Dark Of the Moon Lines

Barbara Allen

I'm glad you like hit Marvin Hudgens. Hit were a gift from a friend I know.

You shore is purty tonight Miss Barbara. You shore is purty in that dress.

I might could be

You aint no clothes off that Rome Agar?

But Rome Agar is a friend if mine. 'Sides, I didn't say it were him did I?

Don't you be lettin that man mess with you.

But that's a sad song. I allus like the gay ones best.

Sing us your song, the one about Barbara and the witch boy

Well, hit dont me. Any gal what can't take care a herself has hit comin' to her I say.

Hit allus makes me want to cry

But I kin take care a myself, Edna Summey. I kin take care a myself right fine.

I reckon you have, Barbara Allen.

I'll get married when I got a mind to. I kin name me the man, the time, and the place. You kin come to the weddin'.

She better git married quick

I reckon hit might could be, Edna Summey.

I reckon I ain't got that long fer to live. You kin pleasure yerself every night if you want to, pleasure yerself on a sweet potato bank, but that ain't no sign that the man's fer to marry you.

Is that so? Well, I guess I kin. Come on, Uncle Smelicue. I'll sing.

She can't sing nohow, can't sing fer sour apples.

Nothin'.

What's the matter, Barbara Allen?

I don't wanta.

Go on, sing it, Barbara

I ferget it. I can't remember the endin'. Lets dance.

Hit bad luck not to finish a song.

Yes, lets begin.

Yes, let's start the dancin', everybody.

He kin take care a hisself, I reckon.

But I feel right sorry for the stranger.

Why is all the others goin'?

Come on, Maw. Let's git into the store. Edna, hurry up.

But hit ain't a-rainin'-not on us. I ain't even wet a bit.

I reckon they think hit a-rainin'.

I reckon I don't even know yore name.

That cause you and me was dancin'

I remember. And thar ain't no moon tonight.

But we met afore, Barbara Allen. The night the win came up and the moon went dark. Remember?

John what?

My name John.

John all right. Jes like the ballad.

Jes' John

Hit jes a song. Song I was singin

I reckon I dont know that.

Hit a sad song. I like the gay ones best.

But you stopped

Then we'll make hit a gay one, and sing our own endin

hit don't have to be sad. You never know the endin' till hit sing plumb through.

I reckon. Let's dance

I reckon you crazy Barbara Allen.

I'm skeerd! I'm skeerd a lightin'!

We'll dance faster than the lightnin faster than the storm a blowin

What you doin' here

Whar have you been Barbara?

You'll be takin' quite a chanst if you marry me.

What you say, gal? Will you have him?

What the matter, Paw? Don't you want fer me to marry?

No more chanst than you be takin', gal, is what i'm thinkin'.

Why, thar's lots a fellers, Paw, that's wantin' me to marry.

I reckon, since hit seem like the only chanst you'll git.

My answer is yes, cause I couldn't tell you no.

Will you, Barbara Allen? I'm a-waitin' fer yer answer.

I reckon, Maw.

Well, perhaps he were wrong. I reckon you two got things you want to talk about.

Yes?

Barbara!

The Conjur Woman? You been talkin' to her?

I don't care what the Conjur Woman say, you the purtiest gal in all the world.

What you messin' 'round with her fer?

I reckon.

Thar ain't nothin' she can do fer you, nothin' that ain't bad. You gotta stay clear a them conjur folds if you and me is married. The blood the Jesus Lamb give us all the power we need.

I- I had to ast her to do somethin' fer me.

Ain't you a Christian?

No Jesus blood gonna hep me out.

I ain't never knowed no one who weren't a Christian afore.

I reckon not

I didn't say that, did I? Thar time enough later fer you to git salvation, Jes' so you love me, that all I ast.

You mean you won't marry me lest I'm washed in the blood?

What the matter, John boy? You look like you been seein' witches in the night.

I done made up my mind, and thar ain't no turning back.

I love you, John boy. You kin kiss me if you'd like.

I was thinkin' a some friends- some friends I used to know. They're fur away now.

I reckon.

Good evenin', Barbara Allen. Kin I talk to you a minute.

What Paw been a-tellin' you?

I been thinkin' over what yer paw say to-day, and I figgured as how I made up my mind too quick.

Well, hit ain't none of paw's affair.

He 'lowed as how you and me aught to get married. Now, I ain't never been averse to the adeer, but I like to do my own courtin' in my own way in my own time.

You shore manage him proper, John. I'm mighty proud to marry you.

That's how things is standin'.

Hit a right stout man I'm a-marryin. I reckon he the strongest man in all the valley.

You can try hit, if you wanta. Any time, I'll be a-waitin'.

Hin a real man I'm a-marryin'.

Who'd a think it!

Well, the longer you live, the more you know.

I ain't never seen no man who could do anything like that.

Why, they is willin'. They be right glad to get me married any time.

Have you told yer folks about hit?

I got the money, John. Right here in my pocket. Here one, two, two dollar and fifty cent.

I ain't got no two dollar and a half. That one thing I didn't figure.

One thing at a time. Let's git on with the weddin'. My name Barbara Allen and i'm nineteen next month.

Amen, praise be the holy name, hallelujah, etc.

You better do like he say. He a mighty stout man.

I wants to git married, so git started, preacher.

That right Preacher Haggler. You better do like John say. He a powerful man, and he ain't amin' to be crossed.

I ain't meanin' to interrupt no important conversations, but we in a hurry to git married.

I do.

Barbara, do you take this man to be yer lawful wedded husband, in sickness or in health, fer richer or fer poorer, fer better of fer worse, to love, honor, and obey, till death do you part?

Hit shore a purty ring. John. Hit sure a purty ring.

Whom Gawd hath jined together let no man put asunder. And now, kiss the bride.

John! Whar are you, John! Whar are you, John!

BEGINNING OF ACT 2

You didn't git much wood chopped, did you?

I'm over here, Barbara.

Last till spring! Lord Gawd boy! You gone outa yer senses? That ain't enough to last us one day.

I reckon not. But I guess hit enough to last till spring.

I reckon hit do. Git real cold in the mounting in the winter. Take a heap o' wood to see us through.

I reckon hit take more'n I figgered.

I brought you some lunch. Cawn bread and hawg back.

I git to hit agin after awhile. Gotta rest sometime.

That ain't nothin'. Wife allus gits vittles fer her husband.

Thank you, Barbara. Reckon's how I couldn't git on without you.

And you the finest man. And hit don't differ what the others say.

But ain't all the wives as purty as you. You the purtiest gal in the whole valley.

Hit jes' cause they jealous. That what make 'em say things.

What others? What they sayin', Barbara?

Hit don't differ, really hit don't. I don't pay 'em no never mind.

What things?

Folks in church last Sunday. They was talkin' 'bout you.

But who talkin' Barbara? Who sayin' things?

They say thar somethin' wrong, and that you ain't like no other person.

What they say?

But they sayin' you more different than most. 'Course that true and I ain't complainin', but several say somethin' real bad again you.

Everybody different, I reckon.

You won't git mad if I tell you?

What real bad thing do they say?

They 'lowed you a witch.

I won't git mad.

Uncle Smelicue, and Miss Metcalf, and thar were some others.

Who say that.

I know hit John boy. I tell 'em. But hit bad fer 'em to think so.

They liars! I ain't no witch!

But I don't want 'em to think things that ain't true.

Hit don't differ what they think.

Then why not prove hit to 'em. Hit so easy if you wants. It's so easy if you willin'.

I'm a man like anybody. Conjur Woman tole me so.

But if you jes' do it wunst, John. Jes' do hit wunst and git fire from the lord. Git washed in the blood and saved by the grace, and they know fer shore you ain't no witch.

I tole you wonst, and I'll say hit again. I can't never set foot in no house a Gawd.

Not even fer me? Not even if I ast hit?

I can't do hit, Barbara. That one think I can't never do.

I'll never ast you agin John.

No, Barbara. Not even fer you.

I reckon. Hit don't differ what nobody else say. What nobody else think. I believe you, John. I believe what you tell me.

But you believe me, don't you? You believe me when I say I ain't no witch?

John ain't had much practice choppin'. He larn how when he has more time.

Seem like you need the hep a someone. That ain't hardly fittin' wood to burn.

I'm satisfied, Marvin Hudgens, and I aint' astin' no hep from you.

I reckon she did the best she could fer herself.

Most any day now, Miz Summey say.

Seems to me you'll need the hep a someone I'm a-thinkin'. How soon yer confinement come?

Don't fret yerself about us, Marvin Hudgens. We ain't complainin'. We git along.

And who cook fer you and do all the work while you loafin' in the field or a layin' in the hay?

I better be gittin' on back to the barn. I kin git a lot a cawn shucked afore milkin' time.

That right, Marvin. We git along.

John? Whar John?

John a witch, Miz Allen. Ain't no doubt about hit. He a witch shore enough, and he done spelled he own wife.

Whar John, Maw? I wants John?

See, you done woke her. Woke her with yer yellin'.

Whar my baby, Maw? They wouldn't give hit to me.

He be right off, honey. They gone to git him.

But I wants him, Maw. Where is he? Whar my baby?

Don't you worry 'bout that child.

Dead? My baby dead?

He dead.

But Maw, I were real careful. I did jes' like they tole me. I pulll on the sheet till the room go black with pain.

I'm sorry honey. The Lord he give, and the Lord he take away.

What you mean, Miz Summey? Maw, what Miz Summey mean?

She got to know sometime.

I wanta know now, Maw, if hit got to do with John.

I tell you sometime, honey, when you strong enough to bear it.

No, he ain't! I know folks is a-sayin so, but hit ain't true.

Well, she gotta know some time, if she don't already, so I reckon I'll tell her. Yore husband, he a witch.

No he ain't! He ain't no witch!

He are a witch, and this here prove hit.

He ain't no witch! He ain't no witch!

I coulda told you he were a witch, if you'd only jes' ast me.

This here my home, Paw. I ain't a-goin' to leave hit.

Well hit ain't too late fer to take her home.

No he ain't. He ain't no witch.

I kin tell you whar he be. He out ridin' with the eagles. He out diggin' in the graveyard.

No I ain't. He ain't no witch.

Preacher Haggler, what we gonna do? My gal she been witched, been married to a witch.

He ain't left me! He come back

She tuck herself a witch for a husband, and lord, he spelled her and he witched her, and she couldn't hep herself. But now he gone and left her.

John! I knowd you'd come back to me. I knowed hit.

What you all doin' here in my house?

They 'lowed it a witch.

What fer they burn my baby? What fer they do a thing like that?

I wish you'd been here to tell em so.

They a-lyin'. Hit were our baby. Hit wernt no witch.

Why you leave me, John?

I were outside. I were walkin' on the mounting.