The Naturewoman | Page 9

. sailors . . .
OCEANA. No, Aunt Sophronia . . . you're mistaken! It's everywhere.
Isn't it, Uncle Quincy? You're a doctor . . . YOU must know!
DR. MASTERSON. Why, to tell the truth . . .
OCEANA. TELL the truth! Am I not right?
FREDDY. Of course you're right!
MRS. MASTERSON. Freddy!
OCEANA. Ah! You know!
MRS. MASTERSON. This is outrageous!
OCEANA. You mean you don't teach your children about it? Why . . .
[She stares at them, perplexed.]
MRS. MASTERSON. You don't understand our ways, Anna . . .
OCEANA. No, no . . . I don't. I don't think I ever can. You'd let some
man come and make love to Ethel . . . and you'd never warn her?
ETHEL. They warned me to turn my toes out when I walked, and not

to eat fish with a knife.
MRS. MASTERSON. If this conversation is to go on, I insist that the
children shall leave the room.
OCEANA. Oh, I'm awfully sorry, Aunt Sophronia! Why, I didn't mean
any harm. It's all so real to me. [She gazes from one to the other,
hoping for some sign of a thaw.] Just think . . . these were the people
that I'd loved . . . that I'd grown up with all my life. I'd fished in their
canoes, I'd hunted with them and basked on the beach with them. I'd
watched the young men and girls dancing their love-dances in the
moonlit glades . . . [She pauses again.] Oughtn't I to talk about THAT?
DR. MASTERSON. My dear girl . . .
OCEANA. [Stares at them; a sudden idea occurs to her.] Perhaps I
ought to explain to you . . . you're no doubt wondering. I'm a virgin
myself, you know.
MRS. MASTERSON. [Starting up.] OH!
LETITIA. Oceana!
OCEANA. But weren't you thinking of that?
MRS. MASTERSON. Why, of course not!
OCEANA. But Aunt Sophronia! You know you were!
MRS. MASTERSON. [Sputters.] Oh! OH!
OCEANA. You were thinking to yourself, this girl's been playing
around on the beaches with savages . . . and what's been happening to
her?
DR. MASTERSON. My dear niece, I'm afraid you'll have to take some
account of our civilized prejudices. We simply don't say everything that
we think.

OCEANA. [Springing up.] Oh, dear me! I'm so sorry ! I didn't mean to
make you unhappy! I was going to be so good. I was going to try to
conform to everything. Why, just think of it, Aunt Sophronia . . . in Rio
I actually bought a pair of corsets. And I tried to wear them. I . . .
Oceana! Around my waist! Think of it! [She looks for sympathy.] I
couldn't stand them . . . I climbed to the topmast and threw them to the
sharks. But now it seems that you all wear corsets on your minds and
souls. [A pause.] Never mind . . . let's talk about something else. I'm
getting restless. You see . . . I'm not used to being in a room . . . it
seems like a box to me . . . I can hardly breathe. The air in here is
dreadful . . . hadn't any of you noticed? [Silence. Apparently nobody
had.] Would you mind if I opened a window?
MRS. MASTERSON. It is storming outside, Anna.
OCEANA. Yes, but one can exercise and keep warm. just a minute . . .
please. [She flings up a window; a gale blows in.] Ah, feel that!
[MRS. MASTERSON, LETITIA and DR. MASTERSON draw away
from the window.]
MRS. MASTERSON. This is simply outrageous!
LETITIA. It is beyond all words!
DR. MASTERSON. My dear, consider . . .
MRS. MASTERSON. I won't have that creature in my house a minute
longer.
DR. MASTERSON. My dear, be reasonable!
LETITIA. REASONABLE?
DR. MASTERSON. Consider what is at stake!
MRS. MASTERSON. But what hope have we to get anything out of
such a woman?

DR. MASTERSON. We have some hope, I'm sure. If we . . .
MRS. MASTERSON. Didn't you hear her say she'd come home for
nothing but the money?
DR. MASTERSON. Yes . . . but at least she's honest enough to say it,
Sophronia. And she's here as our guest . . . she wants to be friendly . . .
don't let it come to an open break with her!
LETITIA. But how can we HELP it, father?
DR. MASTERSON. It's just a matter of letting her talk. And what harm
will that do us?
MRS. MASTERSON. But we can't lock her up in the house. And can
we introduce her to our friends? Tomorrow night, for instance!
DR. MASTERSON. We must manage it somehow. When we've once
had an understanding with her, it