Stars in My Crown Page #7

The same as always.

Why, now, with all this trouble,

Now's the time when

people need you most.

They... you know what

Dan Harris told me,

Right off?

"Go home and stay there. "

I wasn't man enough to do it.

I can't say whether I'm man

enough to do it now, but...

I aim to find out.

Tomorrow, though.

The services?

There aren't gonna be any services.

"Services will not

be held at this church

"Until further notice.

"We ask your prayers for the sick.

J.D. Gray, pastor. "

When the Parson

closed the door to the church,

He also closed the door on himself.

It was all he could do now

For the folks who trusted him.

The rest was up to young doc Harris.

So, in a way, you see,

this unhappy time was

Young doc's real homecoming.

Now, for the first time, he knew

how good it was to be needed;

Good to be watched for and

welcomed like a trusted friend.

It was even good to go

red-Eyed and dog-Tired,

Snatching sleep wherever he could

On the road from house to house

In order that others might

sleep easier because of him.

He just couldn't go

on feeling a stranger

Among folks whose lives

had suddenly become

A part of his life.

It's all right. He'll recover.

Oh, thank god.

The lucky

ones, like the Isbells,

Whose faces spoke their thanks

to him better than any words,

And the others, like

Kate and Harry Ware,

Whose sorrow was his sorrow.

I did all I could.

I know, doc.

I reckon what we need now

Is another kind of help.

Then it began to

seem to young doc that perhaps

He, too, stood in need

of another kind of help.

But beyond that lighted

window, if he'd only known it,

Was a man in deeper need than his.

All that we had in those days came

From the people of Walesburg.

The house that sheltered us,

The food we ate, the clothes we wore.

But what we learned to value

most was none of these things.

It was the living faith in the hearts

Of those who gave them.

We'd never been rich... except in that.

And now we were poor indeed.

For days, no one had come

knocking at the Parsonage door.

And for the first time

since I could remember,

There wasn't enough to eat.

If you're going out,

put on your other coat.

Did I mention I was going out?

I thought you might be going up

To the burying ground again.

They buried the ware child today.

I... I saw the rigs go by.

I thought I would go up there.

Mr. Gray, it's been

nearly two weeks now.

Won't you write the

bishop to send somebody?

Somebody to do my job for me?

It's still my job.

If the folks around here want a change,

They'll ask for it.

It's for them to say, not me.

I reckon you're thinking

They'll do just that before long;

Maybe even hoping they will.

No.

John believes in you, the same as I do.

That ought to be enough for any man.

Any man except you.

You don't have to make

any pretty speeches to me.

If john and I were enough for you,

You wouldn't be the man that you are...

I know that.

And I know that what you want now

Is so much more than we can give you.

More than food or

shelter or praise or love,

What you want is your town back again.

# It was good enough #

# For my father #

# It was good enough for me #

Well, boy, come in this house.

I ain't laid eyes on you in so long,

I was near 'bout 'fraid you'd forgot me.

I've come for belle. Is she here?

My belle?

Well, you ain't fixin' to go huntin'

This time of night, is you?

Yes, I am. We need...

well, aunt Harriet, she wants me to.

Hmm. Well, you better step inside.

I'm standing in a breeze.

I've just come for belle.

Well, belle, she ain't

accepting invitations just now.

Look at what's happened

since you was here last.

What's the trouble, boy?

Who told you about any trouble?

Your face is doing the talking.

Well, I can't help

it. It's awful at home.

It's just like being in jail...

only it's worse than being in jail,

'Cause we ain't done nothing.

Course you ain't.

Well, why does there have to be

Such a thing as slow fever?

What's it good for,

except to hurt people?

We can't know everything, honey.

Might be good in it yet...

we're just obliged to wait and see.

But I've waited, and I still don't see.

Well, the slow fever ain't no new story.

I reckon it's kind of like

the sow thistle in the field...

just bound to crop

up every now and then.

I've known water just as

sweet and clean-Looking

As you'd want to see

give folks the slow fever.

Seem like that fever will

get into a creek or a well

In spite of everything.

Couldn't be the creek.

I never drank any of that creek water.

I ain't said it was the creek.

Facts is, when I first heered

About all them children taking sick,

I said to myself right off,

"That school well is done diseased. "

But I reckon... what?

I said... no, I mean

about the school well.

I mean, maybe that was the cause of it.

Oh, I reckon not.

I reckon they examined that well...

what's ailin' you?

Boy, where are you runnin' to?

John Kenyon!

John?

I know what gave

everybody the slow fever.

Take it easy, son.

It was the school well.

Uncle famous got some

puppies. Can I have one?

It couldn't be the school well, dear.

The Parson thought of that first thing.

Don't you remember you were taken sick

A week before school started?

But I drank out of the well.

Say that again.

Honest, I did.

I was up there one

day with chase Isbell,

And, well, we didn't know

the well had slow fever in it.

Harriet, where's my hat?

Now, who's gonna notify gene

Caldwell to board up that well?

I'll notify him.

Good. Tell him to meet me out there

As quick as he can make it.

We'll do the job together.

And, john,

As soon as you've done

that, I want you to help me

Spread the word around town.

You, too, honey, if you will.

We've got to make certain

That well's done all

the damage it can do.

Parson, they want you

over to Mrs. Belcher's.

I reckon miss faith Samuels is a-Dyin'.

Faith?

John and I will tend to things. You go.

Sure.

Who sent you, chloroform?

Them over to Mrs. Belcher's.

But who? Was it Mrs. Belcher?

Oh, no, Parson. Young

doc asked me to fetch you.

Thanks.

Evening, Mrs. Belcher.

Mr. Gray, I sent for you

Because I know she'd

want you to be here.

There's nothing more I can do for her.

Please wait outside.

Once you asked me to leave a sickroom.

Now I'm asking you to leave one.

"This is your last chance.

"You've got 24 hours

to clear off this land.

"Get off, or get a

rope around your neck.

We mean business. The nightriders. "

Let me see.

Can't understand it.

Just can't understand it.

Why, there ain't a man for miles around

That I ain't knowed as well

as I know this boy here.

You still don't want to sell?

I don't see how I can do that, Parson.

That's my property. Everybody knows it.

If I've got to die, I'll

do it on my property.

Mr. Backett? I'm here to tell you

This persecution of uncle

famous has gone far enough.

You call... now hold on, Parson.

I'm a churchgoing man, and you know it,

But that don't give you the right

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