Adventure in Baltimore Page #7

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- All right, Momma. I'm coming.

Perhaps we should say goodbye here...

..in the darkness.

It would be best for you not to be seen with me now.

I don't feel that way. I'm not ashamed to be seen with you.

No, it...it's better this way.

You know what they're saying.

The world can be very unkind to a woman alone.

Well, we'll just show them.

I'll ride to the station with you. We'll let everybody see us.

You behave, and mind your father.

- Yes, Momma.

- MARK:
Yes, Momma.

Tom's going to see me off.

Oh? Well, dear, I wonder if...

Mrs Sheldon, I want you to know, I'd be proud to ride in your buggy.

- Well, yes, but it might not...

- Good idea, Lily. Go along, Tom.

Yes, sir. I'll put your bag in the buggy.

- Take care, dear. I'll be back tomorrow.

- I don't like you travelling alone.

- You can't leave, with a service tomorrow and meetings tonight.

- No, I can't.

- Goodbye, dear.

- Goodbye.

Papa, I've been thinking.

It's my ambition that's caused all the trouble for everybody.

So I've come to a decision. I'm giving up painting.

Odd you should say that.

Why, Papa?

I wondered, when you're in Pittsburgh,

I've never had a picture of your Aunt Carrie.

I, er... had Jean put your paints in the buggy.

I thought if you didn't mind, you could do that for me.

If YOU want me to.

- Just see that it's a good one.

- Oh, I will!

Goodbye, dear.

Bye, Papa.

- Bye, Momma! Bye!

- Bye, Dinah!

- Bye, Dinah!

- Bye, Momma! Bye!

BRASS BAND PLAYS STIRRING MARCH

SHOUTING:

Out of our way! Out of our way!

- Ha, ha! You're not going anywhere!

- On to City Hall! Teddy Roosevelt's speaking tonight! We'll tell him!

- You'll never get to City Hall.

- Go on home, you silly hens.

- Why don't they let them through? They can see the President.

- It's not our business.

Some among you must want to hear the voice of justice for women.

To you I say... DERISIVE SHOUTS

Oh, that's mean! They SHOULD let them through!

Momma, you're right.

Somebody's got to make a path for them. Giddy-up, George.

SHOUTS AND SCREAMS

- HORSE NEIGHS

- You all right?

- Where are we?

Wait! That's my new parasol!

HORSE NEIGHS:

CRASH!

I'm sick and tired of submitting to this gossip,

allowing it to grow and disrupt my parish, my work and my family.

I don't intend to let it go on happening.

I should never have allowed Lily and Dinah to leave.

I'm not going to let this break up my family.

I'm going down to the station, and pray they haven't left.

No daughter of mine is being sent away because of lying tongues.

PHONE RINGS:

Hello?

Yes. Yes.

It...

Yes! Yes, I'll be right down!

Fortunately, they...haven't left yet.

- Andrew...your family?

- Yes, Dan. They were arrested.

Over there, Reverend. If they're yours, we'll release them.

Yes, they're mine.

- Lily, dear, are you all right?

- Yes, dear. Perfectly. We all are.

Er...what about your eye?

It's nothing.

Someone hit me, that's all.

It's a beauty, isn't it? Well, let's go home.

We'll want to get something on these bruises.

Keep your guard up?

Andrew, I want you to know we did nothing wrong. It wasn't our fault.

Yes, I know, dear. Ordinary, well-mannered people just...

don't get into things like this.

ORGAN PLAYS:

Andrew, I know you've changed your subject for the sermon.

Have you prepared another?

No. But...

I HAVE been thinking about it for quite a while.

Andrew, concerning your, er, ruminations,

my advice would be to make no mention of the matter last week.

You're all very certain that if I forget it, everyone will.

Time takes care of everything.

- The less I make of this, the more I protect my opportunity to be bishop.

- Aye!

Let's not be ashamed of mentioning

that it's something of concern to you and to your friends here.

I appreciate that, too.

Perhaps, Andrew, you'd give us some information

concerning your, er...ruminations?

Well, of course, if I weren't concerned about becoming bishop...

and if I weren't willing to just forget the whole thing...

..I would have a few things to say. A few points to make.

To begin with, I would proudly contend

that my family fought for the rights of individuals.

I'd point out that with elections...

I might add it's shameful for members of my own congregation to indulge in petty gossip...

about my daughter and the young man, both of whom are above reproach.

Andrew, I implore you ...

Just a moment. I am not finished...

with my ruminations.

I would also say that I, too, am in error.

I have not taught my people well

if this sort of thing can happen in my parish.

I would also confess I was willing to submit to this gossip

by agreeing to let my daughter leave town.

I was willing to submit because I was concerned about my possible election as bishop.

Andrew, you cannae dare say such things!

You know, as I divulge these ruminations to you,

I am more and more convinced that I shall speak of these things.

- Don't you realise...?

- If what my family and I did is wrong,

I do not deserve to be bishop.

The only important thing is, I must serve my congregation.

The first obligation of a minister is to serve.

I can only serve by speaking the truth.

You cannae mean to say this in the pulpit?!

- Yes, Dan.

- You can't possibly!

I may even think of more.

I shall probably say something about how we use words

like meanness, intolerance and bigotry,

but somehow always in connection with others, never with ourselves.

What's happened in the last few days, this gossip,

is mean, intolerant and bigoted.

If it isn't pointed out and recognised for what it is,

who can say what cruel thing it may lead to tomorrow?

There's no measure of a lie.

It's...neither little nor big.

It's always a lie.

I don't want to see any man judge his neighbour.

That we must always leave to God.

You may be more comfortable, Dan, in here.

No. I'll go. Right or wrong, Andrew,

I want to be in wi' you at the finish.

Instead of starting with hymn 127, which was posted for today,

we will sing hymn 493.

It begins, "O brother man,

"hold to thy heart thy brother."

ORGAN PLAYS:

Well, has no-one in this family anything to say?

Why the unusual silence?

It's your sermon, Andrew.

It made us so proud.

I want you to know that I...

I...

SHE SOBS:

Papa?

That was the finest...

That really was the finest...

SHE SOBS:

What they wanted to tell you, Father, was...

Well, you were so...

So... I mean...

What have you got to say?

- I'm hungry.

- And so am I.

Sensible people.

Can I help?

No.

Oh, Tom, thanks for everything you've done. You've been wonderful.

No. YOU'RE wonderful.

I didn't have sense enough to see it till now, but, Di...

Yes, Tom?

I do know it now. You are.

I...

I...I guess I'd better go back.

Please come in with me.

- Sure, Di.

- Let me help you.

Oh, no.

Di, there's just one thing I want to ask of you.

Please, don't ever help me!

WILD CRY:

Andrew! I've got something...

Tom, do you suppose...?

Must a man wait all the day when he has important news?

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