THOU SHALT NOT KILL A PEACE PLAY IN ONE ACT By MAURICE CAMPBELL Copyright, 1Q14, by Henrietta Crosman Campbell Printed for copyright purposes only. Acting and publication rights reserved. / » 2i iyi4 Thou Shalt Not Kill A Peace Play By MAURICE CAMPBELL T^3^'V CI.D ;!886r) 3^ Dedicated to my beloved wife HENRIETTA CROSMAN CAMPBELL to whom I am indebted for the inspiration / I J ■ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/thoushaltnotkillOOcanip CHARACTERS A Man A Woman A Boy A Soldier Time — The present. Place — Europe SCENE — A pretty room in a modest cottage — simple, plain, yet with unmistakable peace about. At the two windows in the rear are flower boxes — filled with blossoms. Outside are the green fields and foliage in the distance— peace and quiet everywhere. The sun is shining brightly. In the left center of the stage is a table with rocking-chair of European type at the side. The atmosphere is of European peasantry — yet not poverty. Scattered over the table are the sewing things recently used — stockings to be darned and the little things that denote the thrift and peace of a perfect home. There is a door at the right and one at the left. [5] y DISCOVERED — A woniLin Libou' Jive and thirty: she is plainly, yet sweet ly dressed in grey — she denotes comjortable peasantry. She is softly singing as she waters the plants that are growing in the window boxes in the rear. The door {Right), which leads outside, is partly open, and at this appears an eld man — he is carrying a stick; he is a mild-mannered, rather sweet old man. He does not enter further than the door. Man Good morning, my dear. W Oman Turning partly, but not stopping her work or the humming. How do you do? Man Watering the posies again? Woman Of course. Man They re a great care to you^ Woman The greater love and care, the more tliey live and thri\T, like everything else. Man I believe you could make an onion bloom like a rose. Woman I doubt if I could do thai — but, you know, love will accomplish anything. Man I'm beginning to believe it — watching you. Woman You get your blarney from the Irish. Man Not a bit of it — but from the peace and quiet of this house — I believe God must dwell somewhere hereabouts. ^ ~^ Woman Wherever we are — there God dwells. Man That's true for you, my dear. Woman It's true for all of us. Man Shaking his head, perplexed. Maybe — maybe — I don't know. Well — God love you anyway, my dear- They're cutting the grain and I must be goino; — we must all help with the harvest- and it's a great har\est this year. Woman We've mueh to be thankful for. Man I suppose — I suppose Good-bye, my dear, good-bye. Woman Be careful in the sun — its very warm Good-bye. The man exits, and the woman, having been busy with her flowers during the foregoing con- versation, has finished with them. She takes up her little song again — humming. She puts away the watering-pot and goes to the table — humming her low, happy song all the time — she sits and takes up the stockings— rocking herself, she be- gins her work. Suddenly the door (Right) bursts open and in bounds her son, a lad of about six- teen. He is trim — slight and full of life. He has been running and is almost out of breath. He speaks almost with the hur sting open of the door. Boy Mother War its come They've declared War. [8J LI Woman My Son — — Boy We're going to fight. Woman No No It can't be it can't be true. Boy It is true word has just come to the village — an officer and some soldiers have arrived and they brought the news. Woman War! Boy ~ They're reading the lists of reserves now down in the village won't it be glorious? Woman For those who go — or those who sit at home ? Boy For us — for everybody. Woman Come here, my son. (He crosses.) She gets him at her knees. You don't know what war is. Boy Proudly. I know m\- father was a soldier. Woman And he went away to the last war- — and never came back. Boy Throwing his arms about her. Darling mother. \( Oman Did you or I share any of our country's glory when the war was over and I had lost a hus- band — and you had lost a father? Boy ~ Affectionately. Mother. Woman You never knew your father — you don't know what you missed. Boy Mother, dear — but he was a hero. Woman Yes — he was a hero — and he did his duty and he died. But wouldn't it have been better for all of us if there had been no war what did the war do for you —what did the [10] / io i war do for me^ It took away the one who was dear to both of us. Did the sacrifice of all those thousands of husbands and brothers and fathers help you and me ? Did it help you and me — or anybody — that the war gave our govern- ment another province to grasp in its iron fist ? Boy But we've got to fight- — sometimes — mother. dear. Woman God never gave any man the right to kill — and all the laws of civilization proclaim "Thou shalt do no murder/' Boy But if a man didn't go to war he'd be a coward, mother. Woman To-day — yes— but not to-morrow — Thank God. See — suppose you were a man — ■ — Boy Well, I aim^nearly Woman Yes — yes — you soon will be — but suppose you were a man now and you were ordered to go to war — which would be the easier — to go — or to refuse^ fin She IS lalking lo him now as if he were a little shaver in her arms. Boy Why. to go, of course. W Oman Well that's why men go — it's easier and it's the custom. It takes a braver man to say "No" than "Yes." Boy Tapping his breast. But there's something here, mother, makes me want to go and fight. Woman That's the animal in you, my son — that's what you've got to fight — not one another. Boy I don't understand. Woman Indicating his breast. What you feel here is in every human breast it makes men brave it's that that bids you save a drowning man and it's that that makes the strong protect the weak — but it's that same instinct, turned to sav- agery, makes you want to fight and kill and maim and thrill at news of war. You want to fight for your countrx . my son. but \our coun- try doesn't need your strength, except to till the soil and plough the fields what your country needs now is common sense — not soldiers That and a few policemen is all any country needs. Boy Don't you love your countrx'. mother^ Woman Love my country ^ God — I'd die for it — in the right w^ay — as proudly as an\- man. But we women bring our children into the world to live for our country — not to die for it it's peace and happiness brings pros- peri tv — not war. Boy But it s war now. \( Oman Yes — it's war now. Because our rulers are jealous of each other, thousands of homes are to be made desolate — thousands of children are to be made fatherless — as you were — and thousands of lives are to be sacrificed — and thev call it glorious Glorious — ? It's hid- eous. They took my husband — they took your father in the last war — I gave him gladly then — but to-day I'd glory in a man who had [131 /( L- the courage to say- "1 will n^)t kill my brother." Boy Then if the\' came to take me to the war now, you cl want me to refuse to go^ Is that it, mother^ Woman They won't come for you, my son. Gather- ing him in her arms. Why, you're only a little boy — Thank God. The faintest tapping oj a drum is heard as if in the distance — keeping time to the marching of men. Neither the boy nor the woman hear it. Boy What kind of a man was my father, mother? Woman The dearest man in all the world he was tall and fine looking — straight as an arrow — and when he laughed the sun seemed to shine brighter. Before he went away Boy Suddenly the boy hears the beating oj the drum^ which has gradually become louder, as though approaching. He is alert for a moment and then interrupts. Listen ! [14] Inslinclively the woman gathers the boy closer into her arms. The beating of the drum becomes louder as it approaches. After a pause — Listen ! Another pause, as they listen. It's the soliclers- mother. He leaps up and runs to the window looks out. They're coming this way. mother do come and see them. The woman has remained, almost immovable she seems to sense what is coming her face is toward the audience. Her back is toward the window, out of which the boy is looking. Boy Just see that fine fellow in front, mother — and what a lot of them 1 wonder what they think of war? Suddenly the drum, which has grown quite loud, stops beating as the troops halt. Why, they're stopping in front of our house — some of them are coming in, mother What does it mean^ What do they want^ Do you think they know father li\^ed here? The boy leaves the window and goes to his mother. She has risen and stands LEFT. She [15] clasps hun in her arms and gets hini to the LEFT of her. Suddenly the door (RIGHT) opens and ENTER a soldier. He is dressed in a non- descript uniform indicative of no particular nation. He sees the woman. He has a paper in his hand. As he enters he looks at the paper. Soldier Glancing up. Frederick Turner live here? Woman He's my son. Where is he? Soldier Boy Coming forward. , — My name's Frederick — but I guess you're asking for my father. Soldier Where is he? Boy Disappointed. Oh, I thought you knew he went to the last war — long ago he was killed. Soldier So your father was a soldier, too, eh? Boy Yes, sir. Il Soldier And he was killed? Boy Yes. sir. Soldier Well, now it's your turn to go and fight for your country. Boy Turning to his mother. Mother W 0/71 an Shielding hun in her arms. Do you mean to say youVe come for this boy — this child? — Soldier He's over fifteen, isn't he^ Woman He's just sixteen. Soldier He's available then His name's on the list. Boy But I don't want to go and fight. Soldier Oh, you clont. eh^ [171 ''h Boy No, sir. Soldier What's the matter — are you afraid^ Woman No — he's not afraid but he's been taught that it's wrong to kill. Soldier And who taught him that^ \\ Oman I did his mother. Soldier I'm sorry, ma'am, but you see every male citizen over sixteen has been called. Woman Well, my son's not going. Soldier Its the General's orders, ma'am. Woman Well, you go back to your old General and tell him this boy is my son and his mother has got something to say about what he shall do with his life. Soldier ■ Who has been trying to protest all this time. If you will let me sa\' just a word, ma'am ^ [1^1 o- Woman Not a word dont you speak to me I brought this boy into the world it was I who suffered — and I'm a good deal more responsible for him than your old General and he's all I've got and he's mine and I love him. Soldier Just a minute, ma'am. \{ Oman What do you think God gave him to me for ^ For you to come along and take him away to be killed? Soldier ^ But it's war, ma'am. Woman 'Well, what of that^ He had nothing to do with it- He wasn't asked whether he wanted war it's not right it's not just for one human being to plunge a whole nation into w^ar and then sit back and watch the slaughter of the innocents I'm not a coward 1 could die for my country as well as any man — and I could send that child to his death, too, if it would do my country any good but war's not right We can pray to God all [19] we like to help us, but God never helped one man to kill another and He's not going to help now my boy's not a covv^ard he's his father's son and he was a soldier he went away to the last war and he never came back and now you want to take this boy 1 tell you you sha'n't do it you sha'n't do it. Soldier km sorry, ma'am, but if he goes, he's got a chance to live if he stays, he's got no chance at all. Woman What do you mean^ Soldier I've got to take him — dead or alive. Woman You mean you'd kill him here now? Soldier I'd have to. Woman And would you do that^ Soldier Yes. [201 Woman God what a country. Soldier Ready to start for the door. Come is it yes or no, before I call my men? Woman As the boy comes to her she takes him in her arms. My little boy. Boy Mother, clear, I won't go. Soldier Starting for the door. Very well, then. Woman Breaking away from the boy and stopping soldier at Door. RIGHT. Wait wait He didn't mean it he didn't mean it I t's my fault 1 taught _ ^ him — I thought ir^^as right you see I'm his mother and I love him 1 did so want him to live in peace and grow up to be a man — hut that dream's gone now^ — there's been a blight put upon the land it's war — and we women have got to suffer. [211 Soldier You make it awful hard for me, ma'am. Do you think I like this work? Going about tearing away husbands and sons and sweet- hearts? Do you think those men out there have any fondness for war? Not a bit of it — most of them don't even know what this war's about— but they've all got families that they've had to leave — and they love them just as much as you love your son. I've got a wife and baby, too — the last sight I had of them, he was nursing at his mother's breast 1 said good-bye to them yesterday and somehow — I never expect to see them again you'll forgive me, ma'am, I know when you understand how it is with all of us. Woman Taking his hand. I'm sorry — I didn't understand. I was selfish. Boy Interrupting, coming to his mother. Mother, I do so want to go. You want to go^ Woman [22] L.-/ Boy Yes. V