Since You Went Away Page #10

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Oh, no.

She's so like my granddaughter.

I love holding her.

Is she about the same age?

No. Mary is almost 30 now.

She's a nurse.

Let me show you her picture.

She's pretty.

Where is she now?

I really don't know.

You see, she was at Corregidor.

I'm so sorry.

Mother, won't you let me

do something now?

Jane, please, darling, not again.

I'm so hot and so tired.

Just for the summer.

I could be a nurse's aide maybe.

- All right, Jane.

- Gee, Mother, that's swell.

But remember now,

just for the summer.

I embrace the code

of the Nurse's Aide.

I will do everything in my power

to bring comfort

to the ailing and the wounded

of whatever color,

race, or creed.

I will accept no compensation

and seek no reward,

and I will hold as a sacred trust

the symbol of mercy

which I wear... the Red Cross.

"Tell Jane I'm proud

of my little Florence Nightingale,

"and she must hold the thought

that next summer,

or the summer after that,

we'll be boating again on the lake."

The summer after that...

"And tell Brig that her candy is

all the sweeter because she made it.

"But I'm worried

about your ration points.

You mustn't waste them on me."

Waste them on Pop?

He's thinking of us, darling.

"We get everything

we could possibly want.

"And don't tell Fidelia,

but the grub is wonderful.

"I'm gaining a pound a week,

and if it doesn't stop soon,

"they'll have to make me a general

just for appearance's sake.

That's all for tonight, except..."

- Except for what, Mother?

- The rest is to me.

Mother, I want to hear it.

Can't I have

any privacy at all?

It's just for Mother, Brig.

Didn't you hear?

All right.

You can hear it.

It's not that secret, silly.

"That's all for tonight,

except to say

"that come war, come jungles,

come Japanese,

"they're all so easy to take

"because at the end of this,

my darling,

I know there waits

for me your love."

There. Are you satisfied?

I think I'll go

to my room, Mother.

I thought we were going to try

those new hairdos from Vogue.

Would you mind if we didn't?

There's a pamphlet I want

to study on third-degree burns.

All right, darling.

We can try them, Brig.

I think it's time something was

done about your hair anyway.

If you want to, Mother,

provided you'll let me...

Don't start making

deals with me.

How old do you think

I could look if my hair was up?

Well, let's see.

I should say

just about the same age.

But nicer, maybe. Why?

Mother, it's just terrible...

my not doing anything

about the war at all.

You've rolled bandages,

you've collected salvage,

and you've sold more war stamps

than any girl in your class...

not that that's

any surprise to me.

- But that's all kid stuff.

- It's no such thing.

I know it's important, but...

Mother, I miss Pop

something awful!

I know, honey.

So do I.

- Thanks, toots.

- Ice cream?

Ice cream again?

Sure wish I had some watermelon.

Now, you men watch Joe carefully.

All it is is learning

how to walk again.

Thanks.

- Got any tutti-frutti?

- Sorry, we only have vanilla.

Gee, we never have no tutti-frutti.

Wake up, Miz Hilton.

Wake up.

What is it?

It's almost time for dinner.

Wake up.

Where's Mr. Hilton?

Mr. Hilton?

I guess I must

have been dreaming.

You sure was sleeping hard.

- Aren't you home early?

- Yes, ma'am, a little.

I got a new union rule for myself...

6:
00 quitting. Unless I likes people.

- Is that for me?

- Yes, ma'am.

That's why I woke...

What's the matter, Miz Hilton?

What is it, child?

Jane, Brig, come quick!

...I pray the Lord

my soul to take.

And God bless Pop and Mother

and Jane and Fidelia

and Uncle Tony and Soda.

And please, God,

make Pop safe.

I know he is safe. You wouldn't

let anything happen to him.

But please,

make him safe anyway.

Amen.

Make Pop safe.

Are you awake?

Yes, Brig.

Do you mind if I

get into bed with you?

No, I don't mind.

Don't let Mother hear you.

He'll come back to us.

He'll come back.

Wipe sorrow's tears away

Nor let me ever stray

From Your side

In these troublous times,

when many of our loved ones

are making the supreme sacrifice,

I've searched the Holy Scriptures

and my heart

for some message of comfort

and inspiration to you.

On other occasions

I've quoted from St. John

and the prophet Zechariah.

I've reminded you

of the 23rd Psalm...

"Thy rod and Thy staff,

they comfort me."

Today I offer you the words

of a Maryland lawyer

of another day,

when Americans were fighting

to preserve their

sacred heritage of liberty.

"O thus be it ever

when free men shall stand

"between their loved homes

and the war's desolation.

"Blessed with victory and peace,

"may the heaven-rescued land

praise the power

"that hath made

and preserved this nation.

"Then conquer we must

"when our cause, it is just.

"And this be our motto...

In God is Our Trust."

Those words have become

the last stanza of our national anthem.

Bye.

- Jane, you know what?

- What?

Gladys' stepfather is 4F.

Jameson's a nice old duffer,

but I don't know why we have to

have all that flag-waving.

How's everything going

with you, Emily?

Still having a good time, I hope.

You know me.

"Carry on," is my motto,

"come what may."

You're one woman

who can be depended upon

to maintain her standards

in these times.

- Thank you, dear.

- Hello, Mary.

- I was so sorry to hear about...

- Thank you.

I've been meaning to call you, Anne.

Really, I have.

I just heard

the other day about Tim.

- I'm terribly sorry.

- Thank you, Emily.

But you mustn't give up hope.

C'est la guerre.

By the way, that's

a very cute frock you're wearing.

I remember

admiring it last year.

- No, the year before last.

- Really?

You never were

much interested in clothes.

Well, I must run along now.

- Good-bye, girls.

- Good-bye, Mrs. Hawkins.

I don't like the way

Jane's looking.

And, dear, if you run into

difficulties about your food,

I have a cold storage pantry

just filled with goodies.

We do beautifully on our points.

If everybody had my foresight,

there wouldn't be any shortages.

Good-bye, dear.

Give me a ring sometime.

I am so sorry about Tim,

but he may turn up yet.

Yes, you never can tell.

Good-bye, Emily.

What are we going

to do this afternoon?

- Did I say anything to...

- Could we go to the movies?

How do you feel about it, Jane?

That child... can't she do

anything but hiss?

I'll go see what she wants.

There's a concert today in the park,

the last of the season.

Or does the idea

of listening to music bore you?

Well, the fact of the matter is...

Yeah, I think a concert

sounds good. Don't you, Jane?

Well, I don't know, Bill.

If you feel like some music.

Or would you,

by some remote chance,

like to be alone

with each other this afternoon?

- No, Mrs. Hilton.

- No, Mother, honestly.

We thought it might be nice

if we went out to the country.

Would you mind if I went

to Gladys' for the afternoon?

Darling, you run along

if you want to.

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