SUMMARY:THE DEAR DEPARTED

The play ‘The Dear Departed’ presents an interesting
situation that has tragically become common place in the
world of today. The scene of the play is set in the sittingroom
of a small house in a lower middle-class district of
a provincial town. The setting of the play reveals that the
tea-table has been laid. Mrs Slater, a plump and active
lady is in mourning and she is getting ready to receive
some guests. She beckons to her daughter Victoria, who is
ten year old, and instructs her to change into something
sober. It is revealed that Victoria’s grandfather has passed
away and the Slater family is getting ready to receive Aunt
Elizabeth and Uncle Ben. Victoria expresses surprise at
this news because her aunt and uncle had not paid them a
visit for years. Mrs Slater reveals that they were coming
over to talk about grandfather’s affairs, on hearing of his
death. In the meanwhile Mr Slater enters. He is a heavy
man who stoops he is also in mourning dress.
Henry Slater is skeptical whether Elizabeth will come,
for the last time when Mrs Slater and Elizabeth had
quarrelled, she had vowed never to pay a visit again to
their house. Mrs Slater gives Henry new slippers of her
father. She also plans to take away the new bureau of the
grandfather and shift it to their room, before Elizabeth and
Ben arrive. Both the husband and wife, lock the front door
and shift the bureau down and put their old chest of drawers
there. Victoria wants to know why they were stealing
grandfather’s things but her mother tells her to remain
quiet. Grandpa’s new clock is also taken away. Meanwhile
there is loud knocking at the door and the Slaters take
plenty of time to look normal. Mrs Jordan and Ben pretend
to be emotional at the death of Mr Abel Merryweather.
Both the ladies compare their mourning dresses, criticising
the other’s outfit. Mrs Jordan is surprised to discover that
no doctor had been summoned to check on her father. Mrs
Slater insists in a stubborn manner that she had been keen
on Mr Pringle and if he was out of station, they couldn’t
be offensive and call someone else. Mrs Slater reveals
that her father had been happy in the morning and he had
apparently gone to pay the premium of his insurance policy.
He was generally going to “Ring-O-Bells’ frequently and
the night before he had come drunk and had gone to bed
without having dinner. Mrs Jordan and Ben prefer to have
tea before going and looking up father. All four of them
start discussing about the obituary and the kind of
announcement in the newspapers to be inserted. Mrs Jordan
wants a long poem but Mrs Slater protests by saying that
it will cost a lot. Meanwhile Mrs Jordan reveals that her
father had willed his gold watch to her son Jimmy. Mrs
Slater feels very offended and refuses to believe it. Victoria
says that grandfather had not gone in the morning to pay
his premium but had instead gone over to ‘The Ring of
Bells,’ the public house, managed by John Shorrock’s
widow. Everyone starts blaming the old man for not paying
his premium. Victoria is instructed to go over to grandpa’s
room to get the receipt of the premium. Mrs Jordan is
surprised to note a new bureau and she wishes to know the
details, because she doubts Mrs Slater’s version. Victoria
enters, looking dazed. She gives the shocking news thatGrandpa was stirring and moving. After some time Mr
Abel Merryweather enters and is surprised to see his other
daughter and son-in-law, Mr and Mrs Jordan. He reveals
that he was well and just had a slight headache he notices
Henry wearing his new slippers and takes them. Abels
wishes to know, why all were in mourning dresses. Mrs
Jordan makes up some story to pacify him. Abel
Merryweather enjoys tea and has a generous slice of the
apple-pie. He grumbles and scolds Mrs Slater for taking
away his bureau. Mrs Jordan gets agitated and accuses her
sister of robbing her father. The husbands also join their
wives in hurling accusations at each other Abel discovers
about his death. He addresses his daughters directly and
declares that he was going to change his will and all the
money will go to the one, in whose house he dies. Both
the daughters fight with each other to keep their father.
Abel is amused and watches all the fun. At last he makes
his announcement which shocks everyone. On Monday, he
would go to the lawyer and alter his will, then he would
go to the insurance office and pay his premium. After that
he would go to the church and get married to Mrs Shorrock.
Everyone is shocked. Abel reveals that he had at last found
someone who was happy to keep him. He exits with an
invitation of his marriage. He also thanks Mrs Slater for
shifting the Bureau down-stairs for now it will be easy to
cart it away to “Ring-O-Bells.’