STORY AND PLAY

READERS

STORY AND PLAY
READERS

SCENES ARRANGED FROM "THE
SECRET GARDEN" *

CHORUS. Little Mary Lenox, a disagreeable spoiled sickly child, had lived her ten years of life in the care of servants in India, where her father held a position under the English government. In the epidemic of cholera that swept through that part of the world, her parents died, and Mary was sent to an uncle, a morbid hunchback, who lived in a great roomy house with many locked rooms, amidst the Scotch moors.

Here she meets Mrs. Medlock, the housekeeper; Martha, the maid; Ben Weatherstaff, the gardener; and his friend, the Robin. She hears of a "Secret Garden."

FIRST SCENE

[MARY'S bedroom, the first morning in her uncle's
home. MARTHA is making the fire.]

MARY. [Sitting up in bed.] What is that? [Pointing out of the window at the moor.]

MARTHA. [Smiling goodnaturedly.] That's the moor. Does tha' like it?

Permission given

*From "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. by Mrs. Burnett and by Frederick A. Stokes Company, Publishers. 3

MARY. No, I hate it.

MARTHA. That 's because tha 'rt not used to it. Tha' thinks it's too big and bare now. But tha' will like it.

MARY. Do you?

MARTHA. Aye, that I do. I just love it. It's none bare. It's covered with growing things as smells sweet. It's fair lovely in spring and summer when the gorse and broom and heather 's in flower. It smells o' honey and there 's such a lot of fresh air-and the sky looks so high and the bees and skylarks make such a nice noise humming and singing. Eh! I wouldn't live away from the moor for anything.

MARY. [With puzzled look on her face.] You are a strange servant.

MARTHA. [Laughing heartily.] Eh! I know that. If there was a grand Missus at Misselthwaite I should never have been one of the under housemaids. I might have been let to be scullery-maid but I'd never have been let upstairs. I'm too common and I talk too much Yorkshire. But this is a funny house for all it's so grand. Seems like there's neither Master nor Mistress except Mr. Pitcher and Mrs. Medlock, the head servants. Mr. Craven, he won't be troubled about anything when he's here, and he 's nearly always away. Mrs. Medlock gave me the place out of kindness. She told me she could never have done it if Misselthwaite had been like other big houses.

MARY. [Haughtily.] Are you going to be my servant? MARTHA. I'm Mrs. Medlock's servant. And she's Mr. Craven's-but I'm to do the housemaid's work up here and wait on you a bit. But you won't need much waiting on.