Complete Works of Sherwood Anderson

by Sherwood Anderson

Awakening. Sings Hurra! Hurra!

  The flag that sets us free.

  PARCIVAL straightens up and stretches. He is addressing no one in particular Free! Free! Free to sleep, free to wake, free to be drunk, free to be sober. Free to sleep, eh. Sleep destroys drunkenness.

  He turns to the three card players Drunkenness. We hunger for it. We lie for it, work for it, die for it. Life is itself a drunkenness. Food, women, dreams, they are all forms of drunkenness. Gentlemen, I know too much. That is my difficulty. I am too wise. For that I shall be crucified.

  He turns to ED

  Ed, I’m being crucified with thirst just now.

  He pleads Ed! Ed!

  He is interrupted by the entrance of JOE WELLING, who hurries in, from the right front. He carries a paper and goes to ED, who has dropped into a chair, by one of the tables

  JOE

  Here’s your life insurance policy, Ed. Your application is accepted. It’s a good one, Ed. It will take care of you in case of sickness, in case of an accident, in case of death. It will take care of your wife, of your child. Suppose you lose something... ha! You get money. A finger so much, a hand so much, a leg, an arm, a foot, an eye, two eyes. You can’t lose a thing, Ed, without being paid money for it.

  ED Solemnly Thank you, Joe.

  JOE runs over to the card players at the table, left rear, PARCIVAL sits looking at one of his hands. As PARCIVAL speaks JOE stands listening and imitating his movements

  PARCIVAL

  A finger, a drink, two fingers a two-finger drink, a hand and you’re drunk. You can ride the boat of dreams.

  JOE

  He laughs at PARCIVAL and turns to one of the card players Say, Harry, have you been outdoors tonight? Have you looked up at the sky? What a night it is! Ha! Say, I was out walking tonight with my girl. Do you know my girl, Sarah King? I go with her.

  All in the room stare at foe, as though hypnotized I thought of something. I had an idea.

  He runs from the card players to ED, to PARCIVAL and then back to the card players. The players have dealt the cards but are sitting holding them and staring. One man holds a card aloft, as though about to throw it on the table but doesn’t. It is as though every one in the room except PARCIVAL had been frozen into silence, PARCIVAL makes motions with his hands as though driving flies away What a wonderful night it is! The sky is filled with stars. I went out walking with my girl. I got to thinking. I had an idea. Do you know, men, that a ray of light coming from one of the stars to here, from where it started to here where it ends, here in Winesburg, that it took thousands of years to make the trip.

  He runs over to ED who now stands at the side of the room. He points to the ceiling and then to the floor Gee, men, I was telling my girl Sarah about it. We were walking down by the railroad station. I went into the railroad station and told the telegraph operator. Gee, think of it — people get excited about a train coming in. It only came from Cleveland. Compare that to this ray of light. Just think of it. That ray of light was on its way here, it had got started, it was traveling when Noah built his ark — when Job had boils. You know about Job having boils, don’t you?

  JOE looks about the room and all except PARCIVAL are nodding their heads mechanically Gee, — think of it, a ray of light traveling for thousands of years and getting into Winesburg tonight. Gee, it’s an idea. I told my girl Sarah about it. It excited her. It would excite any one. Gee, I wish I was a writer, I’d write this up. I wish young George Willard had stayed here in this town.

  Voice is heard offstage

  VOICE

  Joe!

  JOE darts out of the room, right, and for a minute all the men sit or stand rigid. They are staring at the door through which JOE disappears

  ONE OF THE CARD PLAYERS

  Gee, what a man! What a man!

  He turns to the others Say, that fellow has so many ideas I’d think he’d get the idea of marriage into his head one of these days. Say, he’s been going with Sarah King for eighteen years now, walking around with her at night, and she ain’t never got anything out of him but ideas.

  JOE’S spell is broken. All in the room laugh

  ANOTHER CARD PLAYER

  He turns to address ED

  Ed, have you been over to the hotel lately? They’re painting and papering. Have you seen Tom Willard since he got his new wife? It’s enough to make a cow laugh. Here’s this Mrs. Granger, married to Tom Willard now. God, think of it, Ed. Old Alf Granger skimping, cheating, lying and scheming all his life to make money. Then he dies and leaves it to his widow and she goes and marries Tom Willard.

  He turns to the other card players And now he’s spending it. Boy, I’ll say he’s spending it. He’s having a grand time. He’s suddenly become one of the biggest men in town. Boys, he’s blossoming like a rose.

  The card players laugh and again begin their game

  PARCIVAL

  Ed, my time has come. My hour has struck again. I’m sorry for you, Ed, but you’ll have to give me credit for another drink.

  ED looks at him for a moment and then goes off right returning with a bottle of whisky and a whisky glass —

  ED

  No water with it, I guess, eh, Doc?

  PARCIVAL

  He takes the bottle and glass from

  ED

  Water? Water? Ed, don’t insult an old man.

  ED

  Drink up, Doc. Don’t you ever worry about your bill with me.

  Two farmhands enter from the right and sit at one of the tables facing each other. ED turns to address the others in the room

  ED

  They say Doc here knows nothing about medicine. Why he’s the best doctor in town.

  He turns to

  PARCIVAL

  Doc, you took care of Louise when we had our kid and now you can bet I won’t wear out any pencils putting nothing down against you. Doc, you drink up now and go upstairs to bed. Louise has made up a bed for you again. You got to stay here with us again tonight. We’re expecting you, Doc.

  PARCIVAL

  Who has poured himself a drink — holding it up For this kind expression of regard, Ed, much thanks.

  The two farmhands are seated at one of the tables and begin an argument with each other, and during the scene between the farmhands and ED, PARCIVAL slowly fills and empties his glass until the bottle of whisky is empty

  FIRST FARMHAND

  What’ll you have, Jake?

  SECOND

  FARMHAND

  This one’s on me. What you gonna have, Bill?

  FIRST FARMHAND

  No, I tell you, this one’s on me.

  SECOND FARMHAND

  No, I tell you it’s on me.

  FIRST FARMHAND

  Ah, go on now, this one’s on me.

  ED brings in two glasses of beer. He gets the heavy salt shaker from a near-by table and puts it before the beer drinker. He stands back watching them. The first farmhand starts to put some salt in his beer

  ED

  Ah hell, have one on the house.

  SECOND FARMHAND

  He reaches over and grabs the arm of the beer drinker Don’t do that, man, don’t do it.

  FIRST FARMHAND

  Holding the salt shaker above the beer Don’t do what?

  The card players are looking at the two farmhands. PARCIVAL peeps on slowly drinking

  SECOND FARMHAND

  Don’t put that salt in your beer. What do you want to do that for?

  FIRST FARMHAND

  Well, why not? I like salt in my beer.

  SECOND FARMHAND

  Well, friend, I don’t like to see you do it. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. I don’t think you ought to do it.

  FIRST FARMHAND

  Oughtn’t to do it? Well, why not? I like salt in my beer.

  SECOND FARMHAND

  But I don’t think it’s right, honest I don’t. I don’t like it. I don’t think you ought to do it.

  FIRST FARMHAND

  Well, Jake, you
just tell me why not. Why shouldn’t I put salt in my beer if I like salt in my beer?

  SECOND FARMHAND

  Because I don’t think it’s right. I think that if God had intended there should be salt in beer he would have put it in himself.

  The men in the room laugh and ED turns to PARCIVAL. He takes the bottle from him and holds it up to the light. He whistles with amazement

  PARCIVAL

  Empty, eh? All gone! Ed, it’s too bad. A whole river of your whisky has run down my throat these last few years, hasn’t it, Ed? But don’t you care, Ed. There’s more where that came from. They keep right on making it. Now you watch me, Ed. Watch me get aboard the boat of drunkenness.

  The two farmhands arise and beer in hand go over to watch the card game

  ED

  You’re going to bed — that’s where you’re going, Doc.

  He looks again at the bottle, PARCIVAL arises Doc, you’re going to be drunk again.

  PARCIVAL

  Ed, some men float on the river of drunkenness and others sink in it. They become sodden. Drunkenness, Ed, is one of life’s privileges. It’s a boat to ride in. Sometimes the boat rocks a little, but on you go, down, down the river of life. With me, Ed, it’s different. Drunkenness has saved me. I’m too wise, Ed. I know too much to live among men without drunkenness.

  ED

  Well, you’re boat’s rocking now, Doc.

  He takes PARCIVAL’S arm You’re not going down the river now, Doc. You’re going upstairs to bed.

  He is half leading, half pushing PARCIVAL toward the Exit, left rear. He calls Louise!

  VOICE FROM OUTSIDE

  A little wearily Yes, Ed.

  ED

  Is Doc’s room ready for him?

  VOICE FROM OUTSIDE

  More wearily Yes, Ed. It’s ready.

  ED

  Well, he’s coming up.

  PARCIVAL

  Protesting to ED

  But I don’t want to go to bed yet, Ed. The night’s too young. When I go to bed before I’m drunk enough I begin having thoughts. I don’t want any more thoughts, Ed. I’ve had too many of them. I want the quiet, the oblivion of drunkenness, of dreams, Ed.

  ED

  Well, you’re going to be drunk. Don’t worry. Go on now, Doc. Go on up to bed.

  He calls again to LOUISE, pushing PARCIVAL through the Exit He’s coming, Louise.

  VOICE FROM OUTSIDE

  Very wearily All right, Ed.

  ED Calling after

  PARCIVAL

  Go on now, Doc. Up you go.

  PARCIVAL’S feet are heard going wearily up a flight of stairs. At the card table the players are finishing another game. One by one they slap their cards down hard on the table

  FIRST CARD PLAYER

  There! Take that — a ten-spot.

  Heavy thump of a fist on the table

  SECOND CARD PLAYER

  There! A jack!

  Heavier thump of a fist on the table

  THIRD CARD PLAYER

  There! Ha! The queen! The queen wins.

  Still heavier thump of fist on the table, TOM WILLARD enters the room from the right front, accompanied by a stranger, TOM is quite a new man. He is dressed in a new, rather loud suit and has on a new hat and shiny new shoes. He is wearing a loud necktie and comes into the room with a strut. He holds a newspaper in his hand

  TOM

  Hello, Ed. Hello everybody.

  The card players stop their game and look at one another and then at TOM. Smiles pass back and forth. One of the farmhands speaks

  FIRST FARMHAND

  Why, hello, Mr. Willard. I hardly knew you.

  ED

  Hello, Tom.

  TOM

  To the room in general and with a flourish of his hand Gentlemen, meet Mr. Smart, from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

  MR. SMART, also quite a gaudily dressed man, bows right and left to all in room. The card players rise to their feet to bow, then sit again Gentlemen, Mr. Smart came here to Winesburg to see me. We’re figuring on putting new furniture in every room in the hotel. Boys, we’re going to make the new Willard House the smartest little hotel in the state. We’re going to put Winesburg on the map — that’s what we’re going to do.

  He turns to ED

  Ed, I’m thinking of putting in a bar — a fine one, up-to-date, new furniture and everything first class. Ed, how would you like to move over there and run her for me?

  ED

  Thanks, Tom. I think I’ll stick where I am.

  TOM

  All right, all right, Ed. Just as you say.

  He crosses and speaks to SMART Mr. Smart, I always say if a man don’t want to take a proposition you offer him, don’t insist.

  He addresses all in the room and at this moment PARCIVAL comes slowly on from the left rear, back of the card players. He is in his stocking feet and is carrying his shoes in his hand Boys — all of you — have a drink on me.

  All the players jump up and with one motion throw their cards on the table

  ED

  Now boys, sit still. Keep your shirts on, I’ll bring it.

  TOM

  What’ll you have, boys? Set ’em up, Ed. Give ’em anything they want.

  There’s an outbreak of voices Whisky, for mine, Ed.

  Mine, too.

  Mine, too.

  Mine, too.

  MR. SMART

  No, I thank you. Nothing for me, sir.

  ED He has gone out left rear and immediately returns with a tray of glasses and whisky bottle. There is also a cigar box on the tray. All the players crowd around him Sit down, boys, sit down. Santa Claus won’t run away.

  He pours out the drinks, serving TOM first then serving the others. While this is going on, PARCIVAL has put his shoes on the floor and when the others crowd around ED, he also crowds up trying to get his hand on a drink. While ED is taking the glasses to the others he gets his hand on the bottle but ED immediately sees him and comes and takes it away from him. He stands for a moment looking at PARCIVAL and then turns to SMART

  Stranger, have a cigar. Here’s a good one, a ten-center.

  He thrusts the box of cigars at SMART, who takes one. He turns to TOM.

  May I have one on you myself, Tom?

  TOM

  Sure, Ed.

  ED Putting the cigar in his pocket I’ll smoke this later.

  While this is going on PARCIVAL has eased himself into a chair by the table. He keeps his eyes on the bottle which ED has again put on the tray, TOM walks over to the card players and throws the newspaper on the table

  TOM

  Boys, I’ve got something here. I’ve got a Cleveland newspaper. Have you seen it? It’s yesterday’s paper. It’s got something, by George, in it again.

  He throws his head back proudly A smart boy, I’ll tell you, a smart boy.

  ED

  Louise was telling me. She’s read some of George’s pieces. Louise does all the reading in our family. I ain’t got time. She says George has turned out to be a smart one all right.

  He turns away from TOM and speaks out of the side of his mouth I guess that’s his mother in him.

  TOM

  Ignoring ED’S last remark Smart, I’ll say he’s smart.

  Again he throws his head up proudly And now, by God, he’s made good. He gets his name in the paper, signs his stories. Lately he’s been making up stories about people. They’re good ones, too.

  ED

  Yes, I hear he is. I heard talk about it. Say, Tom, you tell that boy of yours I don’t want him making up any stories about me.

  PARCIVAL gets slowly out of his chair and starts to reach for the bottle on the tray, but pitches forward and falls to the floor. The card players run and pick him up. He stares about the room and shades his head

  PARCIVAL

  Salt. He put salt in his beer. Salt is the white death. Now here’s Tom Willard putting salt in his beer too.

  ED crosses over and takes PARCIVAL’S arm

 
ED

  Doc, I thought I sent you to bed. You didn’t go to bed, eh? Well, by God, you’re going now. I’m going to put you in bed myself.

  He starts to lead the protesting PARCIVAL toward the exit left rear, PARCIVAL pleading

  PARCIVAL

  No, Ed, don’t. Not yet. I tell you I’m not drunk enough for sleep, for dreams. Not yet, Ed. Ed, I tried to go to sleep but I got to thinking. I thought I’d have me just one more little drink.

  ED

  No, Doc. Come on now. I said you were going to bed and you’re going. I’m going to put you in bed this time myself.

  He leads the protesting PARCIVAL off and there is now the heavy sound of two men going upstairs, PARCIVAL still pleading PARCIVAL From outside No, Ed. No. Please. Please, Ed.

  TOM

  Now there, that’s what I always say. Drink gets some and it don’t get others. It don’t get me. I’m a man who can take it or let it alone.

  He crosses over to the stand with SMART and the card players return to their game. He addresses

  SMART

  Mr. Smart, you should have seen that old hotel when I first took hold of it. Why, I used to do everything in the hotel.

  TOM and SMART sit at one of the tables and the farmhands watch the card players Mr. Smart, I even did the chambermaid’s work over there in the hotel. With my own hands — with these hands. Why, I used to cut little pictures out of magazines and put them up on the walls of the rooms. I wanted to make it a homelike place.

  MR. SMART

  That’s fine. I tell you, there’s nothing like making a hotel homelike. That’s what my house does with its furniture. You put it in a room and it makes it homelike.

  TOM

  What I say is that a hotel room is kinda like a woman. You like to dress it up, fix it up. You like to make it beautiful.

  A CARD PLAYER

  Well, Tom, you’ve got you a woman now. I’ll say you’ve got you a woman.

  The men about the card table smile at each other and TOM turns and stares at the speaker, ED returns to the room

  A CARD PLAYER

  Well, did you put him away this time, Ed?

  ED

  Put him away — I’ll say I did. I put Louise on the job. She’s putting him right into the bed herself. By gad, boys, when Louise and I put a man to bed in our house, he’s put. The old fellow’s in bed to stay now.

  MR. SMART He arises Gentlemen, how about all of you having a drink on me?

  Again all the card players jump up, but ED motions them to sit