Lords of Creation: Woman Suffrage Drama in Three Acts

LORDS OF CREATION.

WOMAN SUFFRAGE DRAMA IN THREE ACTS.

BY ELLA CHEEVER THAYER.

BOSTON: GEO. M. BAKER & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1883.

Copyright, 1883, BY GEORGE M. BAKER.

All rights reserved.

LORDS OF CREATION.

CHARACTERS.

Dr. Endicott, a true Man. Mr. Grovenor, the Head of his Family. Eugene, his Son, taking Life easy. Harold Doughlass, with more Money than Brains. Jim, a Coachman, much in Love. Kate Grovenor, who has a Mind of her own. Lizzie, a young Seamstress. Mrs. Grovenor, Mr. Grovenor's lesser half. Alice Grovenor, anxious for a rich Husband. Jennie, a Chambermaid who believes in Woman's Rights.

COSTUMES.

Kate. Act I., handsome evening dress. Act II., house dress. Act III., black silk. Alice. Act I., elegant evening dress. Act II., house dress. Act III., street costume, hat, etc. Mrs. Grovenor. Act I., evening dress. Act II., house dress. Act III., wrapper. Lizzie. Act I., plain street costume. Act II. and Act III., plain house dress. Jennie. Pretty light calico and apron. Dr. Endicott. Business suit. Mr. Grovenor. Same. Eugene. Elegant suit, rather flashy. Plain suit in Act III. Doughlass. Elegant suit, not quite so loud as Eugene. Jim. Handsome livery.

LORDS OF CREATION.

ACT I.

Scene--Elegant Drawing-Room. Door C., Sofa, R., Chairs, etc. Table, L. C.

(Enter Jennie, C., holding small bouquet in her hand.)

Jennie. Here is Mr. Eugene's bouquet, and now where is Mr. Eugene? Not here, of course, and I must be running all over the house to find him. All a body has to do is to wait on him, that is what he thinks! For he is a lord of creation, he is! And he must have his buttonhole bouquet, and his hair parted in the middle, and his mustache waxed, and everybody must bow down and worship him! But after all, he isn't as bad as his father. Oh! isn't he just awful! Dear me, what a terrible thing it must be to think yourself so superior, all on account of your sex!

Jim (looking in, C.). May I come in?

Jen. (looking over shoulder). Oh! You are here, are you? I might have known you would be!

Jim (coming down R. awkwardly). Yes, because I always come where you are, if I can.

Jen. (L.) Too bad, ain't it, I don't appreciate it any better? You haven't seen Mr. Eugene anywhere, have you?

Jim. Seen him? No! That is, not since two o'clock this morning, when I helped him up-stairs, and he called me his darling Jim.

Jen. How awful!

Jim. I guess you would have said so if he had hugged you the way he did me!

Jen. (coquettishly) Well, I don't know; perhaps that might not have been quite so awful either!

Jim (walking about angrily). Just let me catch him hugging you, or any other fellow, that's all.

Jen. Dear me! And what business would that be of yours, I should like to know? This is a free country, sir, and I am a single woman, and hugging isn't a crime, and no man shall dictate to me. So! (Stamps foot.)

Jim. Who is dictating? How you do fly off! You know, Jennie, I think all the world of you!

Jen. Yes, I dare say! Men always say so before they get married. I suppose that is what our master said to our mistress once, and now see the way he orders her about! And you would like to do the same by me, wouldn't you? But I am altogether too smart for that, sir!

Jim. But, good gracious, Jennie, how you do fly off! Never thought of such a thing in my life!

Jen. Oh, pshaw! Men are all alike! Now I will bet a pound of candy that you think you know more than I do, just because you are a man!

Jim. Well--I--of course about some things.

Jen. Some things! just tell me one.

Jim. Well--I--you see it would take me some time to think.

Jen. Yes, I guess it would! Well, I have my eyes open, and I haven't lived in this house going on a year for nothing, and seen the airs master and Mr. Eugene give themselves! Over Miss Kate, too, who knows more than both of them put together.

Jim (gesticulating). But, Jennie, a woman isn't supposed to know as much as a man. It isn't natural, you see! But a man likes them all the better for it, and he likes to be looked up to, you know.

Jen. (drawing herself up). You don't say so! How sorry I am I can't make you happy in that way. But the fact is, I'd rather have a man who likes me for what I know and not for what I don't know! So (courtesying) I'll leave you to find a woman with less brains than you have--_if you can_. (Exit C.)

Jim (following). Jennie! here, Jennie! She has gone and she is mad! How she does fly off! And oh, how I do love her! Good gracious, how I do love her! (Comes down C.) Now why on earth should she get mad about a little thing like that! Does she want me to say every man is a natural-born fool? Hang me if I don't believe they are, where a woman is concerned! Here for the last six months I've been a perfect slave to her. And all I get for it is to be told I belong to a tyrannical sex! But I won't stand it. No, I won't! (Going. Stops at door C.) I am afraid I can't help it, though. Oh, what an awful thing it is to be in love! And between me and the furniture, I do believe if a woman is the weaker sex, she always gets the best of a man somehow. (Exit, L. 2 E.)

(Enter Mrs. Grovenor and Alice, C.)

Mrs. G. (as she enters). Well, no, my dear, Dr. Endicott is not a particularly good match. But Mr. Doughlass has an immense fortune, you know.

Alice (sits R. on sofa). Yes, but Mr. Doughlass is such a bore, ma.