The Homecoming: A Christmas Story Page #8

Fear not, for behold, I bring

you tidings of the great joy,

which shall be to all people.

For unto is born this day, in

the city of David, a savior,

which Christ the Lord.

ALL:

Yeah! Amen!

Hey, Mary,

what you gonna name

That pretty

little baby?

Some call him

one thing

I think I'll

call him Jesus

Hey, Mary,

what you gonna call

That little pretty baby?

Some call him

one thing

I think I'll

call him Emanuel

Hey, Mary

What you gonna name

that pretty little baby?

Some call him one thing

I think

I'll call him Savior.

Hey, let's give the children

an "Amen"!

ALL:

Amen!

That's so nice!

Very glad.

Had a little trouble there,

but we got through it.

Let's all bow our heads

in prayer.

O most gracious Father,

we thank thee

for this cold evening,

and the warm hearts that

are here in church tonight.

ALL:

Amen.

We ask thee, O Lord,

to help us to be worthy

of this marvelous Savior.

We ask this in Your name's sake.

Amen.

ALL:

Amen.

Let's give the children

another big hand.

( applause )

( knocking on wall )

Is there somebody knocking

at the door back there?

Merry Christmas!

All right!

Merry Christmas!

Hello, sonny boy.

Merry Christmas

to you, son.

Merry Christmas,

John-Boy.

Merry Christmas,

Hawthorne.

Now, how come

you're out here

so late this time

of night, huh?

Well, I was out

in Charlie Snead's car

looking for my daddy,

and I run out of gas.

I was wondering if you knew

where I could find some.

No, but I can give you a ride

over to Ike's store,

but I'm afraid

it's closed by now.

You got one before.

Didn't you get one?

Okay.

Merry Christmas.

Oh, I think you're best bet

would be the Baldwin place.

Well, they

don't sell gas.

Oh, no, no, they,

uh, you know,

they have customers

come in there to get

some of the recipe,

and we can borrow

a little gas from them.

All right?

I reckon that's worth a try.

And if there ain't

nobody there,

well, then, we'll just burn

a little of the recipe.

All righty.

Let me take care of the kids

and send them on home,

and then we'll be

on our way, all right?

Claudine! Emerine! Ike!

Y'all better come on home now.

I got to take care

of business here this evening.

Ah!

Remember this one, Mamie?

Ashley Longworth

brought it

that Christmas

he came courting.

I still think of Ashley

now and then.

Did you know that?

Yes.

What?

Yes!

He thought highly of you.

But he loved me.

Someone has run out

of the recipe.

Did it ever occur

to you, sister,

that if I'd married

Ashley Longworth,

you would be

carrying on

the Christmas tradition

all alone.

Mamie?

Mamie!

You've missed

every word I've said.

Oh, well, just because

you're gone, there's no reason

not to carry on

the conversation, is there?

Do you remember that Christmas,

oh, Poppy had all the cousins

from Buckingham County here,

and the house caught fire?

It's Hawthorne Dooley,

Miss Mamie.

Oh.

How nice of you to call.

Who else is out there?

John-Boy Walton, Miss Mamie.

Oh, come in.

Come in.

We called

the fire engines out,

they didn't get here for ages,

and Poppy had to come find me

in his nightshirt.

Oh, I shouldn't

have mentioned that.

Came back in the house,

and everybody started

drinking the recipe

and having a fine time.

Company, Emily.

Two Christmas travelers.

Oh!

I know you.

Do I know you?

John-Boy Walton,

Miss Emily.

Mercy!

You're nearly as big

as your daddy.

Yes, ma'am.

And, uh, Hawthorne?

Evening, Miss Emily.

You all, uh, together?

Oh, that's just about

the size of it, Miss Emily.

Well, isn't this a treat,

sister?

Company on Christmas Eve.

My sister and I

were just having

our Christmas joy.

Come on in by the fire

and enjoy it with us.

Uh-huh.

No, I got no time

for Christmas joy.

I thought we come here

to get some gas.

You're going

to get it, boy.

But you don't rush

these ladies.

Now...

But they're crazy!

Then you just

play crazy, too.

Yoo-hoo!

Take seats,

take seats.

Oh, why, we can't

stay, Miss Emily.

But you only

just got here.

( sighs ):

Well...

Isn't this jolly?

( nervous chuckle )

JOHN-BOY:

Is that the judge?

MAMIE:

Yes, indeed.

These are

the judge's quarters.

Spent the last eight years

of his life in these rooms

reading his law books

and drinking the recipe.

And entertaining

his friends.

Sister!

Those stories

simply are not true.

There were no ladies.

Only gentlemen.

Except for Miss

Flossie and Miss May.

Cousins, sister! Cousins!

Papa always

called them cousins.

Well, they certainly

dropped out of the family

after Papa died.

Oh, the judge

certainly was

a gadabout.

Wasn't he ever?

Yes.

Sister...

Why, some nights,

he'd just vanish

and never volunteer

to tell either of us

where he'd been.

Oh, didn't he

ever tell you

where he went

on those nights?

Sometimes I suspected

it was something

we had no right to know.

Oh. Well, now,

I'll tell you.

He used to come

and visit my papa.

The judge

would show up

in the evening

with a whole gallon jug

of the recipe,

and then he and Papa

would sip

and they'd sip

and they'd sip.

Then 'long about 10:00,

one of them

would start to singing,

and then the other one

would join in.

"When the Roll Is Called

Up Yonder," I wager.

Oh, yeah, that was one

of their favorites.

Yes, it was.

And they'd keep on singing

until, uh,

they couldn't stand up. Yeah.

And then Mama,

she'd put them to bed,

and they'd just keep on singing

until they fell asleep.

( laughing )

EMILY:

He knew that hymnal

from front

to finish.

( sotto voce ):

I have got to go.

What's that?

Oh, nothing, Miss Emily.

( sotto voce ):

You have got to stay.

EMILY:

You gentlemen must be

frozen to death.

Take off those wet boots

and let them dry by the fire

while we visit.

No, we really can't stay,

Miss Emily.

You see, we...

you see, we...

MAMIE:

Nonsense.

Now, take off

your shoes

and those damn

socks, too,

before you

both come down

with lung trouble.

There are going to be

socks hanging

by our fireplace again.

( chuckling )

What's Santa Claus

going to say

when he sees that?

Sister, you're such

a ninny,

believing in Santa Claus

at your age.

Why, I do, I do.

Just because he doesn't

pay us a call anymore

is no reason

to stop believing.

Hawthorne?

Mm-hmm?

Do you remember

Ashley Longworth?

Yes, I have heard of him,

Miss Emily.

Your papa used

to speak of him.

Did he really?

Mm-hmm.

What did he say?

Well, I don't think

he held too high

of an opinion of him.

Oh.

I sometimes wonder

whatever happened

to Ashley Longworth.

Papa chased him off

is what happened.

( soft chuckle )

My, wasn't he the

handsome thing, Mamie?

Knew it, too.

Oh.

Anything

that handsome had

to know it.

I always remember

my 25th birthday.

October 19.

Ashley was here as usual,

and he asked me

to go for a walk with him.

The woods were afire with color,

and as we stood

under a maple tree,

a shower of golden leaves fell.

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