light, Hail to the King! Hail! Round him a throng, Chanting his praise, Hail to the King! Hail! Master and Sire, Parent of Earth, Hail to the King! Hail! Darkness has fled, Vanished is night. 23 THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT Heralds are nigh Trumpeting dawn! Out of the south, Yonder he comes, Hail to the King! Hail? MORTALITY Ah Mother Nature, would that this might be The dawning of a day of hope for me. My sand runs low; the reaper's scythe is nigh To gather my sere sheaf. I soon must die! NATURE Mortality, attend the King of Light! Invoke his sufferance in your behest, And if I read the heavens aught aright Methinks his guerdon may reward your quest! (Organ plays Reverie by P. A. Schnecker, Oli- ver Ditson.) MESSENGER OF DAWN Behold the coming of the throng of light! (Enter one of the Chorus of the Sun, clad in white and gold.) 24 the: triumph or light FIRST HERALD OF THE SUN The sphere swings round to greet its King ! CHORUS We swell the choir his praise to sing! (Enter Second Herald of the Sun.) SECOND HERALD Ye spirits lift your eyes above the hills! CHORUS Look what a blaze of glory round them thrills ! (Enter Third Herald.) THIRD HERALD. The bright chrysocracy returns to power! CHORUS In El Dorado blessed be the hour ! (Enter Fourth Herald.) FOURTH HERALD Eureka! Hail the King! Behold his might! CHORUS. All hail the King of Day! All hail the Light! 25 THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT (Enter the Chorus of the Sun. At their head the King of Day in coat of golden mail with winged helmet. Surrounding him are his fol- lowers all in white and gold. In their center are a company of boys, also in white and gold, bearing a litter covered over with a sparkling canopy. The Spirits of Califor- nia, Chorus of Birds and of Flowers shield their eyes and bow their heads. A blaze of light shines on the King of Day and his fol- lowers. Then with one accord lifting their arms they sing to the tune of the 2nd move- ment of Schnecker's Reverie.) Sun in thy splendor of radiant might, Burning in brilliance of conquering light. Vast in the waste of the azure around thee. Heaven to bear thee and heaven to bound thee, Whence came the glory thou givest away? Giver of gold at the gates of the day. The trees and the flowers are fed by thy beams. The cold earth is warmed by thy glittering streams, The waters are woven in vestments above it To shed benedictions in vapors that love it ; And all by the might of thy radiant sway, Giver of gold at the gates of the day ! 26 THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT Calling the winds from the caves of the pole, Bidding the boisterous thunder to roll, Binding the planets submissive about thee, Earth and its wonders would perish without thee. Spelled by the might of thy radiant sway, Giver of gold at the gates of the day ! NATURE (leading Mortality) King of all bright and joyous gods of air, And peerless master of the spheres of light, O glorious ruler in thy parel blue. Shining with thine own splendor through the void, A multitude of spirits voice thy praise ! Thou hast engirdled earth with zone of cloud. The waters thou hast scattered o'er the hills. Thou hast ordained the winds, thy ministrants. And summoned jocund birds to grace thy bow'rs. At touch of thy bright wand the buds unfurl. The waves all sparkle at thy joyous glance. The world obeys thy mandates from afar. The singing spheres in loud accord to thee Address their harmonies, and all the throng Of orbed followers, in mighty strains, Augment thy majesty. Fair Earth is thine, 27 THE TRIUMPH OF LIGHT With her pale lesser child, and all the day Thou castest benediction on her head! Thy will is perfect law, thy word is light, And thy sweet influence unites the world. Life, at thy bidding, leaps from formless stone ; The gods of sea and land, of cloud and shore All own thy sovereignty, majestic King! Thou makest cold things warm with ardent touch. Thou castest sorrow to the winds of night, Thou fillest earth and heav'n with joy and love ! KING OF LIGHT Blest hierarchy of Earth, let joy resound! NATURE Before you stands Mortality, O King, By centuries of sorrow lowly bowed. KING OF LIGHT And wouldst thou own allegiance unto me? MORTALITY Aye, King of Day. I bend before your might. KING OF LIGHT And dost thou fealty vow, O neophyte? 28 run TRIUMPH or LIGHT MORTALITY (bending low) My long, unprofitable, mal-spent years Now lay I at thy feet, majestic King! KING OF LIGHT Ill-starred thy wanderings through the wold of fears. Arise, and with the choir of morning sing ! We shall initiate thee, seeking light. Like Saturn zone thee with a girdle bright ; The mystery of life unveiled shall be, O seeker in the dark — Mortality! Where hast thou wandered, lo these many years. Envisaged with wan night's unholy fears? MORTALITY Two lights have lured me on through restless years, Power and truth, my lode-stars, lit the way. The power of piled gold no challenge hears. And science spells all hearts, — august its sway ! Gold buyeth palaces to tomb the soul. And whirling dust for science is the goal. Not in the dance of atoms lingers truth, But in the wide- world pulsing heart of youth ! For truth, behold, is light, and light is life, 29 the: triumph or light And at the inmost zone of life is love, The power triumphant in the world of strife, God's spirit bideth not aloof, above! Unveil thy canopy, O spirits bright ! Behold, Mortality, the heart of light! (Two of the Chorus of Light lift the canopy from the litter and reveal the figure of a sleeping child robed in white. The organ plays "In Paradisum" from Douze Pieces Nouvelles pour Orgue, by Theod. Dubois.) CHORUS OF LIGHT Lo the holy vision. Mystic light of the world. Seal of God for doubting mortals, Spirit pure of love undying, Man delivering, death encompassing; Lighting life with the fire of God! All fondly we behold the child. O fired with joy we gather near ! Blest gift of God on earth — O holy child! Serene in sleep fondly dreaming ! (Organ plays — then repeat song.) O awaken. 30 THi: TRIUMPH or LIGHT We sing thy praise, All hail ! The child of love ! MORTALITY So fair a vision have mine ancient eyes Ne'er lingered on ere this propitious morn ! Methought when with my spectrum I dis- solved The beam of light, and each component part Accounted in analysis, no more Of mystery defied my searching ken; But lo, this waking vision hath disclosed A subtler, fairer presence shrined in light. KING OF LIGHT (handing Mortality a torch.) This torch of truth accept. Mortality, And with it wake the sleeping form of Love. (Mortality takes the torch and holds it in front of the face of the sleeping child. The child awakens and slowly stands.) LOVE. Who art thou, Sire, that hath awakened me? MORTALITY I am Mortality, o'erburthened long With ills of flesh immedicable. 31 THE TRIUMPH or LIGHT LOVE. Lo, Mortality, I pity thee, dear soul. Bend down and let me kiss your ills away. (Mortality bends over and Love kisses him.) Thus from a child gain immortality ! MORTALITY Dear child, in joy I fold you to my breast. Searching I found not God, but with the kiss A little child bestows, love enters in To light the tabernacle of my heart, And in that secret chamber, lo I see God's grace benign of immortality! (Lights out. The church in total darkness. All march slowly out singing. Organ, "In Paradisum.") Lo, the holy vision, Mystic light of the world, Seal of God for doubting mortals. Spirit pure of love undying Man delivering, death encompassing. Lighting life with the fire of God ! (Lights on.) THE END 32