The Farmer Takes a Wife Page #3

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YOU'RE GONNA LIKE IT.

MY, AIN'T THA TOO BAD NOW?

- I DIDN'T MEAN, MA'AM- -

IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE CANAL,

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA

WORK ON IT FOR?

SO AS I CAN GO EAST AND MAKE

SOME MONEY TILL I GET SETTLED.

I AIM:

TO GET ME A FARM.

I WAS:

BORN ON ONE.

ARE YOU ANY GOOD

WITH HORSES?

YES, MA'AM.

MOSTLY, THOUGH,

I ADMIRE COWS.

COWS?

YES, MA'AM.

WELL, I COULDN' STAND A FARM.

I'VE ALWAYS GOT TO BE

ON THE UP AND GO.

I WOULDN'T EXCHANGE

THE CANAL FOR ANYTHING.

- YOU SURE LIKE IT, DON'T YOU?

- I LOVE IT.

I GUESS THAT'S THE WAY

I FEEL ABOUT A FARM.

IT MUST BE FINE TO

HAVE LAND ALL YOUR OWN.

THE CANAL'S

ALL OUR OWN.

YOU AIN' GOT A DEED.

MY PART'S MINE.

I'D LIKE TO SEE ANYBODY

TRY TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME.

WHAT ABOU THE RAILROADS?

WHAT ABOUT 'EM?

SOME SAY THEY'LL PUT THE

CANAL OUT OF BUSINESS.

ANYWAYS, IT AIN' THE WHOLE OF LIFE.

TO ME, IT IS

THE WHOLE OF LIFE.

THINGS HAPPEN:

ON THE CANAL.

THERE'S BOATS COMIN',

AND THERE'S BOATS GOIN'

AND PASSING:

ALL THE WHILE.

AND LIKE US NOT, THERE'S

A FIGHT AT EVERY LOCK,

AND THERE'S EXCITEMEN ALL THE TIME AND SPEED.

WHY, ONCE LAST YEAR I WAS IN FOUR

DIFFERENT CITIES IN ONLY TWO DAYS.

NATURALLY, THOUGH,

YOU WOULDN'T LIKE I IF YOU TOOK SUCH A FRENZY FOR A FARM.

SOME THINGS:

I LIKE ABOUT IT.

WELL, YOU'LL LIKE

SAMSON WEAVER.

HOPE YOU:

GET THE JOB.

THANK YOU,

MA'AM.

MAYBE THE CANAL:

WILL GROW ON YOU.

OH, MR. WEAVER.

- OH!

HERE'S YOUR DRIVER.

OH-HO!

HIS NAME IS:

DANIEL HARROW.

HARROW? YOU AIN'T KIN

TO HENRY HARROW, ARE YOU?

WELL, MY PA'S NAME

WAS HENRY HARROW.

WELL, BY HOLY DANG! OF COURSE.

YOU'RE THE SPITTING IMAGE OF HIM.

HMM, YOUR FATHER

HAD THE GOLDEN CITY.

- YES, SIR.

- HIS FATHER WAS A CANALLER?

HIS FATHER MADE THE

RECORD RUN ON THE ERIE.

SCHENECTADY TO BUFFALO IN THREE

DAYS, 11 HOURS, AND 37 MINUTES.

DANGED SIDE BETTER THAN FOUR MILES

AN HOUR, AND HIS FATHER DONE IT.

AND WITH A FATHER

LIKE THAT,

AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER

YOU'RE GONNA LIKE THE CANAL.

NO, MA'AM.

WELL, WHAT EVER

BECAME OF YOUR PA?

HE DIED:

FIVE YEARS AGO.

OH, I'M SORRY

TO HEAR THAT.

WELL, SON,

YOU GET THE JOB.

THANK YOU,

MR. WEAVER.

GUESS I'LL BE

RUNNING ALONG.

WELL, GOODBYE,

MISS LARKINS.

I HOPE I AIN'T SEEN

THE LAST OF YOU, MA'AM.

OH, SEE YOU ALONG

THE BIG DITCH.

OUR BOAT'S

CALLED THE EMMA.

I DON'T KNOW

THE NAME OF OURS.

THE SARSEY SAL, AND I

HOPE YOU LIKE HER, LAD.

I'M BEGINNING

TO THINK I WILL.

WE START EAS TOMORROW.

WHAT ARE YOU AND KLORE HAULING, MOLLY?

WE'RE GOING EAST. BE IN

LITTLE FALLS WEDNESDAY.

SO WILL WE!

WE'LL SEE YOU THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL BE THERE.

HEY, MOLLY!

CHANGED MY MIND.

WE'LL EAT ON THE BOAT.

ALL RIGHT,

JOTHAM.

YOU KNOW, ASIDE OF

BEING BOSSY, I LIKE YOU.

I DON'T WANNA PUNISH YOU TOO MUCH.

YOU GOT A LOAD FOR

LITTLE FALLS, AIN'T YOU?

I GIVE IT UP. WON'T PAY

TO GO EAST, THIS TRIP.

GONNA GET ME:

A CARGO FOR ROCHESTER.

- GOING WEST?

- YES.

- JOTHAM?

- YEP?

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE

MAN WHO DIDN'T RELISH A FIGHT?

I CAN'T BLAME A MAN MUCH FOR

NOT RELISHING A FIGHT WITH ME.

WELL, NOT WITH YOU

- WITH ANYBODY.

YOU MEAN NOT RELISHING

A FIGHT AS A FIGHT?

YEAH.

I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE

HEARD OF ANYBODY LIKE THAT,

- DID YOU?

- NO.

WHAT'D YOU ASK FOR

THEN?

OH, I WAS JUST THINKING

ABOUT IT, THAT'S ALL.

ALL RIGHT, YOU CAN PICK THAT UP A SCHINDLER'S EARLY IN THE MORNING.

- YEAH.

- HOW YOU BEEN HIBERNATING, SOL?

FINE.

MR. FISHER, I HEARD

THERE'S A FULL CARGO OF GRAIN

- FOR ROCHESTER.

- I'M SETTLING THAT NOW WITH MR. TINKER.

I'VE GO THAT LOAD.

WELL, YOU WOULDN'T MIND LETTING

ME HANDLE THAT CARGO, SOL.

BUT IT'S

ALREADY FIXED.

YOU CAN EASY:

GET ANOTHER LOAD.

PAPERS IS ALREADY MADE OUT.

A LITTLE EXTRA:

HANDWRITING:

AIN'T GONNA SEND YOU

INTO A DECLINE.

I'LL BE BACK IN 20

MINUTES TO SIGN FOR IT.

I'D GIVE $5 OF MY OWN MONEY TO

SEE SOMEBODY WHIP THAT FELLA.

- WE'LL GET ALONG FINE, DANIEL.

- YES, SIR.

I AIN'T GOT NO COOK, BUT I CAN BOIL A

GOOD AS EGG AS YOU CAN FIND ALONG THE ERIE.

AND STEAK IS:

EASY TO FRY.

- WELL, ANYTHING ELSE FOR US TO SETTLE?

- THE WAGES.

REGULAR WAGES. STAR YOU RIGHT AT THE TOP-

- $12 A MONTH.

- THANK YOU, MR. WEAVER.

LET'S GO DOWN

TO THE BLACKSMITH.

THEY'VE GOT MY HORSES

BEING SHOED.

- OH, SAMSON.

- YES?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO PURCHASE

A TICKET FOR THE OHIO?

I AIM TO BUY ONE,

YES.

THERE YOU ARE.

$1.

I MADE $2, AND SPEN IT ON THESE TICKETS,

BUT UPON REFLECTION, I DECIDED

IT WASN'T THE LUCKY THING TO DO.

I SHOULD RETAIN ONE OF

THE BILLS AS A KEEPSAKE.

THERE:

YOU ARE.

OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT THE SAME BILL.

- NO.

- BUT IT'LL ANSWER THE PURPOSE.

- THANK YOU, SAMSON.

- NOT AT ALL, FORTUNE.

I'M GLAD TO SEE

YOU AGAIN, MA'AM,

'CAUSE I CAN'T REMEMBER WHETHER I

TOLD YOU I WAS PLEASED TO MEET YOU.

YOU TOLD ME.

WELL, I'LL SEE YOU DAY AFTER

TOMORROW IN LITTLE FALLS.

- NO, YOU WON'T. WE'RE GOING TO ROCHESTER.

- OH.

WELL, THEN IT'S

GOODBYE, MA'AM.

OH, WE MIGH MEET AGAIN.

ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN

ON THE CANAL.

I HOPE:

IT DOES.

WELL,

GOODBYE, MA'AM.

GOODBYE.

WHO'S

THAT FELLA?

SAMSON WEAVER'S

NEW DRIVER BOY.

IT MIGHT NOT BE:

SO TERRIBLE AT THA FOR A FELLA

NOT TO RELISH A FIGHT.

WHAT ARE YOU:

TALKING ABOUT?

NOTHING. I WAS JUST THINKING.

YOU CAN DO MORE PUBLIC THINKING

THAN ANYONE I EVER SEEN.

ALL JAMMED UP:

AT THE LOCK.

IT'S GONNA HAVE

A LITTLE DELAY.

DON'T SEE NO TIME AT ALL

SINCE THIS EVENING STARTED.

JUST THINK:

- FROM ROME TO ROCHESTER,

THEN TO ALBANY, AND NOW

ALMOST BACK TO UTICA AGAIN.

THINGS SURE MOVE

ON THE CANAL.

I WONDER WHERE SAMSON

WEAVER'S BOAT IS AT.

WHY?

I WAS JUS WONDERING.

WE OUGHT TO KNOW WHO WON

THE OHIO TONIGHT IN UTICA.

WHAT'S THA CONTRAPTION?

IT'S A FOOT DRILL. I WON I FROM THAT SAME DENTIST IN ALBANY

THE DAY BEFORE I CAME TO WORK FOR YOU.

YES, AND THAT FELLA IN

HERKIMER SAID WHEN YOU

PULLED HIS TOOTH, YOU

DANG NEAR BROKE HIS JAW.

AW, HIS FACE WAS VERY BRITTLE.

MAYBE I CAN GET SOME WORK TO

DO ON THIS PACKET BOAT AHEAD.

WHY, JEEPERS,

LOOK!

YOU SEE:

THAT TALL FELLA?

- YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS?

- OH, SURE.

BY JEEPERS, IT'S JUNIUS BRUTUS BOOTH.

- THE PLAY ACTOR.

- JOTHAM TOOK ME TO SEE HIM IN ROCHESTER.

IT WAS A SHOW WHERE HE'D DONE A

TAKEOFF ON KING WHO WAS ALL HUNCHBACKED.

- RICHARD III.

- THAT'S IT.

I SAW HIM PLAY I IN PHILADELPHIA.

- I REMEMBER ONE OF HIS SAYINGS.

- YES?

"A HORSE! A HORSE!

MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE!"

YOU MUST HAVE BEEN

TO THE THEATER, YOUNG MAN.

I WAS! THAT'S A GOOD SHOW YOU GOT.

I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT, BUT IT WAS FINE.

IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE SO

VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.

IT WAS WRITTEN BY A GREAT POE - SHAKESPEARE.

NOW, MR. BOOTH, I'VE BEEN

AN ADMIRE OF YOURS FOR YEARS.

THANK YOU, SIR.

I WAS WONDERING IF YOU'D

DO ME AN UNUSUAL HONOR.

IF I CAN, I SHOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO.

WOULD YOU LET ME TAKE

OUT ONE OF YOUR TEETH?

- UH- - THAT IS PROVIDED, OF

COURSE, IT SHOULD COME OUT.

YOU SEE, I'M SORT OF A DENTIST.

MY TEETH ARE QUITE SOUND. THANK YOU.

FATHER, MAY I GO ON THE

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