AN OLD WOMAN

SCENE I

Boston Common on a Summer afternoon, 1720.

The Common is an open grassy space, wide to the sun and sky. There are
trees right, left, and background. Their shadows fall like a wavering
tracery across the grass.

At the beginning of the scene this grassy space is deserted. It is the
far end of the Common, a place not much frequented by loiterers. The
first person to cross it is young Benjamin Franklin, who comes slowly
in from right. He wears knee-breeches, a loose white shirt, silver
buckles on his square-toed shoes, and a three-cornered hat on his head.
He is reading from a book which he holds in his right hand, while on
his left arm hangs a basket of tallow candles. Slung across his left
shoulder is a kite, its string trailing.

He walks slowly, pausing every now and then to turn a page. The old
woman enters from right, and comes quickly towards Franklin. She is
wonderfully keen-eyed and light of foot, and is clad in a green quilted
petticoat, with a green bodice, a touch of white at neck, and a green
double cape. A white cap is perched on her snow-white head. She also
carries a small market-basket, and a gold-headed cane. Her stockings
are scarlet, her low black shoes have gold buckles. She is, withal,
arrestingly picturesque, and there hangs about her a slight air of
mystery, that is well in accordance with her profession, which is that
of soothsayer.