The Homecoming: A Christmas Story Page #9

There was a regular whirlwind

of them.

And in that whirlwind

of golden leaves,

Ashley Longworth kissed me.

Ashley left

that evening.

I heard from him once.

Farewell letter,

you might call it.

Then nothing.

I think of him often, but...

as the years have gone by,

and still no word of him comes,

I've decided he must have died

in one of the wars.

JOHN-BOY:

Yes, ma'am.

I'm sorry.

Do y...?

Do you think maybe

that we could

borrow some... ?

I'm sorry, Miss Emily.

MAMIE:

Emily, put a record

on the Victrola.

Emily!

Oh.

It'll probably need winding.

Hasn't been used

since the last time

we had a party.

That was

before Papa died.

Remember when all the Buckingham

cousins dropped in?

Papa hadn't seen them

in years.

Oh, we played hymns

and sang, and afterwards,

everyone started

drinking the recipe

and hugging and crying.

Oh, mercy.

That was a day to remember.

( Italian

operatic aria playing )

It's Mr. Enrico Caruso.

Oh.

The nice thing

about life is

you never know

when there's going

to be a party.

Wouldn't have been

if our Christmas travelers

hadn't taken it in mind

to stop by.

( record skipping )

Sit still, everybody.

It's no catastrophe.

Oh, ladies,

ladies, ladies,

never mind

that. Uh-uh.

What a Christmas.

Praise the Lord.

You know, I

remember so well

your papa and my papa

singing together.

Oh, how I wish

I could have been there

when they sang

"Throw Out the Lifeline."

Oh, well,

then follow me.

Throw out the life line

Throw out the life line

( ladies join in ):

Someone is drifting away

Throw out the life line

Throw out the life line

Someone is sinking today

Throw out the life line

across the dark way

There is a brother

whom someone should save

Somebody's brother,

oh, who, then would dare

To throw out the life line

a world of care?

Throw out the life line

Throw out the life line

Someone is drifting away

Throw out the life line

Throw out the life line

Someone is sinking today.

( everybody laughing )

Miss Emily,

Miss Mamie,

we got to

have some gas.

Gas?

Sister,

where do we keep the gas?

In the car, sister.

But I'm afraid

there isn't any.

What you need it for?

Well, I was out

looking for my daddy

in Charlie Snead's car,

and I run out.

Why didn't you say so

in the first place?

Come on.

Ah!

Throw out the life line,

throw out the life line

Someone is drifting away...

( bells jingling )

Hyah, hyah, hyah!

( bells jingling )

Hyah!

( laughter )

Don't worry about

anything, Johnny-Boy.

We're going to

find your daddy.

Well, I'm much obliged

to everybody.

I'm just sorry

about all the trouble.

Trouble?

It's an adventure.

We kept Papa's

sleigh dusted

and polished

all these years

just waiting

for an occasion.

Oh, my, my, my!

Isn't this

a treat?

Well, it will be just as soon

as we find my daddy.

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

in a one-horse open sleigh

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

in a one-horse open sleigh.

Oh, I said whoa there,

big fella.

Hold on.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Well, can't we

get into the woods

and go around it?

We could try,

can't we, Hawthorne?

No. She'll founder in the drift.

I'm afraid we're going to have

to turn around.

Well, I got to

go on from here

on foot then.

Oh, it's 30 miles

to Charlottesville, boy.

It'll take you a week

to get there.

John-Boy, you must let us

take you home.

I have got to

find my daddy.

Now, you don't know

where he is,

and if anything happens to him,

you're going to be needed

at home, so let's go.

Come on. Come over there.

Come on there.

come on.

Now that's it, girl.

Come on.

That's it,

that's it,

that's it.

Oh, yeah.

Whoa, whoa, whoa,

whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

All right.

( calling to horses )

Come on.

All right, come on.

Come on there. Come on.

( calling to horses )

Come on there.

( bells jingling )

( bells continue jingling )

( whispering ):

You hear something?

I sure did.

What is that?

Santa Claus.

We'll just see

about that.

Let go of me!

If he sees you,

he won't leave any presents.

Don't worry,

he won't see me.

Now turn me

loose.

We're supposed

to be asleep.

Don't worry, honey.

He'll never know.

Come on.

We can watch

from the head of the stairs.

Come on. Don't you want

to see him?

Let's go.

Who is it, Livia?

Can't make out,

Grandma.

Mama, it's

Santa Claus.

What are you children doing

out of bed?

It's not Santa Claus.

GRANDMA:

Whoever it is

has let somebody out.

Is that John?

OLIVIA:

Looks more like John-Boy.

Is my daddy with him?

No.

He's all alone.

Why don't you children go back

to bed?

You said if we rested a while,

we could see the miracle.

( bells jingling )

Honey, there's not going

to be any miracle.

Just the same,

I'd like to

see for myself.

( door opening )

Is Daddy home?

Not yet.

Who was that let you off

down at the gate?

Oh, it was Miss Mamie

and Miss Emily Baldwin.

They give me a ride home

in their pappy's sleigh.

ELIZABETH:

We thought it

was Santa Claus.

What am I going to do

with you, boy?

I send you

looking for your daddy,

and you end up joyriding

with two old lady bootleggers.

I wasn't

joyriding, Mama.

Well, they-they took

me to look for Daddy.

We got right far,

but there was a tree

down in the road

stopped us dead.

What's that you got

in your hand?

Oh, it's a

present, Mama,

from Miss Mamie

and Miss Emily.

Bootleg whiskey.

Don't those crazy old women know

I don't allow whiskey

in this house?

I've got young children

in this house.

What sort of example

do they think we set here?

You take it out yonder

and pour it on the ground.

Mama...

it's not whiskey,

Mama, it's eggnog.

I ought to be

ashamed of myself.

Well, it'll be midnight

before you know it.

I'll be getting

to the church now.

Old man, you stay

in this house.

You're too old

to be prancing

around in the cold.

Old woman,

you're not the boss of me.

I got to ring in Christmas.

Papa, it's awful

slippery outside.

Nobody will expect you to ring

the church bells tonight.

Well, the Methodists will

be ringing in Christmas,

and so will the Episcopals.

Well, the Baptist bell

is going to be ringing

right along with them.

Well, you want one of my

children to go along with you?

I'll be all right,

daughter.

Ladies and gentlemen,

since you'll be asleep

when I come home,

I bid you merry Christmas.

( all saying good-bye)

Merry Christmas,

you old fool.

I thought we were going

to the stable.

All right.

Will you go with us, John-Boy,

to see the miracle

in the barn?

Yeah, sure, honey. I'll go.

Anybody else? Grandma?

No, I'm going to bed.

I'm... I'm too tired

to keep my eyes open.

Good night, everybody.

ALL:

Good night.

How about you, Mama?

First miracle

I want to see tonight

is your daddy

walking through that door.

Tell us the story

again, John-Boy.

When Jesus was born,

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