A Man of the People Part 3

You're too sick to come out here, Ma----

NANCY

[_Smiling._]

I can walk--as well as you can,--see----

[_She sways slightly toward the settee._]

ABE

But the Doctor says you must keep warm----

NANCY

Well--I have on the warm stockings that Sarah knit for me and the c.o.o.n skin moccasins you made--don't you see, I'm better now----?

ABE

[_Joyfully._]

Look, Pa, she's better!

SARAH

Yes--she's better!

TOM

[_Alarmed._]

Don't try to walk--set down, honey!

NANCY

[_Sinking on bench._]

Yes--I will----

[_The boy comes closer, staring eagerly into his mother's face._]

NANCY

Come closer, my boy----

[ABE _kneels at her feet._]

TOM

I'm a feared of this, Nancy--you better let me git a hot rock and wrap it up for your feet.

NANCY

Yes, Tom--and bring me the Bible. I want Abe to read to me.

[TOM _goes into the cabin worried over her._]

ABE

Feel all right, Ma----?

NANCY

[_She nods and breathes deeply--her eyes alight._]

I wanted to see the sun rise through the trees! You remember the day you cut down your first tree to begin the clearing and the sunlight came through the hole you'd made to the sky----

ABE

Yes--I remember.

NANCY

You called me to come and see it----

ABE

[_In a whisper._]

Yes----

NANCY

I was proud that morning as I saw you stand with your ax on that big log--anything my boy starts to do--he does----

[_Pauses._]

Your father taught you to use the ax and----

[_Turns and looks at_ ABE.]

Your father's a good man, my son--kind-hearted and true and everybody likes him. They made him road supervisor of his towns.h.i.+p in Kentucky once. If he could read and write he would have gone to the legislature----

[TOM _enters from the cabin with the rock and Bible, he crosses to_ NANCY, _and_ ABE _takes the rock and puts it under her feet_--SARAH _kneels and helps him._ NANCY'S _hand drops on the bench._ TOM _picks up her hand, and the chill of it worries him._]

[ABE _and_ SARAH _rise._]

NANCY