Page:Poet Lore, volume 27, 1916.djvu/388
thousand and one dreams woven by the spinners of fiction born out of a mind which knows no evil and a heart that is overflowing with love of one’s neighbor. Today the lyres are mute, the jester’s bells ring out of tune and the shriek of a bullet roars with derision at a mother’s lullaby. To the few to whom it was not given to conceive hate in order to justify murder, who insist on withholding judgment, this is a soul-trying epoch indeed. It seems at times futile to build, to weave, and create what in a moment of fury, an insensible mob will destroy. But the passion for the betterment of the world is a part of our existence and on board of a torpedoed ship, we dream and plan the great dream world to-be and the equality, love and citizenship of all who shall inhabit it.
Characters Of the Play
| Ebner, lieutenant of the 21st regiment of Baron Reichach. | ||
| Vonka, soldier of the same regiment. | ||
| Vichodil, soldier of the 5th Jägers. | ||
| Havlin, soldier of the 4th of Count Grenville. | ||
| Kovar, soldier of the battery of Brigadier Frangner. | ||
| Spravil, Uhlan of the 3rd of Archduke Charles. | ||
| Kloc, soldier of the 4th of Baron Degenfeld. | ||
| Levinsky, soldier of the 77th of Archduke Charles Ludwig. | ||
| Soukup, soldier of the 24th Jägers. | ||
| Svacha | University students, volunteers of 31st Jägers. | |
| Suk, | ||
| Anna Petrova, woman of the village, wife of the signal man of the railroad. | ||
| A Soldier. | ||
A country church-yard. In its depth is a weed covered wall, about a man’s height. It winds to the right toward the spectator then there is a gate. From the gate a short path in the grass to the door of a little church which is on the left of the scene. The graves are ill-kept but covered with wild blossoming flowers. Near this wall bushes of gooseberry and wild currant are nestling. It is spring-time, June. Before the curtain rises, shots are heard. There is noise, alarm and confusion.
The curtain rises. There was a light shower in the early part of the afternoon, the grass is wet. Near the gate the body of a dead soldier lies huddled. To the right the sky is red with the glow of the