Saturday afternoon and the villagers are gathered around the store.
Several men sitting on boxes at edge of porch chewing sugar cane,
spitting tobacco juice, arguing, some whittling, others eating
peanuts. During the act the women all dressed up in starched dresses
parade in and out of store. People buying groceries, kids playing in
the street, etc. General noise of conversation, laughter and children
shouting. But when the curtain rises there is momentary lull for
cane-chewing. At left of porch four men are playing cards on a soap
box, and seated on the edge of the porch at extreme right two children
are engaged in a checker game, with the board on the floor between
them.
When the curtain goes up the following characters are discovered on
the porch: MAYOR JOE CLARK, the storekeeper; DEACON HAMBO; DEACON
GOODWIN; Old Man MATT BRAZZLE; WILL CODY; SYKES JONES; LUM BOGER, the
young town marshall; LIGE MOSELY and WALTER THOMAS, two village wags;
TOM NIXON and SAM MOSELY, and several others, seated on boxes, kegs,
benches and floor of the porch. TONY TAYLOR is sitting on steps of
porch with empty basket. MRS. TAYLOR comes out with her arms full of
groceries, empties them into basket and goes back in store. All the
men are chewing sugar cane earnestly with varying facial expressions.
The noise of the breaking and sucking of cane can be clearly heard in
the silence. Occasionally the laughter and shouting of children is
heard nearby off stage.
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