THE CHILDREN'S HOUR A play in three acts by LILLIAN HELLMAH Copyright !"# by Lillian Hell$an Applications %or the per%or$ance per% or$ance o% this play& play& hether by a$ate(rs or pro%essionals& sho(l) be a))resse) to the a(thor's agent& Christopher Mann Lt)& *+ ,ar- Lane& Lon)on& ./ ./ / No per%or$ance $ay ta-e place (nless a licence has been obtaine)/ CHARACTERS ,E001 RO0ERS MRS/ LIL1 MORTAR E2EL1N E2EL1N MUNN M UNN HELEN 3URTON LOIS 4ISHER CATHERINE ROSALIE .ELLS MAR1 TIL4ORD 5AREN .RI0HT MARTHA DO3IE DOCTOR 6OSE,H CARDIN A0ATHA MRS/ AMELIA TIL4ORD A 0ROCER1 3O1 SCENE ACT ONE Li7ing Roo$ o% the .right8Dobie School/ Late a%ternoon in April/ ACT T.O Scene / Li7ing Roo$ at Mrs/ Til%or)'s/ A 9e ho(rs later/ Scene #/ The sa$e/ Later that e7ening/ ACT THREE The sa$e as Act one/ No7e$ber/ ACT ONE Scene: A roo$ in the .right8Dobie School %or girls& a con7erte) %ar$8ho(se eighteen $iles %ro$ the ton o% Lancet/ It is a co$%ortable& (npretentio(s roo$ (se) as an a%ternoon st()y8roo$ an) at all other ti$es as the li7ing8roo$& A large )oor Le%t Centre %aces the a()ience/ There is a single )oor Right/ Against both bac- alls are boo-cases/ A large )es- is at Right; a table& to so%as& an) eight or ten chairs/ It is early in an a%ternoon in April/ At rise: Mrs/ Lily Mortar is sitting in a large chair
Right Centre& ith her hea) bac- an) her eyes close)/ She is a pl($p& %lori) o$an o% %orty8%i7e ith ob7io(sly to(che)8(p hair/ Her clothes are too %ancy %or a class8roo$/ Se7en girls& %ro$ tel7e to %o(rteen years ol)& are in%or$ally gro(pe) on chairs an) so%a/ Si< o% the$ are seing ith no great a$o(nt o% in)(stry on pieces o% hite $aterial/ One o% the others& E7elyn M(nn& is (sing her scissors to tri$ the hair o% Rosalie& ho sits& ner7o(sly& in %ront o% her/ E7elyn has Rosalie's hea) bent bac- at an a-ar) angle an) is en9oying hersel%/ The eighth girl& ,eggy Rogers& is sitting in a higher chair than the others/ She is rea)ing alo() %ro$ a boo-/ She is bore) an) she rea)s in a sing8song& tire) 7oice/ ,E001 =rea)ing> : ?It is tice blest; it blesseth hi$ that gi7es an) hi$ that ta-es : 'tis $ightiest in the $ightiest; it beco$es the throne) $onarch better than his cron ; his sceptre shos the %orce o% te$poral poer& the attrib(te to ae an) $a9esty& $a9esty& herein / / @' =Mrs/ Mortar s())enly opens her eyes an) stares at the hair8c(tting/ The chil)ren $a-e e%%orts to arn E7elyn/ ,eggy raises her 7oice (ntil she is *+! ACT ONE sho(ting> ?)oth sit the )rea) an) %ear o% -ings ; b(t $ercy is abo7e ///? MRS/ MORTAR: E7elyn .hat are yo( )oingB E2EL1N E2EL1N =inanely She lisps> : Uh nothing& Mrs/ Mortar/ MRS/ MORTAR: 1o( are certainly )oing so$ething/ 1o( are r(ining the scissors& %or one thing/ ,E001 =lo()ly> : ?3(t $ercy is abo7e/ It / / /? MRS/ MORTAR : 6(st a $o$ent& ,eggy/ It is 7ery (n%ort(nate that yo( girls cannot sit (ietly ith yo(r seing an) )rin- in the i$$ortal or)s o% the i$$ortal bar)/ =She sighs> E7elyn& go bac- to yo(r yo(r seing/ E2EL1N E2EL1N : I can't get the he$ thtraight/ Honeth& I'7e been trying %or three ee-th& b(t I 9(tht can't )o it/ MRS/ MORTAR MORTAR : Helen& please help E7elyn ith the he$/ HELEN =rises& hol)ing (p the gar$ent E7elyn has been or-ing on/ It is soile) an) shapeless& an) so $(ch has been c(t o%% that it is no har)ly large eno(gh %or a chil) o% %i7e/ 0iggling> : She can't e7er ear that& Mrs/ Mortar/ MRS/ MORTAR =7ag(ely> : .ell& try to )o so$ething ith it/ Ma-e so$e han)-erchie%s or so$ething/ 3e cle7er abo(t it/ .o$en $(st learn these tric-s/ tric -s/ =To ,eggy> Contin(e/ ?Mightiest in the $ightiest?/ ,E001 : ?Tis $ightiest in the $ightiest; it beco$es
the throne) $onarch better than his cron; his sceptre his sceptre shos the %orce o% te$poral poer& the attrib(te to ae an) $a9esty& $a9esty& herein ? LOIS =%ro$ the bac- o% the roo$ chants so%tly an) $onotono(sly thro(gh the pre7io(s speech> : 4ereba$& %erebas& %erebat& %ereba$(s& %erebatis& %ere& %ere CATHERINE CATHERINE =to seats aay the boo- proppe) in %ront o% her> : I4erebant/ LOIS : 4ereba$(s& %erebatis& %etebant& *+ THE CHILDREN'S HOUR MRS/ MORTAR : .ho's )oing thatB ,E001 =the noise ceases She h(rries on> : ?.herein )oth sit the )rea) an) %ear o% -ings; b(t $ercy is abo7e this sceptre) say& it is enthrone) in the hearts o% -ings& it is an attrib(te to 0o) hi$sel% ? MRS/ MORTAR =sa)ly& reproach%(lly> : ,eggy& can't yo( i$agine yo(rsel% as ,ortiaB Can't yo( rea) the lines ith so$e %eeling& so$e pityB =Drea$ily> ,ity/ Ah As Sir Henry sai) to $e $any's the ti$e& pity $a-es the actress/ No& hy can't yo( %eel pityB ,E001 : I g(ess I %eel pity/ LOIS : 4ereba$(s& %erebatis& %ere %ere %ere CATHERINE : 4erebant& st(pi)/ MRS/ MORTAR : Ho $any people in this roo$ are tal-ingB ,eggy& ,eggy& rea) the line again/ I'll gi7e yo( the c(e/ ,E001 : .hat's a c(eB MRS/ MORTAR : A c(e is a line or or) gi7en the actor or actress to re$in) the$ o% their ne : To re$in) hi$ or her/ ROSALIE =a %attish girl ith glasses> : .eren't yo( e7er in the $o7ies& Mrs/ MortarB MRS/ MORTAR : I ha) $any o%%ers& $y )ear/ 3(t the cine$a is a shallo art/ It has no no =2ag(ely> =2ag(ely> no %o(rth )i$ension/ No& ,eggy& i% yo( o(l) only try to s(b$erge yo(rsel% in this proble$/ 1o( 1o( are plea)ing %or the li%e o% a $an/ =She rises an) there are %aint sighs %ro$ the girls& ho stare at her ith blan- bore) %aces/ She recites ha$$ily& ha$$ily& ith gest(res> ?3(t $ercy is abo7e this sceptre) say; it is enthrone) in the hearts o% -ings ; it is an attrib(te to 0o) hi$sel% ; an) earthly poer )oth then sho li-est 0o)'s hen $ercy seasons 9(stice?/ LOIS =al$ost singing it> : Utor& %r(or& %r(or& %(ngor& potior& an) 7escor ta-e the )ati7es/ CATHERINE : Ta-e the ablati7e/ LOIS : Oh& )ear/ Utor& %r(or& %(ng *