The Southern Cross A Play in Four Acts   By: Foxhall Daingerfield (1887-1933)

The Southern Cross

Bryan Station Chapter D.A.R.

THE SOUTHERN CROSS

A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS

By

FOXHALL DAINGERFIELD, JR.

Produced at Opera House, Lexington, Ky., April 13, 1909, for benefit of Morgan Monument .

Copyright 1909.

PRESS OF J.L. RICHARDSON & Co. LEXINGTON. KY.

TO THE MEMORY OF GENERAL JOHN HUNT MORGAN. F.D.

THE PEOPLE OF THE PLAY.

GORDON CABELL MR. McCOMAS CARTER HILLIARY (Charlotte's brother) MR. HARBISON COL. PHILIP STUART MR. OBERCHEIN GEORGE STUART (his son) MR. H. YANCEY BEVERLY STUART (called "Bev.") MR. ROACH STEPHEN WINTHROP (of the 12th Mass.) MR. McCONNELL MAURICE HOPKINS (of his command) MR. SALLEE CORPORAL EVANS (also of the 12th Mass.) MR. THORNTON BILL (a turnkey at the prison) MR. MOORE CUPID (an old negro servant) MR. ADDY THE FIRST SOLDIER MR. YANCEY THE SECOND SOLDIER MR. McGEEVER THE THIRD SOLDIER MR. THIESING FAIRFAX STUART (called "Fair") MISS WHITE MRS. STUART MISS DAINGERFIELD CHARLOTTE HILLIARY (her niece) MISS BUCKNER AUNT MARTHY (Cupid's wife) MRS. BENNETT

Soldiers of the 12th Massachusetts. A guard at the prison.

SYNOPSIS.

ACT I.

OUTSIDE THE STUART HOME, MAY 11, 1864.

" If love were all !"

ACT II.

THE PARLOUR OF THE STUART HOME. ON THE FOLLOWING NIGHT.

" The Signal ."

ACT III.

THE PRISON AT COLUMBUS. ONE HOUR BEFORE MIDNIGHT, MAY 22.

" The heart of a soldier ."

ACT IV.

THE BANKS OF THE ASPEN RIVER, SIX MONTHS AFTERWARD. LATE IN NOVEMBER.

" Once more we pass along this way; Once more, 'tis where at first we met !"

Time 1864.

Scene A Southern State.

Production under the personal direction of Miss Julia Connelly.

THE SOUTHERN CROSS.

ACT I.

Outside the Stuart home, May, 1864. The large beautiful lawn of a typical Southern home. On the left and partly at the back stands the house, of colonial build, a wide porch running the entire length of the house, with three broad, low steps leading down to the garden. Many vines, mostly wisteria, in full bloom, cover the walls and some climb around the banisters. The porch has four white pillars reaching to the second story. On the right is a green garden bench, and at the back may be seen a road leading past the house, a low picket fence between many trees; box bushes and shrubs are near the right. It is near twilight of an afternoon in May. On the right and through the picket fence a small gate leading to the garden and thence to the family graveyard. Over the whole scene there is a half look of decay: the grounds are not in order, the bushes are untrimmed, as though poverty had come suddenly to its occupants. At rise of curtain Aunt Marthy, an old negro mammy of the familiar Southern type, is discovered by the gate leading into the garden; in her hands she holds some roses and other flowers she has been gathering.