One night I had a dream almost as distinct as a vision, of a cottage where there was well-being and firelight and talk of a marriage, and into the midst of that cottage there came an old woman in a long cloak. She was Ireland herself, that Cathleen ni Hoolihan for whom so many songs have been sung and about whom so many stories have been told and for whose sake so many have gone to their death. I thought if I could write this out as a little play I could make others see my dream as I had seen it, but I could not get down out of that high window of dramatic verse, and in spite of all you had done for me I had not the country speech. One has to live among the people, like you, of whom an old man said in my hearing, "She has been a serving-maid among us," before one can think the thoughts of the people and speak with their tongue. We turned my dream into the little play, "Cathleen ni Hoolihan," and when we gave it to the little theatre in Dublin and found that the working people liked it, you helped me to put my other dramatic fables into speech. Some of these have already been acted, but some may not be acted for a long time, but all seem to me, though they were but a part of a summer's work, to have more of that countenance of country life than anything I have done since I was a boy.
Paul Ruttledge, a Country Gentleman. Thomas Ruttledge, his Brother. Mrs. Thomas Ruttledge. Mr. Dowler, } Mr. Algie, } Magistrates. Colonel Lawley, } Mr. Joyce, } Mr. Green, a Stipendiary Magistrate. Sabina Silver, } Molly the Scold, } Charlie Ward, } Tinkers. Paddy Cockfight, } Tommy the Song, } Johneen, etc. } Father Jerome, } Father Aloysius, } Friars. Father Colman, } Father Bartley, } Other Friars, and a crowd of countrymen.
Scene: _A lawn with croquet hoops, garden chairs and tables. Door into house at left. Gate through hedge at back. The hedge is clipped into shapes of farmyard fowl._ PAUL RUTTLEDGE _is clipping at the hedge in front. A table with toys on it._
_Thomas Ruttledge._ [_Coming out on steps._] Paul, are you coming in to lunch?
_Paul Ruttledge._ No; you can entertain these people very well. They are your friends: you understand them.
_Thomas Ruttledge._ You might as well come in. You have been clipping at that old hedge long enough.