"FIAT LUX" (Let There Be Light) A MODERN MYSTERY PLAY In One Act By FAITH VAN VALKENBURGH VILAS Copyright, 1920, by Faith Van Valkenburgh Vilas Copyright, 1922, by Samuel French Amateurs may produce this play without payment of royalty. All other rights reserved. NEW YORK SAMUEL FRENCH Publisher 28-30 West 38th Street LONDON SAMUEL FRENCH, Ltd. 26 Southampton Street Strand f^ GREENWICH VILLAGE THEATRE Wednesday Afternoon, Dec. 28th, at 3 o'clock The Inter Theatre Arts, Inc. Pi^esents "FIAT LUX" A Modern Mystery Play by Faith Van Valkenburgh Vilas Cast Azariah James W. Wallace Father Ambrose Hobart Upjohn Nellie Elsie Connor Soldier Watson Lee The Waits Ascension Junior Choir Scene: Living room of Azariah's house on Christmas Eve. Time : Christmas Eve. OCT 16 22 C'-O G2492 *V, '■ I FIAT LUX" (Let There Be Light) Scene : The interior of a humble one-room cot- tage on a mountainside. A fire burns in open fireplace L. Center stage a practical door. At L. c. and R. C, windoius rimmed ivith snoiv. Another door L. Deal table and chairs R. Oval portrait of a tvoman over fireplace; on mantel shelf tivo empty candle-sticks. Teapot on lotv settle by fire. At rise of curtain the distant chiming of church bells is heard across the snoiv. AzARiAH, old, embittered and lonely, enters from inner room at the right, placing logs ivhich he carries on the fire. AZARIAH Fools, fools, fools! With their prayers and their incense and their God. If I could I would silence their loud mouthed bells forever. {He goes to windoiv R. and looks out) Candles burning at all the windows in the valley. Two windows shall be dark tonight — Mine — (Sound of chimes again) Curse those bells ! Curse them, curse them ! (He sinks into chair by fire and sits moodily, 3 4 FIAT LUX . his hands working nervously. A step is heard crunching through the snoiv. Then a knock, stamping of snow from feet. AZARIAH looks up, but makes no move. Another knock, silence.) Ambrose (From ivithout) It is Father Ambrose. Will you not let me in? AZARIAH {Still seated) What do you want of me? Ambrose A little warmth, And just a word or two. AZARIAH I do not care for words with anyone tonight. Nor have I any warmth to spare. Ambrose Then let me in for old times' sake. For the days when we were boys together. AZARIAH {Going slowly to door and opening it) I know what it is you want of me. FIAT LUX 5 But I can tell you frankly It is of no avail, your visit here tonight. ■ No words of yours can change me, (Cynically) Father Ambrose. (Father Ambrose has come in carrying a lighted lantern, luhich he places on table. He is a benign man in the habit of religion. He lifts his hand to make the sign of the cross.) Ambrose God be with you. AZARIAH {Striking doivn lifted hand) No. Do not call for the blessing of your God Upon this house. Ambrose Though you deny Him, oh my brother, Still is He near you. AZARIAH Not here, Nor anywhere. (Solemnly) There is no God. Ambrose (Rubbing his cold hands before the fire and drawing up a chair.) 6 FIAT LUX Still so embittered. How I hoped the days As they lessened your first sorrow Would bring a healing to your stricken heart. Would bring back to your eyes Whose perfect vision the tears have blurred The power once more to see the beauty of His handiwork, To feel again the comfort of His sympathy. Your old belief is only stunned by sorrow, brother ; It will some day rewaken. AZARIAH c=. (Stands looking cynically at Ambrose) You, a man of reason. You who should be so wise, so wise. Do you still truly believe in a divinity? In an Almighty Father? Ambrose I have never doubted. AZARIAH You who well know how grimly Brother slaughtered brother. Staining the earth with innocent young blood. You who watched our boys march by in pride and strength Never to return. You who have heard the enemy's shout of triumph. And seen the women and children starved to death FIAT LUX 7 Or saved for a fate that would make death a benison, You who know all the unspeakable side of war, Can you still think there is a Father in Heaven? Would you or I (Lashing himself into fury) I say, would you or I Treat our own children so? If there is a God in Heaven His heart is made of stone, But I prefer To think there is no God. Ambrose (Gently) I know how deeply you have suffered. I know that one by one Your dearest have been taken. But still I reckon as your greatest loss The loss of your belief. AZARIAH I once believed, it's true. I paid my toll in prayers and in devotion. On every Christmas eve the candles burned as brightly In my poor mountain windows As any that send out their glow from valley homes tonight. The Christmas waits were welcome, And they sang to open hearts before my friendly fire. But now I do not wish Ever to hear their hymns of praise again. 8 FIAT LUX Ambrose I cannot bring you back your dead, But I must try to bring you back your faith. AZARIAH My dead, My dead. {Steps close to fire-place, leaning his head on his hands, his shoulders convulsed. Then looking up) Oh Mary, If you could come back to tell me it is true, That God exists out where you are. That He has pity, That He has compassion. But no, you cannot come to me. You cannot come. Ambrose There are worse things than death, my friend. AZARIAH Yes, Suffering, It is worse. The little daughter Mary left behind soon taught me that. Her poor frail body, warped and twisted. Her face, her soul of angel beauty. Patient and sweet she always was. But how she suffered, And I with her. FIAT LUX 9 It was then I doubted first. Not after Mary left perhaps, But then, then, What Heavenly Father, What divine love, Could inflict such agony upon such innocence? When I sat here And listened to her little crutch tap-tapping on the floor, Each tap of it Sank deeper in my aching heart, And I would long to cry aloud, "There is no heavenly compassion." And when she died I spoke the bitter words at last. Ambrose I know how you have suff'ered, friend, I know. AZARIAH How can you know Who have no ties of blood? Ambrose And still I know And long to ease your pain. AZARIAH No son of yours was shot down in all his strength and beauty. You cannot know the grief I felt 10 FIAT LUX When word came back to me of David's — going. Ambrose (Moved) He was a good — brave boy. AZARIAH Yes, He was brave. Among the first to answer. And he marched forth in the fresh bloom of manhood Only to fall broken and crushed and bleeding. And you still can talk to me of a divine and pitying father. It is all lies — and lies — and lies. Ambrose I know that you have walked the path of sorrow. Alone you stumble down the darkened way Bruising your tired feet. I offer you a light, my friend ; I feel you are more lonely than you need to be. I want to stand beside you. But I did not mean tonight to reawaken grief, To speak to you of death, Rather have I come to ask help for the living. AZARIAH What help? FIAT LUX 11 Ambrose It is a simple thing I ask. You know of the time honored custom in our valley, That from each window a bright star of candle- light Shall make a pathway in the snow On this the eve of the Nativity. Will you not hght your windows? AZARIAH After all that I have said You still can ask me that? Ambrose Your little cottage stands alone And high above the valley with its twinkling lights. The candles in your windows here would guide the waits Who pass tonight across the hill To sing in the new settlement upon the ridge. Surely for humanity If not for any dearer sake, You'll light these candles? {Draws tivo from his pocket) They are of my own dipping. (AZARIAH refuses them, shaking his head, and Ambrose places them on the table.) AZARIAH {Pushing them from him) No light 12 FIAT LUX Shall glow from out my house tonight. Ambrose Yours will be the only darkened panes in all the countryside. AZARIAH Let them be dark, For in my soul There is not any light at all. Ambrose The waits may not come in to warm tnem- selves? Yours is the last house And the wind is chill. AZARIAH Neither the waits, Nor you. Nor yet your great Jehovah {Cue for carolling) Are welcome here tonight. Unless Ambrose Unless? Ambrose Unless He sends my children back FIAT LUX 13 To tell me that their anguish Has not been in vain. Ambrose Alas the dead do not return. And yet to the Almighty all is possible. (Voices of tvaits are heard in the distance carolling. They groiv louder. Ambrose moves to door, picking up his lantern. AzARiAH turns his back and looks into fire.) Will you not let them in? AZARIAH They may not enter here. Ambrose My heart bleeds for you, oh my brother. {He opens the door, stands m it a moment maki7ig the sign of the cross.) May God bring you the light. (Exit) Azariah (Turning in anger) There is no God. And there shall be no light. (Goes to the fire, tries to extinguish it with his foot. Voices grow fainter as the ivaits go over the mountain. Azariah sits brood- ing by the darkened hearth, where only a 14 FIAT LUX feeble glow remains. A noise is heard of someone stumbling on the door-step. A hand fumbles with the latch, and a gentle voice speaks.) Lame Girl Oh let me in, Please let me in. (AZARIAH listens, gets up, peers out of luindow c. Voice as before, repeats. He opens door and the Lame Girl enters, moving 2cit]i pain and difficulty. She is dressed in a light, straight gown covered by a mantel. She gloivs ivith an unearthly light. She sinks into chair by the fire and speaks pantingly in a stveet, clear voice.) Lame Girl I am so lame. And they walked oh ! so fast. My one poor crutch caught in the snow and broke to bits, And now I am afraid I shall not find my friends again. And I so long to join in their glad songs to- night. AZARIAH You too are lame, Do you then suffer much? Lame Girl Oh yes, but I try to forget, And tonight I quite forgot even my lameness. FIAT LUX 15 It is so beautiful and serene out there in the open, God's stars seem quite, quite close at hand. It is almost as light as day. It was only here among your dark trees that I lost my way. It is all hushed And waiting, Just as it must have been on that night so long ago When the kings Journeyed to the manger. AZARIAH You are lame and you suffer cruelly, Even as my little daughter suffered. But still you think there is a God? Lame Girl It is because I suffer That I know there is a God. AZARIAH How can that be? Lame Girl I think a person who has never suffered Has not truly lived. It is through suffering that we learn of the most lovely things in life. We learn the warmth of pity. The touch of tender ministering fingers. 16 FIAT LUX And above all, We learn of selflessness. AZARIAH To suffer Is to die a thousand deaths. Lame Girl Only to be born anew each time. AZARIAH Suffering mars and sears, It draws deep furrows on the face. Lame Girl But how beautiful and how strong it is. The face that has accepted sorrow bravely. A face unlined Is like a blank unwritten page. AZARIAH You can believe then In a God Who wilfully inflicts such suffering upon the innocent ? Lame Girl God our Father sends us suffering it is true, Suffering is our teacher. If you had a little child would you not wish it wise? FIAT LUX 17 Though the task was difficult the teacher set, You would look only to the future, To the time when, the schooling over. Your child would come into its own through knowledge. So it is with our Father in Heaven. He makes our souls grow wise and strong Through suffering — Wise and strong, And oh so full of understanding pity. AZARIAH He makes our souls grow strong through suffer- ing. Oh if I only dared believe it. Lame Girl Ah but you must believe. For it is true, My life has proven it. (She rises, holding onto the chair) But now that I am rested I must go. (Looks out through window) How shall I find my way? Your trees are shadowy, I cannot see the path. (AzARiAH sits dazed thinking of what she has said. She reaches her arms out to him ivith a gesture of affection, ivhich he does not see. Then fioticing the candles on the table and, the candle-sticks on the mantle) May I not light this candle And put it in the window by the door? (She does so) 18 FIAT LUX Now I can see the path quite well And it will guide me on my way into the open. AZARIAH (Rousing and going to her) You are so like my little girl, In stature and in voice, Your lameness is so like, It makes a bond between us. You say you broke your crutch ; Wait. {He goes to the fireside and takes a crutch lovingly in his arms, speaking ivith great emotion. Hands it to her. She tvith- draivs a bit from him. She is super- natural, but he does not realize it) Here take this, It was my little daughter's crutch. If you can use it you are welcome. Lame Girl (Taking crutch and putting it under her arm) It is just right. Oh now how quickly I shall find my friends again. God bless you, and good-night. (Exit) (AZARIAH stands at the open door watching her, closes the door, goes to the ivindoiv. Shad- ing his eyes from the candle, he peers out into the night. Then slowly comes back to the fire and sits.) AZARIAH He makes our souls grow strong "Fiat Lux" See page 18 FIAT LUX 19 Through suffering, (One approaches ivhistUng a tune, "Long, Long Trail," gaily, steps on porch; a knock is heard) Well. (Pause; another knock) What is it? Soldier {From witJioiit) A bit of warmth and a light. AZARIAH (Going slowly to doer and opening it) Come in. Soldier (Enters stamping and shaking snoiv from his uniform. There is aii ominous but old stain over Ids left breast) I'm on my way to join the carolling. I've not been back Since — Since the war. I ami not quite as strong as I had hoped. See (pointing to ivound) this is my difficulty. I lost my way out there among your trees, And stumbled, And my croix-de-guerre fell in the deep snow. If I may catch my breath and have a light No doubt I shall soon find it And go on across the hill. (Warming his hands before fire) I am so loath to miss the carolling tonight. AZARIAH You wish to join the carolling, You who have ccme from war? 20 FIAT LUX Soldier That's just tne reason why I long to sing tonight. I learned the dear companionship of song Out there. AZARIAH Do you believe in God? Soldier Of course. AZARIAH You can believe? You whose own eyes have seen the horrors And the wreck of war? You who have seen the men about you slain And all for nothing? Soldier Oh don't say that my friend. It was not all for nothing. AZARIAH Our young men slain by thousands, And no victory. Soldier Well, after all, the victory meant little. What did mean much FIAT LUX 21 Was how each one faced death. I used to think that God was nearer us Out on the battlefield Than in our quiet church at home. AZARIAH How can He be Where brother slaughters brother, Where mothers' sons are slain by mothers' sons? Where enemies can triumph? Soldier We learn out there our Heavenly Father has no enemies, Nor does He ever side with anyone. He is a friend of all. The humble and the mighty, And in the midst of battle He is there to help us meet death bravely. It counts with Him, oh ! not at all, When or how young we die ; Whether the victor or the vanquished. But it does count with Him How we meet death. And He is there beside us To help us meet it bravely. With head erect — Singing — We march into the Valley of Shadows. AZARIAH He has no enemies, you say? 22 FIAT LUX Soldier None. We are all His children. Sometimes we too forgot that we had enemies. Why I remember when this wound was new And 1 had fallen on the battlefield, Beside me lay a soldier — You would perhaps have called him enemy — Wounded he was, A mortal wound I think. He offered me his flask with its last drop of water. "Drink it," he whispered, "for I may live until they come, "But you alas are dying." But let us talk no more of war, For I forget that time is passing, And I will be too late to lift my voice in praise tonight. (Goes toivards lighted candle) May I not put this candle in the other window? AZARIAH No, do not touch it. It is to guide a lame girl. Take this one. {He takes the candle and places it in the candle-stick on ma7itel and lights it; hands it to S0U)1ER ivho stands ivith it in his hands so that the light falls across his face as he speaks.) Soldier God bless you friend. And bear this thing in mind: "Fiat Lux" See page 22 FIAT LUX 23 God cares not when we go or how If we go bravely. (Puts candle in the other window, opens the door) Thank you, and good-night. {Exit) AZARIAH Good-night. (Follows to the door, reaches out his hand to take Soldier's hands, but latter withdraivs from contact; he is supernatural. AZARIAH stands leaning against open door.) God cares not when we go nor how If we go bravely. Oh he was brave, my David. I know that he went — Singing. Soldier (Calls from distance) I've found the cross, thank you, And once more, good-night. AZARIAH Good-night. (Walks slowly towards the fire) Strange, strange, I feel a sudden glow within my heart. My lighted windows first And now my heart's alight. (Carolling is heard in the distance. It comes nearer. Azariah finally hears it, jumps to his feet, puts on another log at the fire.) 24 FIAT LUX More light. More light and warmth ! (Goes to door, throivs it open wide and calls) Come in, Come in to light and warmth. (Ambrose and the Waits enter, Ambrose looking curiously at the changed Azariah. The Waits gather about the fire luarming their hands. Azariah looks at Waits and goes to door and looks out. Turning) Azariah Where are the little lame girl and the soldier? Ambrose What lame girl and what soldier? We know of no such persons. Azariah But surely you have met the little lame girl, So like my Nellie? You all remember Nellie? (Waits nod their heads) She went up the path some time ago, And just now, not quite five minutes since, The soldier — not unlike my David — Went whistling out to meet you. Surely, surely you have seen them both, There is but one path up the mountain side? Waits No, no. We have seen no one. FIAT LUX 25 Ambrose You must have dreamed it, brother. AZARIAH No, do not say that ; No it was no dream. The little girl was lame, I gave her Nellie's crutch. Go, follow the small crutch marks in the snow. They are so tiny, But they sink almost as deep in the white snow As in a father's heart. {Tivo or three Waits go out) (AZARIAH grasps Ambrose by the arm) I did not dream. And you are sure that you passed no one? Think, oh think what this would mean to me. The little lame girl and the boy so like my David. Ambrose (Looking at him and much moved) I understand, I understand, (Makifig the sign of the cross) God has been with you on this holy night. Waits (Returning) There are no crutch marks in the snow, And we have circled all about the house. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir" 018 394 492 26 FIAT LUX AZARIAH No marks, No marks? Oh God, let it be true ! (He looks to the corner tvJiere the crutch stood.) There is no crutch; it's gone. See, see, the crutch is gone. It was no dream. David, Nellie, Oh God be thanked. This place is holy ground. (Sinks on his knees. Ambrose beckons the Waits to the door and they tip-toe out, Ambrose last, making the sign of the cross. As he closes the door the carolling bursts forth in a joyous song, "Come All Ye Faith- ful." Slowly AZARIAH rises from his knees, goes to the door, opens it, and stands listen- ing as the carolling dies aivay in the dis- tance.) (Curtain) LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 018 3S4 492 7