Young People Page #3

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Oh, you're up.

Did that rooster wake you too?

- Wendy, the time has come-

- Yes, I know. For breakfast.

I'm starved.

Mom, you look simply scrumptious

in that gingham dress.

You're the prettiest and "bestest" of all.

And you too, Dad.

You look like a million yourself.

In fact, we look like three million.

Listen, Wendy.

This is gonna be tough, honey. Very tough.

Sure. I know.

It's always tough on a farm.

But we can lick it, the three of us.

We've done it before.

- Ah, but, Wendy, listen.

- And we'll do it again.

I'm so happy.

I guess I've never been so happy.

We mustn't let anything spoil it.

Come one, come all!

See and hear The Three Ballantines...

in their latest creation,

"Down on the Farm."

With a mom and dad like you

and this house and the farm and everything...

I'm just about the luckiest girl

in the whole world!

- But, Wendy, honey, I'm trying to tell you-

- What, Dad?

Well, I'm trying to tell you...

that you got a table to set.

Now go on. Get outta here, will ya?

Ah, gee, Kit, I couldn't tell her.

- Oh, I'm glad you didn't.

- You are?

I'm kinda scared

of the way she might take it.

Oh, honey. Well, come on.

Let's have that breakfast.

I can hardly wait to get my hands

on that plow.

All right, laugh, laugh.

Oh, you kill me.

- Well, Jeb, we all set?

- Yep.

Gee, I've been waitin'

a long time for this.

You better let me finish plowing the hill.

You'll find it smoother goin' up on the flat.

Listen, Jeb, this is my farm, and by golly

I'm gonna farm it. Put them things on me.

- Yep.

- You just get on over there and watch.

All right.

Giddap. Oh, yeah,

this is right down my back alley.

I'll probably plow

about 50 or 60 acres today.

Whoa! Whoa, Bessie! Come on, Bessie.

Stay over here in the ballpark.

Throw me out a straight man.

Come on, Bessie, cooperate.

Come around here, will ya?

Hey, you better go that way.

Don't tell me which way to go.

I know where to go.

Come on around here, Bessie.

Hurry! Bess! Come here, Bessie!

Oh, Dad!

Come and get it!

Huh. Anybody can plow

them straight lines.

But when you make 'em round like that,

you can plant more in 'em.

If you don't think so,

you go ahead and measure 'em.

That's what they call scientific farming.

Whoa. Yeah.

Anyway, that plow's crooked.

Ah, this is the life.

A hard day's work in the field,

then home to a great dinner.

Oh, a great dinner. I only hope you'll

be able to eat it. I know it's gonna be awful.

But don't you kids be foolish, because if it

isn't any good, we'll open a can of beans.

Now-

Oh, let's see it.

You open it, Wendy.

I haven't the courage.

Mom, it looks just like the ad

in the Ladies HomeJournal.

Kit! What's the matter?

Oh, I can't help it.

It's the first thing that I ever cooked.

- That's marvelous.

- It's all right.

All right. Come and get it.

We've got to step lively now if we're going

to make that meeting at the town hall.

Howdy, folks. Hello. Hello.

Well, we're here.

Ah, good evening, ladies.

- Good evening.

- Oh.

Isn't it a lovely evening?

They're shy, aren't they?

Oh!

Oh, good evening there, stranger.

Say, tell me. What kind of a crop

do you think they're gonna have this year?

- Ask me in September.

- What is it-

Oh, look.

- I'm awful glad to see you tonight, stranger.

- Huh? Yeah.

We certainly do like

your little town, Mr., uh-

- What did you say your name was?

- I don't think I said.

Chatterbox is quite a character,

ain't he?

- Don't you remember me, Mr. Stationmaster?

- Why, well, yeah.

- Hello, Jeb.

- Hello.

What's the matter with all these people?

- Have they got dyspepsia?

- No.

- Are they always like this?

- Yep.

Good evening, folks.

Makes my blood boil every time

I read that newspaper of his.

Stonefield Democrat.

Going the same way his party.

I suppose he'll start drinking too.

Newspaperman. Huh.

Uh, pardon me, mister. Could you tell me

how soon the meeting begins?

- 8:
00. Promptly at 8:00.

- Thank you so much.

You see, we're strangers.

We just moved here. We're the Ballantines.

Oh, sure. Where's your mother and father?

I'd like to get an interview.

Oh, are you a newspaper man?

Well, there seems to be

some question about that.

Mom and Dad are right over there.

I'll introduce you.

If I'd known we were going to be interviewed,

I'd have brought our scrapbook.

But that's all right.

Dad will tell you everything.

You'll like him. Everybody does.

Here's a reporter

who wants to interview us.

Mighty glad to know you,

Mr. Ballantine, Mrs. Ballantine.

I'm Mike Shea of the Democrat,

county's leading weekly.

Democrat up in this part

of New England?

Yes, sir. You're looking at the editor,

reporter and typesetter rolled into one.

- Well, tell me something. Do they read the paper here?

- They've got to.

- Only one in town.

- Mr. Shea, we really don't want any publicity.

Well, Kit, I wouldn't go

so far as to say that. We-

Neither would I.

You see, I promised Mr. Shea-

Why, you're news.

You people are an asset to this town.

- And, believe me, it can certainly use a few assets.

- Thank you very much, my friend.

You might say that we're gonna

try and fulfill our duties-

- Oh, Judy!

- You might also quote me-

He's nice, isn't he?

- Judy, I've got to talk to you.

- I haven't time.

- After the meeting then?

- I'm sorry, but we're staying for the church social.

And after that, we're going to listen

to a little shortwave at my radio store.

I don't thinkJudith

wants to talk to you, Shea.

Ah, now, Freddy,

put yourself in her place.

Why, you'd be just palpitating to talk to me.

Are you palpitating, Judy?

- Not so you could notice it.

- Well, there's your answer.

Fred, please.

I'll be with you in a moment.

- Well, what do you want?

- I want to get this whole mess straightened out, Judy.

You've been dodging me

for a week now.

I don't intend to stand here

and let you insult me.

What if I did print an editorial calling

your Aunt Hester a museum piece?

She is a museum piece. But what I say

about her, no matter what it is...

shouldn't make any difference

between you and me.

Look, Mike, what you said about

my Aunt Hester is only part of it.

It's everything you've been doing

since you took over your father's paper.

- Now wait a minute.

- Oh, I know. You had to print what you pleased.

Save the town from stagnation.

You wouldn't settle down like a normal person.

- No, not you.

- That's not you talking, Judy. That's your Aunt Hester.

Would you like me to elucidate,

young man?

I don't think it'll be necessary,

Aunt Hester.

- Good evening, ladies.

- Good evening.

- Shall we go in, Judith?

- I think we'd better find our seats.

Will you excuse us?

What a shame.

Yeah, the plot's all twisted.

Girl gets wrong boy.

- You'll have to fix that up, Dad.

- If you ask me, that girl could use some good advice.

- You said it.

- Just who, may I ask, could use some good advice?

- I was speaking about a cousin of mine from-

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