Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Eldest Son
    The Eldest Son
    The Eldest Son
    Ebook118 pages1 hour

    The Eldest Son

    By John Galsworthy

    ()

    Read preview
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateFeb 1, 2008
    The Eldest Son
    Author

    John Galsworthy

    John Galsworthy was a Nobel-Prize (1932) winning English dramatist, novelist, and poet born to an upper-middle class family in Surrey, England. He attended Harrow and trained as a barrister at New College, Oxford. Although called to the bar in 1890, rather than practise law, Galsworthy travelled extensively and began to write. It was as a playwright Galsworthy had his first success. His plays—like his most famous work, the series of novels comprising The Forsyte Saga—dealt primarily with class and the social issues of the day, and he was especially harsh on the class from which he himself came.

    Read more from John Galsworthy

    Related to The Eldest Son

    Related ebooks

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Tessa Castro

      Feb 9, 2022

      IN COMPETITION No 276, you were invited to write a poem called The Carpet. Dan Rubinstein told of a rock band’s drummer stopping on a tour to buy some carpet to stop his bass drum wandering. Dorothy Pope’s poem was about being ‘coventrated’, carpet-b

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Parting Shot

      May 8, 2020

      The Parting Shot
      5 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Nov 27, 2019

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      Lady with A LUTE

      Aug 3, 2022

      Lady with A LUTE
      9 min read

    • Article

      High Ground

      Apr 23, 2020

      High Ground
      4 min read

    • Article

      When the HEART MELTS

      Feb 23, 2022

      When the HEART MELTS
      8 min read

    • Article

      Search PARTY

      Jan 13, 2021

      You find me hunched over the ironing board in the kitchen and thinking dark thoughts about Mrs Bertha Berman. Tell me honestly, is there any more soul-destroying occupation known to womankind than the ironing and attempted folding of fitted bed shee

      3 min read

    • Article

      Lady with A LUTE

      Aug 10, 2022

      Lady with A LUTE
      9 min read

    • Article

      Housewarming

      Dec 1, 2022

      DENNIS MCFARLAND’S most recent novel is Nostalgia. His stories have appeared in The New Yorker, Best American Short Stories, and the Scholar, among other places. When Kevin arrived at the top floor and stepped into a long dark hallway, he couldn’t re

      21 min read

    • Article

      Reginald’s Party

      Jul 10, 2022

      For the fourth time that evening, Reginald smoothed his moustache in the mirror. It was perfect. Was it? Just a touch here… Now it was perfect. Soon his guests would arrive—only a few this evening, a small coterie from the Mayfair Club, on whom he co

      27 min read

    • Article

      DIY Oh Why

      Aug 30, 2021

      DIY Oh Why
      2 min read

    • Article

      A Lost Prayer

      Feb 2, 2023

      A Lost Prayer
      10 min read

    • Article

      Nicky Haslam

      Jun 3, 2019

      Nicky Haslam
      1 min read

    • Article

      “Phallus in Wonderland” 1 : Role Plays with Joyce Wieland

      Jun 4, 2018

      After gently pouring tea into each of our cups, Phyllis Lambert pushes a plate of delicate accompaniments arranged for our meeting in my direction. A shortbread cookie seems mess-free, so I take a few bites even though it is fairly small in size. I d

      18 min read

    • Article

      A Picture Of Dear Raymond

      Aug 24, 2022

      One of the great joys of Raymond Briggs’s column in The Oldie was that we got two geniuses for the price of one. As well as receiving his charming sideways look at life in the column, we got one of his peerless drawings every month. A compilation was

      3 min read

    • Article

      AUNT MAUD’S SECRET Part 1

      Sep 1, 2021

      “WHAT! SERIOUSLY?” “Settle down, Martin,” said Ms. Phelps as she poured herself a second mug of coffee that morning. She sat down at the kitchen table, gently blowing on the steam. “Aunt Maud is so excited about her visit and really looking forward

      6 min read

    • Article

      Plenty Of Room At This Inn

      Dec 13, 2023

      Plenty Of Room At This Inn
      4 min read

    • Article

      His Lordship’s LAST GAME

      Jan 24, 2024

      His Lordship’s LAST GAME
      9 min read

    • Article

      Wicked AUNTIE

      Apr 27, 2022

      Wicked AUNTIE
      2 min read

    • Article

      The William Trevor Reader: “The Table”

      Oct 26, 2021

      This is a weird one. I’m not sure I understand this story. The post The William Trevor Reader: “The Table” appeared first on The Millions.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Someone To Watch OVER ME

      May 25, 2022

      Someone To Watch OVER ME
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Sack of Silence

      Sep 8, 2020

      “WAIT TILL I TURNT HIS OFF. NOW.” “That noise. Whatever is it?” “The Hoover was running.” “How’s that?” “I said, I was running the vacuum.” “Not that. Outside. Listen.” Rosie leaned over the banister. “Oh, it’s the bee, dear.” “Bee nothing. A thousan

      7 min read

    • Article

      Book Club

      Nov 9, 2023

      Book Club
      5 min read

    • Article

      How Prisoners Brought 'Death of a Salesman' to Life

      Dec 14, 2018

      I went to a play the other night. Selected scenes from “Death of a Salesman,” in a men’s prison, with an all-male cast. It was terrible and hilarious, and beautiful. There were no costumes, save for a towel tucked into one guy’s shorts to simulate a

      4 min read

    • Article

      ‘The End of the Day’: Featured Fiction from Bill Clegg

      Sep 30, 2020

      An excerpt from a novel Kirkus called "A moody, atmospheric domestic drama with a mystery novel somewhere in its family tree." The post ‘The End of the Day’: Featured Fiction from Bill Clegg appeared first on The Millions.

      12 min read

    • Article

      The plot THICKENS

      Aug 3, 2022

      The plot THICKENS
      8 min read

    • Article

      The Governess

      Dec 27, 2020

      The Governess
      10 min read

    Reviews for The Eldest Son

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      The Eldest Son - John Galsworthy

      Project Gutenberg's The Eldest Son (Second Series Plays), by John Galsworthy

      This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

      almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or

      re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

      with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

      Title: The Eldest Son (Second Series Plays)

      Author: John Galsworthy

      Release Date: September 26, 2004 [EBook #2909]

      Last Updated: October 28, 2012

      Language: English

      Character set encoding: ASCII

      *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ELDEST SON ***

      Produced by David Widger

      GALSWORTHY'S PLAYS

      Links to All Volumes

      GALSWORTHY PLAYS

      SECOND SERIES—NO. 1

      THE ELDEST SON

      By John Galsworthy

      PERSONS OF THE PLAY

         SIR WILLIAM CHESHIRE, a baronet

         LADY CHESHIRE, his wife

         BILL, their eldest son

         HAROLD, their second son

         RONALD KEITH(in the Lancers), their son-in-law

         CHRISTINE (his wife), their eldest daughter

         DOT, their second daughter

         JOAN, their third daughter

         MABEL LANFARNE, their guest

         THE REVEREND JOHN LATTER, engaged to Joan

         OLD STUDDENHAM, the head-keeper

         FREDA STUDDENHAM, the lady's-maid

         YOUNG DUNNING, the under-keeper

         ROSE TAYLOR, a village girl

         JACKSON, the butler

         CHARLES, a footman

         TIME: The present.  The action passes on December 7 and 8 at the

         Cheshires' country house, in one of the shires.

         ACT I SCENE I. The hall; before dinner.

               SCENE II. The hall; after dinner.

         ACT II. Lady Cheshire's morning room; after breakfast.

         ACT III. The smoking-room; tea-time.

                   A night elapses between Acts I. and II.

      ACT I

      SCENE I

      The scene is a well-lighted, and large, oak-panelled hall, with an air of being lived in, and a broad, oak staircase. The dining-room, drawing-room, billiard-room, all open into it; and under the staircase a door leads to the servants' quarters. In a huge fireplace a log fire is burning. There are tiger-skins on the floor, horns on the walls; and a writing-table against the wall opposite the fireplace. FREDA STUDDENHAM, a pretty, pale girl with dark eyes, in the black dress of a lady's-maid, is standing at the foot of the staircase with a bunch of white roses in one hand, and a bunch of yellow roses in the other. A door closes above, and SIR WILLIAM CHESHIRE, in evening dress, comes downstairs. He is perhaps fifty-eight, of strong build, rather bull-necked, with grey eyes, and a well-coloured face, whose choleric autocracy is veiled by a thin urbanity. He speaks before he reaches the bottom.

      SIR WILLIAM. Well, Freda! Nice roses. Who are they for?

      FREDA. My lady told me to give the yellow to Mrs. Keith, Sir William, and the white to Miss Lanfarne, for their first evening.

      SIR WILLIAM. Capital. [Passing on towards the drawing-room] Your father coming up to-night?

      FREDA. Yes.

      SIR WILLIAM. Be good enough to tell him I specially want to see him here after dinner, will you?

      FREDA. Yes, Sir William.

      SIR WILLIAM. By the way, just ask him to bring the game-book in, if he's got it.

      He goes out into the drawing-room; and FREDA stands restlessly tapping her foot against the bottom stair. With a flutter of skirts CHRISTINE KEITH comes rapidly down. She is a nice-looking, fresh-coloured young woman in a low-necked dress.

      CHRISTINE. Hullo, Freda! How are YOU?

      FREDA. Quite well, thank you, Miss Christine—Mrs. Keith, I mean. My lady told me to give you these.

      CHRISTINE. [Taking the roses] Oh! Thanks! How sweet of mother!

      FREDA. [In a quick, toneless voice] The others are for Miss Lanfarne. My lady thought white would suit her better.

      CHRISTINE. They suit you in that black dress.

      [FREDA lowers the roses quickly.]

      What do you think of Joan's engagement?

      FREDA. It's very nice for her.

      CHRISTINE. I say, Freda, have they been going hard at rehearsals?

      FREDA. Every day. Miss Dot gets very cross, stage-managing.

      CHRISTINE. I do hate learning a part. Thanks awfully for unpacking. Any news?

      FREDA. [In the same quick, dull voice] The under-keeper, Dunning, won't marry Rose Taylor, after all.

      CHRISTINE. What a shame! But I say that's serious. I thought there was—she was—I mean——

      FREDA. He's taken up with another girl, they say.

      CHRISTINE. Too bad! [Pinning the roses] D'you know if Mr. Bill's come?

      FREDA. [With a swift upward look] Yes, by the six-forty.

      RONALD KEITH comes slowly down, a weathered firm-lipped man, in evening dress, with eyelids half drawn over his keen eyes, and the air of a horseman.

      KEITH. Hallo! Roses in December. I say, Freda, your father missed a wigging this morning when they drew blank at Warnham's spinney. Where's that litter of little foxes?

      FREDA. [Smiling faintly] I expect father knows, Captain Keith.

      KEITH. You bet he does. Emigration? Or thin air? What?

      CHRISTINE. Studdenham'd never shoot a fox, Ronny. He's been here since the flood.

      KEITH. There's more ways of killing a cat—eh, Freda?

      CHRISTINE. [Moving with her husband towards the

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1