The Well of the Saints

found a right mind at the last minute itself, I’ll cure him, if the Lord will, and not be thinking of the hard, foolish words he’s after saying this day to us all. Martin Doul Listening eagerly. I’m waiting now, holy father. Saint With can in his hand, close to Martin Doul. With the power of the water from the grave of the four beauties of God, with the power of this water, I’m saying, that I put upon your eyes⁠—. He raises can. Martin Doul With a sudden movement strikes the can from the Saint’s hand and sends it rocketing across stage. He stands up; People murmur loudly. If I’m a poor dark sinner I’ve sharp ears, God help me, and it’s well I heard the little splash of the water you had there in the can. Go on now, holy father, for if you’re a fine Saint itself, it’s more sense is in a blind man, and more power maybe than you’re thinking at all. Let you walk on now with your worn feet, and your welted knees, and your fasting, holy ways have left you with a big head on you and a thin pitiful arm. The Saint looks at him for a moment severely, then turns away and picks up his can. He pulls Mary Doul up. For if it’s a right some of you have to be working and sweating the like of Timmy the smith, and a right some of you have to be fasting and praying and talking holy talk the like of yourself, I’m thinking it’s a good right ourselves have to be sitting blind, hearing a soft wind turning round the little leaves of the spring and feeling the sun, and we not tormenting our souls with the sight of the gray days, and the holy men, and the dirty feet is trampling the world. He gropes towards his stone with Mary Doul. Mat Simon It’d be an unlucky fearful thing, I’m thinking, to have the like of that man living near us at all in the townland of Grianan. Wouldn’t he bring down a curse upon us, holy father, from the heavens of God? Saint Tying his girdle. God has great mercy, but great wrath for them that sin. The People Go on now, Martin Doul. Go on from this place. Let you not be bringing great storms or droughts on us maybe from the power of the Lord. Some of them throw things at him. Martin Doul Turning round defiantly and picking up a stone. Keep off now, the yelping lot of you, or it’s more than one maybe will get a bloody head on him with the pitch of my stone. Keep off now, and let you not be afeard; for we’re going on the two of us to the towns of the south, where the people will have kind voices maybe, and we won’t know their bad looks or their villainy at all. He takes Mary Doul’s hand again. Come along now and we’ll be walking to the south, for we’ve seen too much of everyone in this place, and it’s small joy we’d have living near them, or hearing the lies they do be telling from the gray of dawn till the night. Mary Doul Despondingly. That’s the truth, surely; and we’d have a right to be gone, if it’s a long way itself, as I’ve heard them say, where you do have to be walking with a slough of wet on the one side and a slough of wet on the other, and you going a stony path with a north wind blowing behind. They go out. Timmy There’s a power of deep rivers with floods in them where you do have to be lepping the stones and you going to the south, so I’m thinking the two of them will be drowned together in a short while, surely. Saint They have chosen their lot, and the Lord have mercy on their souls. He rings his bell. And let the two of you come up now into the church, Molly Byrne and Timmy the smith, till I make your marriage and put my blessing on you all. He turns to the church; procession forms, and the curtain comes down, as they go slowly into the church.

Colophon

The Well of the Saints
was published in 1905 by
J. M. Synge.

This ebook was produced for
Standard Ebooks
by
Christopher Hapka,
and is based on a transcription produced in 1998 by
Judith Boss and David Widger
for
Project Gutenberg
and on digital scans from the
HathiTrust Digital Library.

The cover page is adapted from
Man Holding a Staff,
a painting completed circa 1800 by
Thomas Barker.
The cover and title pages feature the
League Spartan and Sorts Mill Goudy
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