The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Price of Coal, by Harold Brighouse This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: The Price of Coal A Play Author: Harold Brighouse Release Date: August 7, 2017 [EBook #55287] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PRICE OF COAL *** Produced by David Widger from page images generously provided by the Internet Archive THE PRICE OF COAL By Harold Brighouse Gowans & Gray, Ltd., London 1911 FOREWORD: BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE SCOTTISH REPERTORY THEATRE “The Price of Coal” came from a Manchester author; it was in Lancashire dialect, but was freely translated into that of Lanarkshire, before its first production on Monday, November 15th, 1909. The whole week was foggy, dense, yellow and stinking, but the audience (whose scantiness, thanks to the fog, was unregarded by the players), enthusiastic outside the Theatre, as they were within, bruited its excellence, and the many and urgent requests for its speedy revival were complied with. It has been performed by the Repertory Company at Carlisle, Edinburgh and Perth, while a number of performances have been successfully given by amateurs. A. W. Glasgow, March, 1911. [EXTRACT FROM THE REPERTORY THEATRE PROGRAMME November 1909] THE PRICE OF COAL A play in one act By Harold Brighouse Mary Brown, Jack Brown, Ellen Brown, Polly Walker, Miss Agnes Bartholomew. Mr. R. B. Drysdale. Miss Elspeth Dudgeon. Miss Lola Duncan. The Scene is laid in a Lanarkshire Colliery Village. Modern industrialism has evolved its special types, and the Lanarkshire collier is small and wiry. He swings a pickaxe for hours on end crouched in an impossibly small space in heated atmosphere, and physique on the grand scale is unsuited to such conditions. He takes tremendous risks as part of his daily routine. His recreations are, to a fastidious taste, coarse. He works hard under ground and plays hard above ground. Constrained attitude is so much his second nature that he sits in perfect comfort on his haunches, in the pictured pose of the mild Hindoo, his back to a wall, discussing, amongst expectoration—a long row of him—, football, dogs, his last spree and his next, the police reports, women. Altogether a most unpleasant person, this undersized, foul-mouthed, sporting hewer of coal-until you come to know him better, to discover his simplicity of soul, his directness, his matter-of-fact self-sacrifice, the unconscious heroism of his life: and to lose sight of his superficial frailties in your admiration for his finer qualities. The womenkind of the colliers are marked by the life of the pits no less than the men. They are rough, capable housewives, dressing with more care for durability than effect, tolerant of their menfolks’ weaknesses, and, above all, stamped with the pit-side stoicism apt to be mistaken for callousness. The sudden death of their breadwinner is an everyday hazard, accepted without complaint and without concealment as part of their life. Like their husbands, they exist from hand to mouth on the brink of eternity. Thrift, when any day’s work may be your last, seems a misplaced virtue. Lean fare approaches as pay day recedes, and illness, meagrely provided for by membership of a “sick” society, is tided over in the main by the unfailing generosity of neighbours whose own table suffers by the charity. SCENE The scene represents the living room of a collier’s cottage in Lanarkshire. The room has three doors, one to the right and one to the left, which lead to the sleeping rooms, and one in the centre which opens on to the village street. A fireplace with a cooking stove set in it is at the right. A holland blind is drawn down at the window, but it does not completely shut out the night, which is now dissolving into a grey, cold dawn, for the cheap German alarm clock that ticks loudly on the mantleshelf marks the hour five-thirty. When the curtain rises the room is in darkness save for the glint of bluish-grey light that shows at the window. Then Mary Brown enters from the door on the right, she strikes a match and lights a lamp, when you see she is a girl of about twenty; she does not look her best, her hair has been hurriedly screwed up, her print blouse, murky with toil, has not yet been fastened, she wears a draggle- tailed skirt of sombre colour and list slippers are on her feet. A small spirit-lamp is on the hob and a little tin kettle near by; she lights the lamp, puts the kettle on it, then crosses to the door on the left and knocks. MARY Are ye up, Jock? JOCK (within) Aw richt, A’ll be there in a meenit. Mary takes a plain and fairly clean apron from a hook by the dresser and puts it on briskly; she then takes a cup and saucer from the rack, putting them on the dresser, from the cupboard of which she takes a cocoa-tin and puts a spoonful of cocoa in the cup. Then she takes bread and meat from the cupboard and makes a couple of huge sandwiches. These she puts on a tin plate, and covering them with another tin plate, she ties the whole in a large red handkerchief with the ends looped for carrying. A tin can with a screw top is placed near by. Then, from the door at the left, enters Jock Brown, Mary’s cousin. He is dressed in his working or “black” clothes, which may have been coloured once but are now blackened with coal dust. He wears no collar, but a muffler, which, because it is doffed in the pit, still preserves something of its original hue, which was a bright red. JOCK A wis hardly expectin’ tae see you this mornin’, Mary. MARY (apparently unmoved, proceeds with her operations at the stove) An’ why no’, bless ye. Mebbe ye’d raither A dragged yer mither oot o’ her bed an’ her bad wi’ her rheumatics, tae. JOCK A could a’ dune fur masel’ for wan mornin’. MARY Ye’d a’ made a bonnie mess o’ the job. JOCK Aw, A’m no’ a wean. MARY A can jist see ye daein’t, an’ gettin’ doon tae the pit ahint time, tae. We huvnae quarrell’t, huv we? JOCK Naw: no’ that A ken. MARY Then whit wey should A no’ get up and dae fur ye jist the same as A’ve dune near’s lang’s A can mind? JOCK A donno. MARY Naw, nor naebody else either. JOCK (disconcerted and apologetic)Weel, ye see, A thocht mebbe that efter whit we were sayin’ last nicht ye widnae want tae see me this mornin’. MARY Naw, there wis naethin’ in that tae pit us aff the usual. JOCK (with eagerness)Then, wull ye tell me—— MARY (cutting him short and putting the cocoa on the table) There’s yer cocoa. Ye’ll better drink it when it’s hot. JOCK (tasting)Aye. It’s hot anough onyway. MARY It’s a cauld mornin’ tae be gaun oot. Ye’ll be nane the waur o’ somethin’ hot this weather. JOCK Aye. A dare say it’s cauld anough, bit the weather can wait. A’ve got somethin’ else tae talk tae ye aboot besides the weather. MARY Mebbe ye huv, ma boy, but ye’ll huv tae wait till the richt time comes. JOCK Mary, lassie, will A huv tae wait till the nicht fur ma answer? MARY Play fair noo, Jock. Ye gien me a day frae last nicht tae think aboot it. JOCK A ken A did. That’s richt anough. Only it’s no’ sae easy tae wait as A thocht it wis when it comes tae daein’t. MARY Mebbe no’. But ye’ll jist huv tae pit up wi’t. It wis you that said wait. A never mentioned it. JOCK Ye shouldnae be sae hard on a chap, Mary. A’m wantin’ ye that bad. A’m on needles and peens till A ken whit road the cat’ll jump. Ye never ken, Mary, what’ll happen doon a pit. Jist think. A micht never come up again and ye’d be sick and sorry if A wis blown tae kingdom come an’ no’ huv the consolation o’ kennin’ that ye meant tae huv me. MARY It’s nae use, ma boy. Ye’ll no’ frichten me that wey. A’m no’ pit born like you, but A’ve stayed aside pits a bit ower lang fur that. An’ ye ken weel anough it’s no’ richt tae talk aboot they things. A tell’t ye A’d gie ye yer answer the nicht an’ ye’ll huv tae wait till the nicht fur it. A’m no’ gaun back on ma word. JOCK Bit if ye ken whit ye’re gaun tae say whit wey wull ye no’ say it noo and pit me oot o’ misery? MARY Aye, an’ huv ye gaun aboot tellin’ everybody that aw ye hud tae dae wis whistle an’ A rushed intae yer airms. Naw, ma boy, A’m a single wumman yit and A’m no promised tae nae man. A’ll tak’ ma ain time tae tell ye whether A’m gaun tae chinge ma name or no’. (Breaking off and looking at the clock.) It’s time ye were flittin’. Ye’ll be late if ye don’t hurry up. JOCK A don’t care if A am. MARY Aw, but ye dae. Don’t be a silly. Ye ken ye’ve never missed bein’ in the first cage doon since ye startet workin’ an’ A ‘ll no’ hae folk saying ye startet missin’ it ower me. Hae ye finished yer cocoa? JOCK Aye. Ye’re terrible hard on a chap, Mary. MARY Awa’ wi ye. If ye hud a’ been as keen on mairryin’ me as ye think ye are, ye wud mebbe huv plucked up courage tae ask me shuner. JOCK A only waitet till ma mind wis med up fur sure. A wisnae long o’ askin’ ye whin it wis. MARY Then ye’ll jist hae tae wait till mine is med up. Whit’s sauce fur the goose is sauce fur the gander, ye ken. JOCK Ye couldnae gie me sae much’s a hint? Only a lick an’ a promise like? MARY Naw, A’m no’ makin’ no promises till A’m ready. Ye’re only wastin’ yer time, man, an riskin’ bein’ late tae. JOCK Aw, weel, if A huv tae wait, A’ll jist huv tae. MARY It’ll be stoppin’ time afore ye know it. JOCK (he goes towards the door, lifting his cap from a peg on the way) Oh aye. It’s easy talkin’. Ye’re only keepin’ me in suspense, ye teasin’ buddy. Its mebbe fun to you, but there’s no’ much fun tae me wi’ you cairryin’ on like that. MARY Ye’ll be late for yer work. That’ll be the end o’t. JOCK Aw richt. (He puts his cap on.) A’m gaun. Whaur’s ma piece? MARY Here ye are. [She hands him the handkerchief of food and the can, which he slings over his shoulder by a short strap. JOCK Huv ye tied it up weel? MARY Aye. Why? JOCK Rats wur busy at it yesterday whin A cam’ to pit my pick doon an look fur ma dinner. Bit ye cannae help rats in a pit an mebbe they’re as hungry as A am. MARY Weel, its tied as ticht as A can mak’ it. Noo look sherp or ye’ll be late. Ye’re forgettin’ yer lamp. Dear kens whit a fix ye’d be in if A wisnae up tae look efter ye. JOCK It’s wi’ thinkin’ o’ you, lass. [He takes up his lamp. MARY Time anough fur that when yer work’s dune. JOCK (as he opens the door slowly, morn has broken fully, and a hard grey light enters the room) A’ll be hame pretty quick so ye’ll better be ready. MARY A’ll be ready richt anough. JOCK A’ richt. Then we’ll leave it at that. MARY Aye. [Jock goes out, closing the door quietly after him. Mary, left alone, begins to tidy up and prepare the house for the use of the day. Soon the door at the right opens, and Ellen Brown, Jock’s mother, enters. She is an old woman, but not so old as she looks; her spare figure bears all the marks of a life that is one continuous struggle against a hard fate. She is dressed plainly in black, with an apron; her head is covered with a shawl. Mary, who is at the window rolling up the broken blind, starts and turns to her in surprise. MARY Why, auntie, ye’re up airly. ELLEN Aye. Is the lad awa’ yit? MARY He’s jist awa’. Is onythin’ wrang? ELLEN Naw, lass, naw. A wid a’ liket to a’ seen him afore he went. MARY Will A rin efter im? He’s jist this meenit awa’. ELLEN An’ mak’ ‘im late? Naw, we musnae dae that. It wis only a fancy. A thocht A micht catch ‘im, but A widnae chance makin’ ‘im late. He tak’s a pride in bein’ at the pithead regular for the first cage gaun doon; he’d be rare an’ mad wi’ me if A brung him back fur naethin’. MARY Why did ye no’ shout on us frae yer room? ELLEN A didnae think o’ that. MARY (puzzled by her appearance, decides to be consoling) Weel, A’m sorry ye left yer bed fur naethin’, before the room’s aired tae. ELLEN Ach, that’s naethin’, lass. MARY Weel, sit doon while A mak’ a fire an get the breakfast ready. Room’ll soon be warm. ELLEN Aye, lass. [She moves listlessly to the rocking- chair, in which she sits passively, while Mary takes some sticks and paper from the oven and kneels, making a fire. MARY It’s a wee sherp this mornin’ too. (She looks up to see Ellen furtively dabbing her eyes with a clean handkerchief .) Auntie, whit’s up wi’ ye? Wull ye no tell me whit’s the maitter? ELLEN Naethin’, lass, naethin’. MARY (as she rises and stands by the chair) Bit there must be somethin’. Whit wey did ye get up sae airly? Ye were soon’ anough asleep when A left ye. ELLEN Sleepin’? Aye, A wis sleepin’ richt anough, an’ would to God A hidnae been. MARY Whit dae ye mean? ELLEN Only an auld wife’s fancy, lass. MARY Naw, ye must tell me whit it is. ELLEN It wis a dream that made me rise, lass. MARY A dream? ELLEN Aye. A dream’t A wis gaun in a field an’ the grass wis green, greener than life, an’ there wis coos in it and sheep-no’ dirty, blackened beasts like whit’s here, bit whit ye wid fancy they wid be some place whaur there isnae always smoke. An’ A walked in the field an’ the sun wis shinin’ an’ it cam’ dark suddent an’ A couldnae see the coos nae mair. There wis thunder an’ it frichtened me an’ whin A cam’ tae look up again, it wis rainin’ bluid on ma heid, naethin’ bit bluid, an’ the field ran rid wi’ it. Bluid everywhaur, naethin’ bit bluid. MARY An’ it frichtened ye? Aye, the nichtmare’s no pleasant fur ony yin. Ye ett pretty hearty last nicht. Weel, never mind. It’s a’ past noo. Ye’ll feel better efter a cup o’ tea. A’ll shune huv breakfast on the table noo. ELLEN A’ve dream’t yon dream afore, an’ the last time A dream’t it wis the nicht afore the big fire in the pit whin Jock’s faither got ‘imself kill’t. A’ve niver dream’t it since that nicht an’ noo it’s come again an’ ma boy’s gaun oot tae his work an’ me too late to stop ‘im. MARY (moves towards the door) Mebbe it’s no’ too late. ELLEN Come back, lass. Look at the clock. The first cage ‘ull be gaun doon lang afore ye could get there and oor Jock’ll be in’t. He’s aye in the first cage, is oor Jock. Best timekeeper on the pit. MARY Oh, why did ye no’ tell me at first? He’ll be kill’t; he’ll be kill’t. ELLEN It’s nae use worryin’ like that. Jock’s in God’s hand, lass, same as he is every day whether A dream or no’. An’ mebbe there’s naethin’ to worry ower. They do say that there’s naethin’ in dreams. A doot it’s gaun against the Almighty tae tak’ notice o’ a dream. If He hud meaned it fur a warnin’ He’d likely have sent it shuner so as A could a’ kept Jock frae gaun oot. Aye, he’s in God’s keepin’. We can dae naethin’. Get the kettle filled. MARY Yes, Auntie. ELLEN A’ll see tae the table. MARY Aw richt. ELLEN (as she takes a coarse white cloth from a drawer, spreads it and proceeds to lay breakfast.) Ye’ll hardly mind an accident here will ye, Mary? MARY Naw. ELLEN Naw, A thocht no’. (She has now come to the fireplace, where she sits in an arm- chair.) It’s mony a year sin’ we hud yin tae speak o’. A don’t mind o’ hearin’ the alarm bell ringin’ mair than yince, or mebbe twict since yer uncle wis kill’t. That wis somethin’ like a do. There wis mair than twinty kill’t that time an’ mebbe forty or mair that wis hurt. A’ve heard folks say there his been bigger accidents in America, but A don’t tak’ ower much notice o’ they newspaper tales masel’. Eh, it micht a’ been yesterday. MARY Tell me aboot it, Auntie. Ye’ve never tell’t me hoo it happen’t. ELLEN Eh? Bless the lass, whit’s the use o’ that! Seems to me we’re baith o’ us a bit cracket the day. We’ve got accident on the brain. MARY They ay ring the bell don’t they, Auntie, when onythin’ gaes wrang? ELLEN No! fur an odd man an’ ‘is laddie nipped in a roof fall, jist if it’s a big thing. Look here, lass, if ye cannae talk o’ naethin’ bit accidents, ye’d better shut up. (She rises from her chair.) Whit wi’ ma dream an’ your worryin’ A don’t know where A am. MARY A wis jist askin’. Ye never can ken wi’ a coal-pit whin its gaun tae git nesty an’ a man cannae ay mind whaur he is whin he’s doon. ELLEN They’re watched shairper gaun doon nooadays an the men ken better nor tae take risks theirsel’s, the way they use’t tae in the auld days. MARY Aye, but a man that forgets yinst ‘ll forget yinst too often. ELLEN A’ve tell’t ye tae quit bletherin’. Folks ‘ud think ye hudnae lived aside pits mair nor a week tae hear ye talk daft like that. There’s ay danger and naebody but a born fool wid say there wis’nt, but it’ll no’ mend it tae go thinkin’ aboot it. There’s coal there an’ it’s got tae be got and that’s the first an’ last o’t. Hae ye pit tea in the pot? MARY Naw. ELLEN Ye’d better dae it then. [Mary puts tea in the tea-pot from a canister on the mantelshelf As she does so, a heavy bell rings clangorously. MARY Whit’s that? ELLEN (quietly and slowly bending her head as if to a physical blow) God’s wull be dune. MARY Is it——? ELLEN Aye. (Then, as Mary makes for the door.) Whaur are ye gaun, lass? MARY A’m gaun tae the pit tae see whit’s up. ELLEN Naw. Ye’re no’. A’ll want ye here. MARY Why no’? ELLEN There’ll be plenty fills o’ wimmen there seein’ whit’s up and keepin’ the men frae their wark, withoot you gaun an’ helpin’ them tae dae it. MARY But we—— ELLEN Look here ma lass, if oor Jock’s hurt, oor job’s tae get ‘im weel again. Rushin’ oot tae the pit-heid ‘ll dae ‘im nae guid. It’s only wimmen that huvnae got husbands and sons doon in the pit that gaes staunin’ roon faintin’ and whit nut an’ makin’ a nuisance o’ theirsel’s. The ithers stays at hame an’ gets things ready. MARY We dinnae ken whit tae get ready fur. ELLEN We ken anough. MARY Jock ‘ll mebbe no’ be hurt. ELLEN Then we’ll hae wastet oor wark. MARY Whit’ll A dae i ELLEN A donno that there’s sae much when aw’s dune. We’ll mebbe need hot watter. MARY Fur—— ELLEN Hoo dae A ken whit fur? Yon kettleful ‘ll dae an’ oor tea will huv tae wait. MARY Bit whit can we dae? Gie me somethin’ tae dae fur mercy’s sake. A’ll go mad if A don’t dae somethin’. A cannae sit still and wait, and wait, and wait. ELLEN Ye’d best be makin’ his bed. MARY Yes, auntie. ELLEN Whit are ye greetin’ fur, lass? We ken naethin’ yit, an’ if we did, greetin’ ‘ll no’ mend it. It’ll dae Jock nae guid, nae maitter hoo he is, to see ye slobberin’ whin he comes in. (Mary dries her eyes and begins to clear the table.) Whit are ye daein’ that fur? MARY A don’t know. A thocht—— ELLEN A body mun eat. Let things be. A tell’t ye tae gang tae the room and mak’ his bed. MARY Aw richt, auntie. [Mary goes to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Ellen looks to see it is shut, and moves rapidly and purposefully to the door to the street. It is now daylight. The confused murmur of a distant crowd is heard. She stands on the threshold and looks out. Presently she speaks to some one approaching but not yet visible. ELLEN Whit is’t, Polly? A middle-aged woman in a drab skirt and blouse with a shawl thrown over her head appears breathless at the door; it is a neighbour, Polly Walker. POLLY Ropes slipped and the cage fell doon the shaft. Is your’s oot at his wark. ELLEN First cage doon? POLLY Aye. ELLEN Mine’s is in’t. POLLY We’ll shune ken the warst. They wis riggin’ tackle whin A come away. They’ll huv them up in nae time. ELLEN A’ll be ready. Whaur’s yours? POLLY (who has come into the room) Mine’s aw richt-safe in their beds- sleepin’ aff last nicht’s drink, thank the Lord. ELLEN They must bring him here, Polly, nae maitter whit he’s like. POLLY Aye. A body likes tae dae fur her ain. Whaur’s the lass? Awa’ tae the piti. ELLEN Makin’ his bed in case its needet. POLLY That’s richt. Don’t let her oot. ELLEN No’ if A can help it. She wantet tae go, but A widnae huv it. Ye’ll see things at a pit-heid efter an accident that’s no fit fur a young yin. Waste her life fur her to be there whin they’re brung up. POLLY Aye. A’m no’ gaun back. A’ve seen anough, never nae mair if A can help it. ELLEN Come in, wull ye? POLLY Aye. A’d best shut the door, tac, an’ keep oot the row or she’ll be wantin’ tae go. [She closes the door and takes a chair at the table. ELLEN Aye. They cannae sit quiet when they’re young. POLLY That’s a fact. A mind the day when the pit wis on fire. A wis only a wee lassie then, bit ma mither had nae mair sense nor tae let me oot tae the pit—heid tae see the bodies brung up. A’ll never forget that sicht. A dream aboot it tae this day. ELLEN Sit doon, Polly. A bit o’ comp’ny comes handy at a time like this. POLLY (sitting) Thenk ye. ELLEN Aye. It’s a thing ye cannae forget. Seems as if it wis only the ither day A heard the bell ringin’ an’ saw ma man brung up. He wis that charred A only kent him by the earrin’s he wore because his eyes wis weak. They tell’t me efter that a rabbit had crossed his road on the wey tae the pit, but he always wis obstinate, wis ma Joe an’ he widnae tak’ warnin’ and noo the cage has slipped wi’ ma son in her and A’ll hae nae menfolk noo. [The door from the bedroom has been opening slowly, and Mary listens. The others do not see her. POLLY Ye never ken. Mebbe he’ll no’ be kill’t. ELLEN A dream’t the same dream last nicht as when his faither went. POLLY In the midst o’ life we are in death. There’s no’ a truer word nor that. ELLEN No’ when ye live aff coal. There’s wimmen keepin’ hoose in the places the coal goes that pay fur their coal wi’ brass. We pay a sicht heavier fur it here. We pay wi’ the lives o’ men. POLLY But it’s a comfort tae think he’ll no’ be burnt. A cannae staun’ a corp that’s burnt. ELLEN Aye, better broken than burnt. POLLY An’ ye’ll huv money in the funeral Society. ELLEN Oh, aye. A can gie him a decent burial. POLLY That’s ay a comfort. Ye don’t seem tae care sae much some wey, when ye ken he’s hud a decent burial. He’s bin a guid son tae ye, tae. ELLEN Oh aye, he’s a good lad. He’s mebbe had his shillin’ on a horse noo and then an’ whiles gone rattin’ on a Sunday mornin’, but that’s only tae say he’s a man an’ no’ an angel in breeks. POLLY It’s mair than A can say about ma lot. Lazy, drunken, good-for-nothings they are, faither an’ sons tae. Come tae mention’t, it’s a funny thing. Providence works in its ain way. If mine hadnae been on the spree last nicht, they’d as like as no huv been in the cage alang wi your boy. MARY (comes forward into the room) A’ll awa’ tae the pit noo, auntie. ELLEN Tak’ yer hurry, lass. MARY A cannae wait, A must ken. ELLEN Sit doon. MARY A cannae sit doon an’ listen tae you twa talkin’ that way. First ye’ve got ‘im kill’t an’ then ye bury ‘im, an’ next ye’ll be argying whit’s tae go on his grave-stane an’ aw the time ye don’t sae much as ken if he’s hurt. POLLY Sit still, lassie. Ye’d better wait. MARY. Oh, A don’t know whit ye’re made o’-you twa. Ye sit there quiet an’ calm as if there wis naethin’ the maitter. ELLEN We’re auld enough tae ken we cannae dae nae guid. Hae ye made the bed? Aye, ELLEN Weel, there’s a bottle o’ brandy in the room-press. We micht need it. Aye. It’s harder when ye’re young tae haud yersel’ in. It disnae come natural tae her, no’ bein’ born tae pits like us. Her mither mairret a weaver chap in Dundee an’ brought her up tae mills. It tak’s mair than a year or twa tae git intae the wey o’ pits when ye’re born strange tae them. POLLY Aye. We’re used tae the thocht o’ losin’ oor men suddent. ELLEN But she’ll no gae tae the pit-heid if A can stop her. We’ll hae tae keep her mind aff it. Can ye mind o’ onything else we micht want? POLLY Naw naethin’. ELLEN We micht need linen fur tyin’ up MARY A’ll get it. [Mary goes to the bedroom again. POLLY She’s gettin’ restless. ELLEN Aye. POLLY Naw, ye’ll no’. The doctors were there afore A come away, and ambulance men tae wi’ aw they’ll need. But we’ll huv tae keep her here whether she likes it or no’. ELLEN Aye. (She looks towards the street-door. Polly catches her meaning.) Wull ye? A don’t move sae easy as A used. POLLY The door? ELLEN Aye. POLLY Aye. That’s richt. (She goes to the street-door.) Better let her think we’re ill usin’ her than let her oot tae see them sichts. [She turns the key and gives it to Ellen as she resumes her seat. ELLEN Thenk ye, Polly. (She pockets the key) Help me tae mak’ talk noo and keep her mind aff it. MARY (enters with a bottle) There’s the brandy. ELLEN That’s richt. (A slight pause; the older women try to make conversation. First Polly bobs forward as if about to speak, but leans back without saying anything; Ellen does the same. Mary moves to the door as Ellen, glancing round for a subject, lets her eye fall on the brandy bottle and fires off her remark in time to arrest Mary’s progress towards the door.) A thocht there wis mair nor that in the bottle, aw the same. POLLY It’s a handy thing tae huv aboot the hoose. ELLEN Aye. Rare stuff fur the jaw-ache. POLLY It is that. Goes weel wi’ a cup o’ tea, tae, on a cauld mornin’. MARY Is there onything else? ELLEN Eh? Naw, A don’t think there is, Mary. Let me think. Naw. That’s aw A can mind. MARY A’ll awa’, thin. ELLEN Naw, ye’ll no’. MARY Why no’? ELLEN Because ye’ll no’. Ye’ll stay whaur ye are. MARY Let me go. A must go. A cannae stay here. POLLY Dae whit yer auntie tells ye, lassie. Young folks is that smert nooadays, there’s nae use tellin’ them onythin’. MARY Oh, ye don’t understand. A must go. A must. (She goes to the door; tries to open it.) Door’s locked. This door’s locked. Whaur’s the key? Whit huv ye dune wi’ the key? ELLEN Look here, lass, A tell’t ye ye widnae go, an’ A’ve made sure o’t. Come noo. Come an’ sit quiet, ravin’ aboot as if ye were mad. Ye’ll huv the haunel aff the door. MARY Let me go tae him. ELLEN No. MARY A must go. A must. A love him. A love him. ELLEN D’ye think A don’t love him, lassie? Aye and a sicht better than a bit wean like you could love him. A’m his mither. MARY Oh, huv mercy. Ye don’t know. A sent ‘im oot. He wisnae for gaun till A’d said the word. A widnae tell ‘im. A made him wait till the nicht. A sent him tae his death. ELLEN The lassie’s ravin’. MARY Let me go. ELLEN No. MARY Ye won’t? POLLY Haud yer wheish, lass. It’s fur yer ain guid. MARY Why huv ye locked thon door? Ye’re cheatin’ me. Ye’re cruel. A can dae nae guid here. Let me go tae ‘im. A must go. A wull. [The two women have now faced each other; there is a violent knocking at the door. MARY Whit’s that? Oh, ma God, whit’s that? [Ellen takes the key from her pocket moves slowly to the door, unlocks it, and throws it open. Jock stands on the threshold, very pale, with his coat buttoned at the bottom, and only his right arm thrust into the sleeve. ELLEN Ma boy! [She tries to embrace him. JOCK Steady, mither. Watch ma airm. ELLEN Is it broken? JOCK Aye, the doctor’ll be roon’ tae set it shune. They’ve anough tae dae first, though. There’s plenty worse nor me. ELLEN Thank God! JOCK Naw, mither. It’s aw by. There’s naethin’ tae greet fur, and no’ sae much in a broken airm tae thank God fur, neither. MARY Oh, Jock! JOCK Is that aw ye’ve got tae say tae me? The shift’s ower, ma lass. Mebbe it’s ower afore it startet, but that disnae maitter. A’ve come fur ma answer, Mary. MARY Ye’re an old fraud. Ye kent aw the time. Oh, Jock, Jock, A thocht ye wis kill’t. JOCK Ye thocht wrang. A’m no the deein’ kin’. So ye’ll huv me? MARY Aye. JOCK A’ll awa roon’ an’ see the meenister aboot pittin’ up the banns when ma airm’s set. A’ll be huvin’ some time on ma hauns. A think gettin’ mairrit ‘ll fill in the time beautiful. CURTAIN Glasgow: Printed at the University Press by Robert MacLehose and Co. Ltd. The Repertory Theatre was founded between January and April, 1909, as a direct effort of Scotsmen in general, and Glasgow men in particular, to throw off London’s despotic rule in things dramatic. In its first season it produced nine plays (three altogether new), including John Galsworthy’s play, “Strife,” which had just been produced in London. The second season commenced on September 5th. In it thirteen plays were produced, including the first production in English of a play by the Russian dramatist, Anton Tchekhov, “The Seagull,” and six entirely new plays. In the Spring season, 1910, “Justice,” produced simultaneously in London, created an unique record in the history of the British stage, while astonishing success attended the production of John Masefield’s masterpiece, “The Tragedy of Nan.” In all, seven entirely new plays were produced. The Summer season of lighter fare added six more plays to the record, including two new ones. In the fifth season ten plays were produced, four entirely new. In the sixth season, Spring, 1911, fifteen plays were produced, seven entirely new. In all seventy-three plays have been produced, of which about fifty-five would never have been seen but for the energies of this Theatre. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Price of Coal, by Harold Brighouse *** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PRICE OF COAL *** ***** This file should be named 55287-0.txt or 55287-0.zip ***** This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/2/8/55287/ Produced by David Widger from page images generously provided by the Internet Archive Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will be renamed. Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. START: FULL LICENSE THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license. Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works 1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. 1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. 1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. 1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United States. 1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: 1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed: This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. 1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. 1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. 1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg-tm License. 1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. 1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. 1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided that * You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." * You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm works. * You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work. * You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. 1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. 1.F. 1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. 1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. 1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem. 1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. 1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. 1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life. Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact For additional contact information: Dr. Gregory B. Newby Chief Executive and Director gbnewby@pglaf.org Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS. The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate. International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.