The deeds of men I love to dwell upon,
And the sympathetic glow of my spirit must bestow
On the memory of Mitchell that is gone, boys, gone—
The memory of Mitchell that is gone!"
Mother: Thoughts crowding on one another,
mixing themselves up with one another for the
want of sifting and settling! They'll have me
distracted and I not able to speak them out to
some person! Conan as surly as a bramble bush,
and Celia wrapped up in her bucket and her broom!
And yourself not able to hear one word I say. (Sobs,
and bellows falls from her hands.)
Timothy: I'll lay it down now out of your way,
ma'am, the way you can cry your fill whatever
ails you.
Mother: (Snatching it back.) Stop! I'll not
part with it! I know now what I can do! Now!
(Points it at him.) I'll make a companion to be
listening to me through the long winter nights and
the long summer days, and the world to be without
any end at all, no more than the round of the
full moon! You that have no hearing, this will
bring back your hearing, the way you'll be a
listener and a benefit to myself for ever. I
wouldn't feel the weeks long that time!
(Blows. Timothy turns away and gropes
toward wall.)
(She sings: Air, "Eileen Aroon.")
"What if the days go wrong,