THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE
A tale told in moving pictures } under the direction of VICTOR SJOSTROM
Once there was a poor Salvation Army sister at death's door.
She'd been stricken with galloping consumption
and had only held out for the space of a year.
When there was no hope left, she'd gone home to her mother.
Waiting at the foot of her bed was another Salvation Army sister
who had worked alongside the sick girl.
“Don't fret over those poor souls now, Sister Edit.
You've done enough for them.”
“Send for David Holm.”
“Please don't.
My daughter was yours as long as she had a spark of life.
Now that she's dying, let me have her to myself.”
“Sister Maria, why don't you do as I ask?
Send for David Holm.”
“I shall go find him at once.”
“You can't be serious.
Asking David Holm to attend to a dying person.”
“I wasn't able to find him, but Gustavsson is looking too.
He'll bring him here if it's at all possible.”
“Poor Mrs. Holm.”
“I'll take her back home.
It wouldn't do for her husband to see her if he should come here.”
The evening on which these events took place was no ordinary evening.
It was New Year's Eve.
“Well, we'll certainly know when it's time to toast the New Year.”
“It's a spooky place to wait for midnight, here among the dead.”
“You gentlemen aren't afraid of ghosts, I hope?”
“Then I'd like to tell you a story while we wait for the midnight hour.”
“I once had a pal named Georges, who was generally a jolly fellow.”
“He came from a good family and had studied at Uppsala University,
so he knew a bit more than the rest of us.”
“But a change would come over him on New Year's Eve.”
“Remember that it's New Year's Eve, the last day of the year.”
“Whoever dies on this eve must drive Death's carriage.”
“There is an old, old carriage...”
“It is no ordinary driver who holds the reins,
for he's in the service of a strict master named Death.”
“For him, a single night is as long as 100 years on Earth.
Night and day he must carry out his master's business.”
END OF PART 1
THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE PART 2
“Wherever he goes, he's greeted with sorrow and despair.”
“There is no escape. He must perform his forlorn duty.”
“Though horse and carriage are always the same, the driver is not.”
“The last soul to die each year -
the one who passes over at the stroke of midnight -
IS destined to be Death's driver for the following year.”
“Now you know why I'm afraid
of something fatal happening to me on New Year's Eve.”
“And the odd thing is, you see,
that Georges apparently died last New Year's Eve.”
“Why hasn't Gustavsson arrived with David Holm?”
“Come with me, David Holm.
Sister Edit is dying, and she has asked for you.”
'If Sister Edit wants to see you, you must go to her at once.”
“David, I can't believe it's you. It is you who is to relieve me.”
“You should take me to the hospital in your carriage as quickly as you can.”
“No living soul rides in that carriage.
By the time I arrive, it's too late for a doctor.”
“You know full well that I am no longer among the living.”
“But worst of all, you must face the consequences
of the evil you have wrought during your lifetime.”
“David, do you think I'm unaware
that it's my fault you've met such an end?”
“If you hadn't fallen in with me,
you'd have led a good life with your wife, children, and brother.”
“By tomorrow you will have served your time for drunken behaviour.
But before you leave, a harsher punishment awaits you.”
“Behold your brother.
While you were here, he killed a man while intoxicated,
and now a long prison term awaits.”
'But we feel that you ought to serve the sentence in his place,
since you and you alone led him astray and made him a killer.”
“Does this not make you want to turn from your wicked ways, David Holm?”
“Yes. Only now do I realise how it feels
to have brought great misery upon a loved one.”
“What about your wife and children?”
“Now I know how miserable they've been, but I will turn over a new leaf.
They need never despair of me again.”
END OF PART 2
THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE PART 3
“No, she's not ll.
She was well enough the other day when she left.”
“And here I thought I'd come home to her with such joy.”
“If she had gone openly, I would have understood.
But to slink off like that, to let me come home to an empty house -
that was heartless.”
“I'll wipe those smiles off your faces.
I'll find her and show her how it feels
when your heart freezes to its very core, like mine has now.”
“I'll refrain from reminding you of your search for your wife,
during which your feelings of hatred and revenge grew ever stronger.”
“I will take you to a time a year ago, to last New Year's Eve,
when you came to this town, bringing such misfortune in your wake.”
“A Salvation Army station had been set up here in town,
and it was ready for use on New Year's Eve.”
“Keep your food. I just want to sleep.”
“Leave it alone.
It may be full of germs, and our sterilising oven isn't working yet.”
“Don't you realise, Maria,
how happy I am to help the first guest God has sent us?”
“Please go to bed. It's been a busy day.
I et me attend to this.”
“Dear Jesus, let our first guest be blessed with a happy year.”
All night long she bent over the coat,
never giving a thought to the germs and filth she inhaled.
By the time she went to bed,
the icy chill of winter had thoroughly filled the room.
“Was it you who mended my coat?”
“Would you mind calling the person who did this?”
“It's a shame you went to all that trouble, miss,
but I'm used to having it like this.”
“Before you leave, I'd like to ask you to visit me again next New Year's Eve.”
“You see, I prayed that our first guest would have a good year,
and I'd like to know if my prayer was answered.”
“I'll be here.
I'll come show you God didn't give a fig for you or your twaddle.”
“The time has come to honour that promise
before you take over here.
From you she contracted the disease
that put her on her deathbed,
and now she awaits your visit.”
“You possessed all that is most wonderful, but you lost it.
You cannot avoid the torment of remorse,
just as you cannot escape taking over as Death's driver for a year.”
“Captive, come forth from thy prison.”
“Ye spirit that left thy body
at the stroke of midnight,
thou wilt relieve me of my office.
For a year thou wilt set souls free
from the earthly realm.”
END OF PART 3
THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE PART 4
“It is Death, but he has come too soon.”
“You see that I'm not afraid of you.
I will gladly heed your summons, but grant me a day's reprieve,
for there is someone I must talk sense into.”
“You do not know what terrible misfortune I have caused.
I cannot approach the Lord until I have set it right.”
“The person I'm waiting for is the man I love.
Do you understand? The man I love.”
“I would grant you that reprieve if it would avail you.
But you have no power over this man.”
“Believing he was good,
you've tried to make him mend his ways,
but your hopes have been dashed
time and time again.”
“It was you who enticed him away from his home and work.
You made him the drunkard he is.”
“Don't let yourself be dragged under.”
SALVATION ARMY RALLY
“Run along and be saved, and I'll be sure to come watch.”
“Why turn away so carefully? I'm a consumptive myself,
but I cough in people's faces in hopes of finishing them off.
Why should they be better off than us?”
“He's merely amusing himself. He's not as wicked as he pretends to be.”
“How can you be filled with such bitter hatred for your fellow man?”
“You needn't worry about that. 'll be leaving town in a few days.”
“No, you mustn't do that.”
“I would rather you stayed so I may challenge you again.”
“Tempting as that may be, I still can't stay.”
“You see, little Missy, I'm on a journey throughout Sweden
in search of someone I must find at all costs.”
“Who is this person you seek?”
“You'll know that when I find the person in question.”
“I am the one David Holm is looking for.”
“I am his wife.”
“I couldn't endure the life he was leading.
I deserted him.
I took my children and crept away in secret.”
“I moved to this town, for it was so far from our old home
that I never expected him to come looking for me here.”
“You must take him back. It's his only hope.”
“I didn't mean you must make up your mind on the spot.
Only promise you'll listen to your heart, and let us talk again later.”
She had gotten the better of herself
and asked for none of the things that belonged to this world.
“Just come with me.
A surprise awaits that will make you happy.”
END OF PART 4
THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE PART 5
She hoped to replant in good soil the seed that had fallen among thorns.
And she may well have succeeded had it not been for...
“The doctor says it's pneumonia.
And her resistance is poor,
for she's been in ill health since last New Year's Eve.”
“Yes, that David Holm has been her undoing.
She worries so about the situation between him and his wife,
but she mustn't know the truth.”
“You might at least have the heart to refrain from infecting the children.”
“It wasn't so easy to run away this time.”
“'Haven't you had your fill of revenge, David?”
“If only I hadn't brought them together again.
His sin would be of lesser magnitude were it not for me.”
“You must grant me a reprieve. I cannot die yet.
I must see him turn over a new leaf. Just spare me a few minutes.”
“You know I love him. I've never loved him as I do today.”
“Captive, ye of loving heart, come forth from thy prison.”
“Come along. We have no business here.
Those who are to receive her will arrive shortly.”
“You know, David, if I could send a message to mankind,
I would like to send them a New Year's greeting.”
“I would like them to dwell on a single New Year's prayer:
'Lord, please let my soul come to maturity before it is reaped.”
“Why are we here? Surely no one here is going to die.”
“No, I can't go on. I can't go on.”
“I'm sorry, but I must go away, and I cannot leave them behind.”
'Please don't be angry with me. It's not my fault.”
“This will do, David.
It will suffice for the children and myself.”
“Yes, David, I see what's coming.
I'm obliged to watch. I will not shirk my duty.”
“You mustn't let this happen. This mustn't come to pass.
Don't let those poor, innocent creatures die.”
“I have no power over the living.”
“Where should I turn? Should I pray to God or to Christ?
Who can tell me where to direct my plea?”
“I'm a poor, miserable sinner,
and I beseech the Lord of life and death.
I'm not worthy.
I've broken your every commandment.”
“Condemn me to eternal darkness. Let nothing remain of me.
Do what you will to me, my Lord, but spare the three of them.”
“David, I see that I no longer need grieve for you.”
“Captive, return to thy prison.”
“She didn't do it yet. I made it in time.”
“Sister Edit is dead. I was at her side.
I promised her I'd become a good husband and father.”
“You're lying.
Sister Maria told me you refused to go to her.”
“Are you crying, David?”
“No one believes I want to reform.
I want to be good, but no one believes me. Is it any wonder I cry?”
“It's hard to believe, David.
But I do believe you. Your tears have convinced me.”
“I can't help crying too.
I won't be truly happy until all my sorrow is drained.”
“Lord, please let my soul come to maturity before it is reaped.”
THE END