Stars in My Crown Page #6

Yes, dear?

I'm hungry.

# Will there be any

stars, any stars in my crown #

You're going to be late, Mr. Gray.

Come on, up, up, up.

What about you? You

going to church like that?

I'm playing hooky today, like you.

Mr. Gray...

plenty of time, Harriet, plenty of time.

Oh, you always say that. Here.

I declare, Mr. Gray, I

could get your whole...

congregation ready for church...

before I could you.

Well, Harriet, you have to admit

The result's worth the bother.

Hmm.

You don't sound like you mean it.

Maybe you're still looking

for that straight stick.

That's such an old joke.

Gonna miss your sweet voice today.

Sometimes you sound just

like a ribbon drummer.

Now, go.

John, you mind you

keep your window open,

You can hear the singing.

Are you gonna sing stars in my crown?

I think that might be arranged.

Oh, don't you cut your

eyes at me, you two.

I know just what you're thinking,

And it won't do you a particle of good.

Gussie Lou Lyles is going to

oblige you at the organ, Mr. Gray,

And the hymns are all picked out.

Would you like to know what they are?

You see, john?

You can't get ahead

of your aunt Harriet.

Straight stick, indeed.

Straight stick what?

Oh, it's just an old story.

I never heard it.

It's about the young man

Who used to come call on me.

Tell me the story, aunt Harriet.

Well, you see, before I met the Parson,

I was never satisfied

With any of the suitors

who came calling.

I used to laugh at them

And make jokes about the way they acted.

Finally, my mother said to me,

"Harriet, I once knew a man

"Who went walking in the woods

"Looking for a good, straight stick

"To make into a walking cane.

"He hadn't gone far before he found

"What he thought was

the proper oak limb.

"But as he went to cut it,

"He noticed it wasn't quite

"Straight enough to suit him.

"I'll just look a little

longer, said the man.

"And it was the same with

every tree in that wood.

"The first thing he knew, it was dark,

"And he'd spent the

whole day in that wood,

And he didn't have anything

to show for his trouble. "

Mama said,

"Harriet, that's the

way you are about men. "

"Why," she said, "every man born

"Has something the matter with him.

"And if you're looking

for the perfect man,

You'll never find him. "

But the minute I saw the Parson,

I knew mama was wrong.

Aunt Harriet?

Yes, dear?

You know,

I'm glad I live with you and the Parson

Instead of with a ma

and pa like other boys.

Did you hear what I said?

# Will there be any stars,

any stars in my crown #

# When at evening the sun goeth down #

# When I wake with the blessed

in the mansions of rest #

# Will there be any stars in my crown? #

I was still in

bed when school opened,

But the Parson went down as usual

To start the term off in style.

Now, there's one thing

more I'd like to ask you.

How many of you say

your prayers regular?

Fine, fine. That's first-Rate.

Just so you don't get to

leaning so hard on god's help

That you forget how to help yourselves.

Puts me in mind of a time...

I think it was in the battle

of Chattanooga in '63...

my horse fell with me, see,

And I had to make a dive for cover.

Well, I lit right alongside

This old tobacco-Chewing

lance corporal.

He looked at me laying

there on the ground,

And he looked at the bible

sticking out of my pocket.

He says to me, "son,

"Just 'cause you're a prayin' man

Don't mean you don't have

to keep your hind end down. "

Well, I know it's been a long summer,

And you're all anxious

to get back to your books.

I think those books will keep

For one more day, don't you, children?

Class dismissed.

Mr. Gray, I'd like a word with you.

May I ask what you're doing here?

May I ask why you're asking?

Use your head, man.

There's typhoid fever in your house.

If you don't want to

spread it all over town,

You'd better go home and stay there.

Now, wait a minute.

Last I heard, slow fever came

From bad drinking water,

not from bad preaching...

or even from good preaching.

Kindly allow me to know my business.

Did you visit john this morning?

Yes.

You stood around talking to him?

Sat on his bed... touched him?

Yes, I suppose I did.

Well, that makes you

a potential carrier.

Don't you realize that?

Don't you realize that

by coming down here today,

You might have exposed these children

And miss Samuels to infection?

You can stop right there.

Sure, I've been going in

and out of john's room.

So have you.

I've been going about my business,

Paying calls and making speeches.

So have you.

If there's anything in what you say,

I reckon they ought to lock us both up.

How long do you suppose

this town could manage

Without me or somebody

like me who'd do my work?

Who'd do mine?

School had hardly

opened when it had to close again.

Faith Samuels was down with slow fever.

And in no time, lights

were burning till daylight

All over town as the sickness

spread and kept on spreading.

You're late, Mr. Gray.

I stopped by the Isbell place.

Chase has got slow fever.

Chase too?

Don't say anything to john.

I never saw Jed in such a state.

He's scared.

Wanting to yell for help,

Not knowing who to yell to.

To tell you the truth,

I'm scared myself.

Come and eat.

7, no, 8 cases this week.

Faith Samuels, Kim

Aldridge, Effie Meyers...

both the ware girls.

Little carol bowie, bobby Sam.

And now chase.

And tomorrow, someone else...

unless we find the source.

We've got to find it.

When Mr. Backett came

by with my provisions,

He said he thought it mighty

strange that you hadn't

Thought to examine the school well.

If Lon Backett had half

the brains he was born with,

He'd know it couldn't

be the school well.

John came down with the fever first.

That was before school even started.

That's so.

This chicken pie is good.

Chicken pie?

Why, Mr. Carroll.

What is it, Thad?

The missis sent me, Parson.

It's our bobby Sam.

He's... Parson, will you come?

Of course I will.

Oh, go in if you want to.

I've given up trying

to tell you what to do.

But there's a child dead in that house

Who might be alive and

well if it weren't for you.

You've said enough!

He's dead.

Oh.

I'll go straight over.

No, wait.

I told you, didn't I, about having words

With Dan Harris down at the schoolhouse?

Happened again tonight.

He has a notion all this is my fault.

He's pretty near got me believing him.

How does he mean, your fault?

He means I picked up the fever from john

And passed it on to

the other kids somehow.

Even gave it to faith

And no telling how many others.

It isn't true.

Who are we to say it isn't true?

He's a doctor, he's a good doctor.

He knows his business.

I guess I should have

listened to him that day,

But he riled me, kind of.

Now I keep thinking maybe he was right.

Maybe he's been right all the time,

Only now it's too late...

too late for bobby Sam, anyway.

Harriet, what am I going to do?

You're going to keep on, of course,

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