^ / /^ iillilliii^^^^ 016 112 403 5 SCHOOL AND SOCIAL DRAMA "■.^i^ct -^;v^ell 3ro-a.r part. THE PULL BACK. J. ^. pENIgOJN :PI^IOE 15 OEJSTTS. CHICAGO : T. S. DENISON 1S7S. NO PLAYS EXCHANGED. T. S. DENISON'S CATALOGUE OF NEW PLAYS, FOR SCHOOLS and AMATEURS 1878. These plays have been prepared expressly to meet the wants of teachers ami amateur clubs. They are simple in construction, and require no scenery, or such as is usually at hand. They afford room for " actit/^." They ax e. pure in tone and languao-e. The six first on the list were before the public last vear, and met with a very favorable reception. "If the succeeding' numbers are as good as the first, we predict for them a large demand." — National Teachers' Monthly, N. Y. and Chicago. "These plays appear to be full of fun and to teach many good lessons with- al."— Wis. 'Jour, of Education. "The farces are full of fun." — Daily Inter-Ocean, Chicago. "These plays arc realizing the dearth of good literature in this department." -^N. r. School Bulletin. ODDS WITH THE ENEMY. A drama in five acts; 7 male and 4 female characters. Time i hour 50 min. Contains a good humorous negro character. " It took splendidly. 'Tabbs' made it spicy." — C. E. Rogers, Dunkirk, hid. SETH GREENBACK. A drama in four acts; 7 male and 3 female characters. Tine i hour 15 m. "'Seth Greenback' has one very good Irish comic character, and some })atlu'tic and telling situations. The plot is simple and dramatic, and culmin- ates well." — lo-.va Normal Monthly. WANTED, A CORRESPONDENT. A farce in two acts, 4 male and ■\ female characters. Time 45 m. \'ery niteresting and amusing. INITIATING A GRANGER. A ludicrous farce; S male characters. Time, 25 m. " 'Initiating a (Granger' brought down the house." — "J. L. Sharp, Burlington THE SPARKLING CUP. A temperance drama in five acts; 12 male and 4 female characters. Time, I hour 45 m. A thrilling play, woB^thy the best efforts of amateurs. Pathetic song and death scene. " It is just the thing for dramatic clubs." — The Anvil, Washington, D. C. THE PULL BACK. PY r. S. DENISON, A (thor of Odds -with the Enemy ; The Sparkling Cvp ; Seth Greenback; Louva^the Paitper ; Wanted, A Correspondeiit ; htitiating a Granger ; A Family Strike ; Hans Von Smash,' Tvjo Ghosts in White; Country yusiice ; The Assessor; Borrowing Trouble ; etc. CHICAGO: 1878. Copy right, 1878, by T. S. Peujsoo, CHARACTERS. Mrs. Oldstyle, very old-tashioned. Mrs. Senseny. Henrietta Pride, | Adelaide Pride, j v " • Gertie Plane. Lou, waiter. COSTUMES. Mr.s. Oldstyle, dress as old-fashioned as possible, and odd — spec- tacles and sun bonnet. Henrietta and Adelaide, dressed fashionably, with extravagant pull-backs. Other characters plainly dressed. SITUATIONS. R means right as the actor faces the audience; L, left; C, center. THE PULL-BACK. Scene. — The Ladies' Waiting Room at a Rail-way Station. Re- jreshment Counter R. Toung lady ■waiter. Enter Mrs. Oldstyle and Mrs. Senseny, L. Mrs. Old- style carrying a large old-fashioned carpet-sack^ two or three parcels zvrapped in newspapers, and a large cotton umbrella. Mrs. Senseny with traveling hand-bag. Mrs. O. Laws a me ! it 's a desp'rit sight of bother to travel with nobod J to take keer of a body's things ! Airs. S. Allow me to assist you! {Takes her packages and umbrella and lays them on the seat.) Mrs. O. Thank 'ee! I'm much obleeged to you! Goodness alive, where 's my umbarel. It 's in the kyar I'll lay! and gone too! I wonder it the conductor man would send it back to-mor- row if I'd write him a letter.? Mrs. S. (Dravjs umbrella from under the packages.) Here it is, Madam. Mrs.O. Thank 'ee, Ma'.am ! I'm obleeged to you. I'll just take it in my hand so as not to lose it. I've had that umbarel a matter of sixteen years and I wouldn't lose it for the best cow in the State. I paid three shillin' for that umbarel when things wa'nt half as high as they be now. But I set so much store by it because its been in the family sixteen year and never been lost, Uriah says I'm always losin' things. I always carry an umbarel because you can't tell when there'll be a spell of weather, and then it 's sort of company for a body to have something to look after. {Bustles among her baggage.) Mrs. S. {Aside.) I don't like to be too free with strangers, but I suppose it is safe to talk to this old lady. {Aloud.) Are you traveling far.'' Mrs.O. No, indeed! I don't travel far alone these days of robberies and smash-ups. It isn't safe. I just come up from Fogg's Corners. My name is Oldstyle, Uriah Oldstyle's wife. I've come down to Thornville to see my brother John. Mrs. S. Perhaps like myself, you don't travel much? Mrs. O. No, indeed ! I'm real glad I stop here. What might your name be.'' 40 THE PULL-BACK. Mrs. S. Senseny! I stop here too. I came one train sooner than I expected, and shall be obliged to wait here a half hour before the friends who were to meet me arrive. Mrs. O. How d'_ye do Mrs. Senseny ! {Shakes hands.) That's my fix exactly. I'm waitin' for John. I don't like travelin' in the kyars. They take a body so qviick that you have to wait 'round depots {Pronounce the t.) and waste ever so much time. Last time I came in the stage, it took a whole day ; but we didn't waste a minute waitin'. That 's ten years ago. Law! 1 sup- pose Thornville has growed a heap sence then. Afrs.S. It is a thriving little city now, Mrs. Oldstyle. But 1 must see to my trunks. {Exit^L.) Mrs. O. Goodness, I forgot! The last thing they said at home was not to make too free with strai g rs I'm afeerd I lold that woman more than I had ought to. What a desp'rit sight ot traps some of the kyar travelers have. Sich trunks! I guess they must take their own bed and cookin' utinsils along. That's handy anyway, for then a body knows where they are sleepin' and where the cookin' is done. Speakin' of cookin' puts me in mind I'm as hungry as I'd be afttr a day's washin'. I'll buy a piece from this girl. It looks like a nice clean place. {Raps on thejloor -with umbrella to call -waiter.) Sis, can you let me have a piece of bread with a little apple sass spread on \X.} Waiter. We don't keep apple sauce ! Mrs. O. Don't have apple sass! Why, I never heard of the like! I couldn't set a table without it, and what 's more Uriah wouldn't eat if I'd set the table and not put on the apple sass. Waiter. Won't you have a sandwich.'' Mrs. O. A sand-what.? Waiter. A sandwich! Mrs. O. What sort of a witch is that, I wonder! Bless me! I thought witches were clean out of date. I used to hear grand- father tell about their plaitin' the horses' manes, but I havn't heerd tell of them since. Waiter. I didn't mean witches. Sandwiches are something to eat. Here is one. Mrs. O. Laws a me! and them 's sandwiches! {Pulls the sand- Tvich apart.) A cold biscuit cut in two and a piece of meat put between. Goodness me! I've made sandwiches for fort)- years everytime I put up a cold snack for the hired men, only I put in a good deal bigger slice of meat than that. I'll take a sandwich and a cup of coffee. Waiter: Here are milk and sugar for your coffee. Mrs. O What ails that milk ! Weirif it was down our way I'd say the cow drank a leetle too much spring water. {Seats herself to eat her lunch.) Enter Gertie Plank, L, Gertie. {To waiter^ Good morning, Lou! Waiter. Good morning, Gertie! You naughty girl, why THE PULL-BACK. 4T didn't you come in sooner. I'm so lonesome. I thought youM never come. Gertie. Lonesome! How absurd! And customers here! Waiter. {Aside.) She 's a queer one ! Look at her bonnet and her dress! And her umbrella! Gertie. {Aside.) She looks like a nice old lady, though. Waiter. Oh perhaps she is, but she is so queer. She made remarks about the refreshments and never heard of a .«andwich. Gertie. Hush Lou! I venture she has a kind heart. She mustn't hear us talking about her. She has never traveled mucli I know. Waiter. Yes, anybody could see that. How would she look with a pull-back? Wouldn't it look jolly ! ha! ha! Gertie. Lou! Lou! {Old ladfs attention is attracted to the conversation.) Waiter. Gertie, I'm getting my n^w dress made with a pull- back. Why don't you get one, too.'' Mrs. O. (Aside.) Poor girl she 's makin' a new dress and there 's something a hinderin' her. It's hard to work when there's something all the time givin' a body a backset. Gertie. I'm in no hurry to adopt a fashion that looks so absurd, until others lead. Waiter. Your cousins Henrietta and Adelaide Pride have pull-backs in the very height of the fashion, Gertie. I know they always try to lead the fashion. Mrs.O. Dear me! Somebody else has a backset, too! It must be desp'rit.discouragin'. Waiter. Pull-backs are all the go, Gertie. Mrs. O. {Aside.) I do wonder what 's the matter. Has the whole town taken a backset.? It's something dreadful, I'm sure. It must be small-pox or fever or something like that, for a back- set is always worse than the first attact. {Aloud.) Gals, who is it that took a backset.? Gertie. A backset! Mrs. O. Yes! It 's always worse than the first attact. Sol Bruce, the Postmaster at the Corners, had typhoid tever awful bad, and just as the doctor had him out of danger he drank a cup of sour buttermilk and the backset nearly killed him. Gertie. Of course a relapse is very dangerovis in case of severe illness, but nobody is sick here that we know of. Mrs. O. Thank goodness! Tnen there 's no fever here? Gertie. No Ma'am! Mrs. O. Nor small pox? Gertie. No Ma'am! Airs. O. Then I guess somebody's taken a backset in money matters. Somebody has broken up on account of these hard times? Gertie. Yes, many have suffered reverses of fortune. Mrs. O. Well that 's not so bad as to be sick, as I was afeerd they were, but it 's bad enough, too, if a body has to lose their prop- 42 THE PULL-BACK. erty, though I can't say much from experience, for Uriah has been so lucky that we wouldn't miss a span of good horses as much now as we'd missed a pig when we were first married. Enter Z, Henrietta aud Adelaide Pride followed by Mrs. Senseny. They take seats L. Henrietta. {Aside to Adelaide.) There is cousin Gertie Plane. Mrs. O. I declare I havn't paid for my lunch yet. {Sets coffee cup on counter. To waiter.) I suppose that will be about five cents. Here is a nickel. I guess you make pretty good sandwiches. You must use a heap of egg to make your coffee so clear. Waiter. Your bill is twenty cents! Mrs. O. Twenty cents ! Havn't you made a big mistake some- where? Maybe you mul'iplied instead of addin'.^ Waiter. There is no mistake. One cup of coffee ten cents: one sandwich, ten cents. Mrs. O. Laws a me! Hotv these people about the railroads do impose on travelers! It 's downright swindlin'. That 's what / call it. I wanted to start with only twenty dollars, I'm so afraid of pickpockets, but my old man said I must take fifty, and good- ness knows I'll need it all if the pickpockets don't get it. {Mrs. O. goes to door and looks out Mrs. Senseny suddenly searches her pock- ets as if she had lost something. Gertie and Lou talk aside.) Henrietta. What an odd looking old lady that is! Adelaide. Oh she 's a perfect fright ! Henrietta. She ought to travel with Barnum. Adelaide. Goodness knows she 'd make a show herself. Henrietta. Such a bonnet! Adelaide. And such a dress 1 Henrietta. Cow-hide shoes! I never! Adelaide. Hush 'Retta, she 's listening. Henrietta. Well I don't care! I shall say what I please any- way. Adelaide. {Aside to Henrietta.) I declare Gertie has a calico dress on. I'm surprised at her talking to that waiter. Henrietta. I must speak to her. {They pass over to Gertie and Lou.) Adelaide. Good morning girls! Henrietta, Gertie, you seem to be very much interested. I presume you must be consulting about something of very great importance! Gertie. Oh, no! only a friendly chat! Henrietta. Friendly chat, indeed! Sister, let 's take a walk on the platform till train time. {Henrietta atid Adelaide exit L. Lou disappears R. Gertie seated^ Mrs. O. {Aside.) Well! well! These two gals haven't much manners, anyway, to talk about a body, right in plain hearin'. What does ail their dresses.? They must have been hooked up by mistake into that pucker. I'd a mind to tell them about it. That woman keeps her eye on me and my things more than I THE PULL-BACK. 43 like. Vm afecrd I oughn't 'a told her my name. The neighbors at the corners all told me to scrape no acquaintances. She might be a female robber; I've heard tell of sich. (Goes to door, L.) Mrs. S. ( To Gertie.) Have you seen a pocketbook in this room.? I've lost mine. I've my suspicions, too, about where it is. I think that old lady is a suspicious character. She is entirely too free getting acquainted. I've always heard it wasn't safe to get acquainted with people on the cars. I'm sorry I said a word to her. Gertie. I think. Ma'am, your suspicions are groundless. That old lady seems to be honest. She lacks experience in ti-avel. That is all, I think. Mrs. S. Oh, she seems very honest! Rogues always do. She looks much too honest and inexperienced. She knows more than she pretends. I'll keep an eye on her. Gertie. It would be well, of course, to keep a lookout for your property. You will find it, I hofpe. Mrs. S. To be sure I'll look out well, and she shall not elude me. I believe she hid my pocketbook in her baggage. I'll watch that. [Seats herself by Mrs. O.^s baggage.) Enter L, Henrietta atid Adelaide, /b//ow