Second Glimmer: Tradition
Old Woman, and several maidens
They are seated in an almost closed circle, each grinding grain between two flat stones. Above them hangs the light. They are dressed in Oriental costume, the bright colors of which serve as a background to the gray stones. They grind with a rhythmic movement, humming a monotonous tune. Gradually one of the maidens stops and gazes dreamily toward the light.
They are seated in an almost closed circle, each grinding grain between two flat stones. Above them hangs the light. They are dressed in Oriental costume, the bright colors of which serve as a background to the gray stones. They grind with a rhythmic movement, humming a monotonous tune. Gradually one of the maidens stops and gazes dreamily toward the light.
Old Woman.Get thee to thy work, maiden. Thinkst thou idle fingers and dreaming eyes will grind the corn?
Maiden(with hand on upper stone as if ready to resume work, but with eyes toward the light, which glows brighter as she speaks). I was but wondering if there be not some better way to grind the corn.
Old Woman.Better way to grind the corn, she says! She means easier way—an easier way for her own idle self! Shame upon thee, thou lazy maiden! Shame upon thee, thou presumptuous maiden! Thinkst thou that in thy foolish mind lies the wisdom of the earth? Had there been a better way, would not our fathers, the wise men of the land, have discovered that way and handed it down to us? Have not the women of our country from generation to generation ground their corn in this way? If this way were good enough for them, it is good enoughfor us! Thinkst thou that thou art better or wiser than they? I have no patience with thy dreams, born of thine own laziness! Get to work, maiden, and let me hear no more of thy better ways! Better ways, forsooth!
While theOld Womanspeaks, the light burns dimmer. The other maidens stop their work to listen, all showing their approval of her words, and their condemnation of her who dared to dream of better things. As theOld Womanfinishes, they resume their task and their monotonous tune.
While theOld Womanspeaks, the light burns dimmer. The other maidens stop their work to listen, all showing their approval of her words, and their condemnation of her who dared to dream of better things. As theOld Womanfinishes, they resume their task and their monotonous tune.
Curtain
EducationandAny Cityappear before the curtain.
Any City.Good for the Old Woman! I believe in sticking to old well-tried things. So many people believe that just because a thing is new, it is the only good thing in the world.
Education.But a greater number believe that just because a thing is old, it is sacredly all sufficient. If everybody had thought with you and the Old Woman, how would the world be fed to-day? Think you those primitive stone-grinders rival the great flour mills of the present day? How many hand-mills think you would be necessary to grind the wheat of our vast plains?
Any City.Of course, I don’t mean that I want things as they were long ago. But there are some people who are never satisfied. They are continually wanting things different.
Education.No, you don’t want things to remain as theywere. You want them to stay as theyare. That is all the Old Woman wanted in her time. She didn’t want to go back to the earliest days when the grain was ground only by the teeth of the consumer. Had everyone followed blindly the tradition of his own time, we should still be at the very beginning. Look you to the justly dissatisfied man for all that has made for progress in the world. Saw you not how my light brightened at the words of the maiden? Remember that, far as we have journeyed in the past, so far and perhaps still farther lies the way of the future along the Highway of Progress.Be not you bound too tightly by the bonds of old tradition.
AsEducationspeaks the last sentence, her light plays for a moment onAny City’spaper. With a guilty air he tries to conceal it, as he followsEducationbehind the curtain.
AsEducationspeaks the last sentence, her light plays for a moment onAny City’spaper. With a guilty air he tries to conceal it, as he followsEducationbehind the curtain.