All Mine to Give Page #4

- Robbie, go fetch Dr. Delbert.

Quick.

- Rob.

- Mm?

Do you remember when...

When you were on the expedition...

...searching for Franklin

up at the North Pole?

Aye.

Well, I didn't tell you at the time...

...because I thought

you'd be mad at sister Annabelle.

Those three years

you were away and no word...

...she was after me

to wed with Gower MacDermott.

Do you remember him

with the curly red beard?

No.

Everyone thought

that you were as dead as Franklin.

But I knew you'd come back.

Oh.

Then...

Then why did you go into mourning?

Oh, it came to me...

...that it wouldn't be fitting for any man,

not even the rich Gower MacDermott...

...to court a maid when she was

in mourning for her late intended.

Wasn't that canny of me, Rob?

Canny.

I've often thought on it.

If I'd listened to them and married him...

...Robbie and the rest of the children,

they would have taken after Gower...

...and I would not like that.

Oh, Mamie.

Nor I.

Just think on it, Rob.

Not since the children joined us

have we been alone like this.

...and let thy mercy endure forever.

Thankful for the life

which though hast given us these seasons...

...we pray thy help

now to resign it obediently unto thee.

Amen.

We, therefore,

commit his body to the ground.

Earth to earth,

ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Looking for the general resurrection

on the last day...

...and the life of the world to come,

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed are the dead

who die in the Lord from henceforth.

"Yea," said the spirit...

...that they may rest from their labors

and their works do follow them.

God, have mercy upon us.

Amen.

You come here, Lizzie.

You're going to be the papa.

I won't, I won't, I won't.

Yes, you will.

- Can't you control your young ones?

- I'll be mama and you papa.

Play outside, bonnie lambs.

Not unless I can be the mama.

- Let her be the mama, Annie.

- Oh...

- See?

- Come on, Lizzie.

Now see? You got Mama all upset.

Now you come outside,

and I'll tell you what to do.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Runyon.

I'm so used to children.

You ought to set your cap

for some nice old bachelor.

Thank you, Mrs. Runyon.

No, I'll not marry again.

Well, then why don't you return

to your kin in Scotland?

Money for the passage

doesn't grow on trees.

Well, perhaps I could take up

a collection for you.

Turn, please.

Now your eldest is a strong boy.

Put him out for the day.

He's been sweeping

at the sawmills all summer.

But his school starts next week.

Book learning is a luxury

your offspring can ill afford.

And it's time somebody

talked turkey to you.

Mrs. Runyon,

when I need your advice, I'll ask for it.

Get me out of this.

He's coming, he's coming.

Where?

Shh.

Is everybody ready?

- Are you ready?

- Yeah. Okay.

Shh.

Be still.

Surprise. Surprise. Surprise.

Surprise.

Here's your present.

Did you make them, Annie?

Of course, she didn't make them.

Annie helped.

Gee, Mama, they fit perfect.

Come on, Robbie. Cut your cake.

Wait just a second.

I gotta tell Mama something.

You know what Mr. Cullen gave me

for the horse?

Forty dollars.

That's fine, Robbie.

But that isn't all.

He gave me a job for this winter.

Indeed, you have a job for this winter,

to finish 6th grade.

I told him you'd say that.

So he's letting me work

just Saturdays and Sundays.

Know what he's gonna pay me?

Fifty cents.

- For doing what?

- Being coffee boy.

Now don't you start getting a notion

about being a logger.

Papa was a logger.

What's the matter with being a logger?

I won't have you wandering

through the woods...

...with the crashing trees

and the bitter cold.

But me and Mr. Cullen shook on it,

and he gave me 50 cents in advance.

Well, you'll have to give it back.

You can't give back a handshake.

From your father.

Put it on.

Robbie,

aren't you ever gonna cut your cake?

The popcorn's getting cold.

Mama, will you think on it?

- Hi.

- Hi.

You know what she was gonna do?

She said she was gonna take

a steamboat to Oshkosh.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

One at a time. Here.

- Where's Mama?

- Up to Mrs. Raiden's.

She finished the Christmas dresses

for those girls.

Hey, you wanna know what happened

to me in the woods today?

- What happened, Robbie?

- Yeah, tell us.

- I met a bear.

- A bear?

- Did he growl at you?

- What happened?

I'm walking down the trail

lugging the coffee and cups...

...and suddenly, there he is.

- What did he do?

- Well, he looked at me and I looked at him.

Then I guess,

he heard the tin cups rattling together.

But I just looked him in the eye.

Suddenly,

he turned and ran off into the woods.

Oh, Robbie, weren't you scared?

Of course, I wasn't scared.

Then what were you shaking for?

Who said anything about shaking?

You said the cups were rattling

and you were standing still...

...so you must have been shaking.

Oh, Mama.

Robbie met a bear in the woods

and was scared to death.

Shame on you, Robbie,

telling tales to frighten the children.

But he did, Mama.

- Is that true, Robbie?

- Yes, Mama.

Then you don't go back into the woods

with the wild animals prowling.

But you depend on me.

I've told you, you don't go back up there,

not so long as I'm alive.

I'm gonna lie down for a spell.

Is Mama sick or something?

I can't...

I know he'll come back.

No.

I tell you, sister Annabelle...

...Robert will come back.

Come back.

Dr. Delbert.

Dr. Delbert. Dr. Delbert.

Your mama is a sick woman.

A very sick woman.

You mean, she might not get well?

Well, it's typhoid.

Typhoid fever?

Your mama's not as strong as she was.

You'd better get Mrs. Pugmister

to take over.

She's away until after New Year's.

You ought to have somebody.

We'll be all right.

I'll stay home from school.

Your mama probably won't like that...

...but I'll get Mrs. Delbert

to look in every little while.

One of you boys come running

if there's any change.

What are you standing around for?

Get to bed.

You're not the boss around here.

What do you want?

Jimmie, we think you're cute.

Ah, shut up.

We think

you're the prettiest wise man of all.

Come along, girls.

Hurry back to your seats.

We're ready to start.

This way.

Come over here. And you here.

That's it.

Where's my frankincense?

- Oh, no.

Here it is.

- Oh, yes.

- Here you are, Howie.

Where's Joseph?

Here I am.

Rob?

Is that you, Rob?

No, Mama. It's me, Robbie.

Where are the children?

Jimmie and Kirk are being wise men.

I want to see them.

Now, Mama?

I've... I've got to see them all.

Annabelle.

Go and get Jimmie and Kirk, quick.

Jimmie. Kirk.

Robbie said to come home quick.

It's Mama.

Come on.

Hello, Mama.

Hello, Mama.

Hello, Mama.

We're all here, Mama.

James.

Kirk.

Annabelle.

Lizzie.

How nice of my brothers and sisters...

...to come and visit me...

...all the way from Fair Isle.

But, Kirk, you... You didn't write.

You could, you know.

I can read now.

Well, you're all named after family.

Now go on, get out.

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