 The middle of our town is Gropos Corners, New Hampshire. It's just across the line from Massachusetts. Latitude is 42 degrees, 40 minutes. Longitude is 70 degrees, 37 minutes. Running right through the middle of the town is Main Street. Cutting across Main Street on the left is the railroad tracks. Beyond the railroad tracks is Polish town. You know, foreign folks who come here to work in the mills or a couple of Canuck families and the Catholic church. You can see the steeple of the congregational church. The Presbyterian is just across the street. The Methodist and the Unitarian are up above. The Baptist church is down in the holler by the river. Next to the post office is the town hall. Jails in the basement. Brian once made a speech right from those very steps. It's a nice town, you know what I mean? Nobody very wonderful ever come out of it, so far as we know. The earliest dates on the tombstones up there in the cemetery say 1670. They're grovers and cartwrights and gibs and fessies. Same names as you find around here now. First we'll show you a day in our town. Not as it is today in the year 1940, but as it used to be in the year 1901. All right, operator, let's start. Yes, sir, that's the way our town worked back in the year 1901. The long main streets will go up stores with kitchen posts and boss blocks in front of them. The first automobile is going to come along in about five years. The date is June 7, 1901. It's just before dawn. Here, just around. The sky is already beginning to show some streets of light in it over there in the east back of our mountain. The morning star gets a wonderful bright the moment before it has to go. The only rights on in the town are in a cottage over in Polish town where a mother is just giving birth to twins. And down on the depot where Shorty Hawkins is just getting ready to flag the 545 for Boston. She is now. Of course, naturally, out in the country all around there have been rights on for some time, what was new to them so on. But the town folks sleep late. Here comes Joe Crow delivering the morning papers. So another day has begun. Here comes Doc Gibbs from that baby case I was talking about. And this is Doc Gibbs house. His neighbor is headed to where? There's Mrs. Gibbs coming downstairs to get breakfast. Later on, about 1910, she's going out to visit her daughter Rebecca in Canton, Ohio. Mrs. Gibbs is going to die there, pneumonia. But she's going to be brought back here and she's going to be buried in the cemetery right here in our town with a whole mess of Gibbs's and Fessy's. In our town, we like to know the facts about everybody. And there's Mrs. Webb coming downstairs to get her breakfast too. Mrs. Webb was a group of the Portionary editor Webb. Yeah. How much was? Maybe. Taking milk. Now come on. Morning, Harry. Morning, Doc. Is he acting up? Oh, she's all mixed up about the rod ever since the lock. I stopped taking a quart of milk today. She wants to leave before just a second. She's sculling me the whole trip. Somebody sick? Twins over at Mrs. Goroslawski's. Oh, twins out of town. Keep getting bigger every year. Come on. Now come on, Fessy. Morning, Doc. Morning, Joe. Want your paper now? Yeah. Come on, take it. Anybody been sick, Doc? No. Twins over in Polish town. Do you always see your teacher Miss Foster going to get married? Yes, sir. She'll throw her over in concrete. I'm clear. How do you boys feel about that? Well, of course, they're not in my business. But I think of a person who starts out to be a teacher. She ought to stay one. How's the need, Joe? Fine, Doc. Never think about it at all. Only like you said. You'd always tell me when it's going to rain. What's it telling you today? Going to rain? No, sir. Sure? Yes, sir. Any never make some mistakes? No, sir. Doc? Joe. I want to tell you something about that boy Joe Crow. Joe was awful smart. So he got a scholarship to Boston Tech. Yes. He's going to be a great engineer, Joe was. But the war broke out and he died in France. All that education for nothing. Everything all right, Crow? Yes. I declare he's his kittens. Joe, Nathan will be ready in a moment. Head out and get you coffee. You'll catch a couple hours of sleep this morning, won't you? Miss Whitworth's coming over with him. I guess I know what pop to. Come again when it's all to be. I told you I'll get more than three hours of sleep. Thank you, God. I know what's going to be coming up. Joe, we should go away someplace. We'll take a rest. I think that it's really good. Mr. George, he's like something's come on lately. He's not helping me at all. Can't even get him to come in for more. Is he sassy to you? No. Just wine. All he thinks about is that old baseball. Joe, Rebecca, you'll be late. Oh, look, John. Yes, Pa. Aren't you here to mother call me? Yes. Yes, Pa. I'll go upstairs and catch you 40 weeks. Ma, what dress shall I wear? I'll wash the knives. I'm looking up for you. I hate that dress. I'll have some. Go to school just like a sick turkey. A bunch of girls, that's a fact. Well, they put your book away. Oh, Ma, but as well as I do, no books at table. As for me, I'd rather have my children healthy than bright. Well, I'm both. Mama, you know I am. I'm the brightest girl in school from my age. I have a wonderful memory. Eat your breakfast. I'll speak to you all about it when it's breakfast. You see, like 25 cents a week's enough for a girl in your age. I don't cry when I spend it all. Oh, Ma, I've got a lot of things to buy. Well, I don't think that's what you spend it on. Well, I don't think that Rebecca comes in so much money. She's got more than a dollar. I've been saving enough gradual clothing. I think it's a good thing to spend some now and then. Ma, you know what I like most in the world? You hear? Money. Eat your breakfast. No, don't go. I'll be here. Let me help you. I thought what a place was that kills me. Children say they hit him, and I don't say marriage to get him down. I'll win it. Ma, I've got to tell you something. If I don't tell somebody, I'll burst. But you'll give you. One of those secondhand furniture men from Boston came to see you last Friday. First, I thought it was a patient waiting to see Dr. Gibbs. But it wound his way right into my father's little red. He offered me $350 for grandmother Hershey's house. I'm sitting here. Well, they're going to pay me, aren't you? You don't know? $350? Well, what? Come over here. Well, if I could get the doctor to take the money and go away someplace on the trip, I'd sell it like that. You know what's always been the dream of my life to see Paris ring. Maybe I'd fold. But yes, I've been promising myself if I ever had the chance. How's Dr. Gibbs about it? Well, I did beat about the bush. She will have. But if I ever got a legacy, that's the way I put it. Well, make him take it. What'd he say? You know how he is. Haven't heard a serious word of him since I've known him. No, he says, right, make him discontent. It would go over his corners to go trade snow to yours. No, that's well enough alone he's here. Well, if that secondhand man's real serious about buying it, you sell it to him, and you'll get to see Paris. It's got hints and time to time. That's how I got Mr. Webb to take me to see Paris ring. That seems to me once in a life before you die. You ought to see a country where they don't speak English and don't even know that. That'll do, ladies. Thank you very much. Now, we'll skip a few hours. Now, before we get on, I think we ought to have a little more information about the town. The kind of a scientific account, you might say. So I think we ought to have a little more information about the town. The kind of a scientific account, you might say. So I've invited Professor Willard of our State University to come here and kind of sketch in a few details of our past history. Period of time. Am I awake? Right on time. May I introduce Professor Willard of our State University? Now, just a few brief words, Professor. Unfortunately, our time is limited. Yes, let me see. Grover's Corners. Grover's Corners live on the old class in Granite of the Appalachian range. I might say that's some of the oldest land in the world. We're very proud of that around here. Some highly interesting fossils have been found. I might say unique fossils. Two miles north of town in the Sylas Peckham's Cal pasture. These may be seen in the Museum of the University at any time. Well, that is at any reasonable time. Shall I tell them about the meteorological conditions, the mean precipitation, etc.? I'm afraid we won't have time for that, Professor. We might have a few words about the history of man here, though. Anthropological data. There's the... Earth and Amalindian stock. Kodahatchee tribes. No evidences before the 10th century of this era. Now entirely disappeared. Possible traces in three families. Migration in the early 17th century of English Brachiosophallic blue-eyed stock. And since then, some Slav and Mediterranean... And the population, Professor. Within the town limits, 2,640. The po... So, in that case, the population at the moment is 2,642. The poster ticket bringing 507 more, making a total of 3,149. Mortality, birth rates, constant. By McPherson's gauge, 6.032. Thank you very much, Professor. I'm sure we're all very much obliged here. Not at all, sir. Not at all. Good day. And now the social and political report. Where's the web? Mr. Webb. Charlie Webb is the father of Wally and Emily. Emily is the smart girl with a good memory. You know, we were so hard at breakfast. All right, that's the way the joke turned out. Well, I don't have to tell you that we're run here by a board of select men. All males vote at the age of 21. Women vote in the right. Politically, we're 86% Republican. 12% Democrat. 4% Socialist. Rest indifferent. Religiously, we're 85% Protestants. 12% Catholics. Rest indifferent. Very ordinary town, if you ask me. But our young people here seem to like it well enough. Lots of them settle down right here to live, even after they've been away to college. Now, is there anybody in the audience who'd like to ask whether to read any questions about our town? They're not simply insolvent. I wouldn't know what you'd call much. Tonight's a farmhand to meet down at Evergreen on a stable and holler some. We got one or two town drunks, but they're always having remorses every time an evangelist comes to town. No, I'd say that liquor wasn't a regular thing in the home here, except in the medicine chest. Right good for snake bites, you know, always was. Yeah? Red, is there any culture or love of beauty in those corners? Well, no, ma'am, not much. That isn't the same Q-mean. There are some girls who play the piano with the high school commencement but they ain't happy about it. No, there ain't much culture. Robinson Crusoe and the Bible and Andrew Lago. We all know that. And Whitler's mother. Well, that's about as far as we go. Thank you very much, Mr. Webb. If they don't want to get on the web... No, I'm sorry, but we haven't time for any more questions. We must be getting on with the pictures. It's getting out in the afternoon. All 2,642 pepper dinners, all the dishes have been washed. There's an early afternoon calm about the town. Charlie Webb's going home to mow his lawn. Long nine and ten thinks it's a privilege to push his own lawnmower. The afternoon's session of school is over. Doc Gibbs is in his office tapping people and making them say, Ah! Ah! Simply, who do you think you are today? You're terrible. One minute you tell me to stand up straight and the next minute you call me name. I just don't listen to you. Golly, I've never got a kid from such a great lady before. Hello, my lady. Oh, hello. You made a fine speech in class today. Well, I was really ready to make a speech on the Monroe Doctrine, but the last minute Miss Foster made me talk about the Louisiana Purchase instead. I worked an awful long time on both of them. Gee, it's funny, Emily. In my window up there, I see your headlights from doing your homework over in your room. Why, can you? You certainly do stick to it, Emily. I don't see how you can sit still that long. I guess you must like school. Well, I feel it's just something you have to go through. What do you think, Emily? We might work out a kind of telegraph from your window to mine and just give me a hit every once in a while on all those algebra problems. Well... Oh, I don't mean to answer that one. Of course not. I mean, just some little hints. Oh, I think hints are allowed, so... You get stuck, George. Just wait till to me and I'll give you some hints. Gosh. You're just naturally bright, I guess. Well, I figure it's just the way a person's born. Yeah. But you see, I want to be a farmer and what Uncle Luke says is whenever I'm ready, I can come over and work on his farm. If I'm any good at all, I can just gradually have it. You mean the house and everything? Oh, yeah. Better be getting off the baseball for you. Thanks for the talk, Emily. That room, Mrs. Webb. Good job. So long, Emily. So long, George. Nothing, Mama? Nothing. Nothing. You can come in here and have a look at John. Well, George gives that himself have a real conversation, doesn't he? He's grown up. How old would George be? Well, I don't know. Let's see. He must be around 17. Mama made a speech in class today. That was very good. You must have said it to your father. It's something I've heard about. The Louisiana Trouches was like silk off a spool. I'm going to make speeches all my life holding it too tight, Emily. Mama. Will you answer me a question? Serious? Seriously, dear, not serious. Seriously, will you? Of course I will. Mama, am I good looking? Of course you are. Both my children have gotten good features. It's a shame that they haven't. Oh, Mama, that's not what I mean. What I mean is, am I pretty? I've already told you yes. Oh, that's enough of that. You've got a nice, young, pretty face. Oh, Mama, you never tell us the truth about anything. I am telling you the truth. Mama, were you pretty? Yes, I was, if you do say it. I was a pretty, a thrilling town next to many cockroaches. Oh, but, Mama, you've got to say something about me. Am I pretty enough to give anybody? Well, to get people interested in me. Emily, you make me tired. Now, stop it. You're pretty enough for all normal purposes. Good evening. We can hear the quiet practicing of the congregational church. The children are all home doing their schoolwork. They are running down like a tired clock. It ain't no miracle. Now, do it again, ladies. Music come into the world to give pleasure. Try it again. Now, listen, everybody. Get a lot of your minds that music's only good when it's loud. You leave loudness to the Methodists. And beat them, even if you wanted to. Once again, now, art thou weary, art thou languid. It's a question, ladies and gentlemen. Make a talk. And remember, on Sunday, take the second verse real soft. Sort of die out at the end. It's not work at all. The moon nights are terrible. Emily, did you get the third problem? The third. Well, yes, George. That's the easiest of them all. I don't see it. Well, Emily, could you give me a hint? I'll tell you one thing. The answer is in yards. In yards? What do you mean? Square yards. Oh, square yards. Yes, George, don't you see? Yeah. Square yards of wallpaper. Oh, I see. Square yards of wallpaper. Thanks a lot, Emily. You're welcome. Moonlight terrible. Think if you hold your breath. You can hear the train all the way to Kentucky. Oh, what do you know? I'd better get back now and try to work. Good night, Emily. Good night, George. Yes, Paul. You're so thoughtful, George. I'll only keep you a minute. George, how old are you? Me? Well, I'm past 17. What do you want to do after school's over? You know, Paul, I want to be a farmer, and I'll go expand. And you'll be willing with you to get up early and milk and feed the stock. And you'll be able to hoe and hay all day. Sure, I will. What do you mean, Paul? Well, George, when I was here in the office today, I heard a funny sound. What do you think it was? It was your mother chopping wood. No, there you think your mother. Getting up early, cooking meals all day, washing and pining, and yet she has to go out in the backyard and chop wood. I suppose she got tired asking you. I suppose she just gave up and decided it was easier to do it herself. You put on the clothes, she keeps nice clear. Then you run out and play baseball. Hired girl we kept around the house but didn't like very much. I knew all I had to do was call it to your attention. There's a handkerchief sound. Happened to your mother. Her practice never was as late as this before. I only had that eight-part. I don't know what she wants in that choir anyway. She hadn't got any more boys than an old crow. They'd sing around the street this hour of the night. Just about time you retired. Don't you think, George? Real nice five-practice, won't you? Mother Webb, look at that move. Potato weather, sure. Well, naturally, I didn't want to say a word about it in front of those others. But now we're alone. Really, it's the worst scandal that ever was in this town. Why, Simon, think so now. But Julia, they have the ordinance of a church drink. And drunk year after year. Julia, you know you were drunk tonight. No, no, we all know about Mr. Simpson. We all know about the properties he drew. And Dr. Ferguson knows too. This one's ready to keep him on his job there. The only thing the rest of us can do is just not to notice it. Not to notice it, but it's getting worse. No, it ain't, Norella. It's getting better. I've been in that choir twice as long as you have. And it doesn't happen anywhere near for often. Oh, my. I hate to go to bed on a night like this. Well, good night, Norella. Good night. Good night, Julia. Good night, Mother. Yeah, I know, right, Norella? Oh, that's rather sad. I can see Mr. Stone scowling at the window now. The men won't carry on. Good night, Julia. Good night, Norella. See you on Sunday. See you again. No matter where. Good time. You're late enough. Friend came to me later than usual. You stopping the gossip with a lot of hate. Now don't be grouchy. Now, my dear, you're crook. What did you do all the time I was away? Oh, I read as usual. Well, what did the girls gossip about tonight? Believe me, Simon, there's something to gossip about. Simon Simpson? Far gone, was he? Oh, the worst I've ever seen. And how's it all going to end? Dr. Ferguson can't forgive him forever. I guess I know Simon as well as anybody in this town. Some people just ain't made for a small town life. I don't know how that'll end. Well, there's nothing we can do but leave it alone. Get in. Oh, my God, yes. Frank, I'm worried about you. What are you worried about? Well, I think it's my duty to plan for you to get a real rest and change. And if I get that legacy, I'm going to insist upon it. No, no, Julie. There's no sense in going all over that again. Come on. It's getting late. First thing you'll know, you'll catch a cold. I gave George a piece of my mind tonight. I reckon you'll get your woodchuck for a little while anyway. You know, Batman's a fair child. I always lost a friend doing it every night. All the people out in that part of town do. Oh, I'm getting too acidified. I have trouble with them. I haven't got a thing fit to burn it, and everybody knows it. Gossel? Leaving Mr. Webb? Quiet moon. Yeah, quiet night. Simon Stimson is drawing around a little. I guess I might as well move him out to my point. So I look the other way, and he is now. Even Simon, most of the town sat down for the evening. I guess we'd better do the same. And I walk along with you. That's going to end. Well, Bill, if you see my boy smoking cigarettes, you will work with him. He thinks a lot of you will. I don't think he smokes on those cigarettes, Mr. Webb. At least we're not more than two or three in here. Well, I hope not. Good night, Bill. Good night, Mr. Webb. How are you feeling bad? I don't know. I just can't sleep yet. Moonlight's so wonderful. Now, let's just get to you, Richard. Can you smell it? You have troubles on your mind, have you, Emily? Troubles? No. Well, don't let your mother get you. Good night, Emily. I know we told you about that letter. Jane Crawford talked to the minister when she was six. He wrote Jane a letter and on the envelope, the address was by six. He said, Jane Crawford. The Crawford sign. Grover's corner. Sutton County. New Hampshire. The United States of America. That's funny about that. But listen, it's not finished. The United States of America. Pony Hill in North America. Western Hemisphere. The Earth. The solar system. The universe. The mind is gone. That's what it said on the envelope. Hey, one and all. Yep, and the parcel brought it just this time. Well, three years have gone by. The sun's come up over a thousand times. Summers and winters have cracked the mountains a little bit more and the rains brought down some of the dirt. Some babies who weren't even born before had begun talking regular sentences already. And some folks who thought they were right young and spry have discovered they can't bound up or fly the stairs the way they used to without their hearts fluttering a little. All that can happen in a thousand days. Nature's been pushing and contriving in other ways too. A number of young people fell in love and got married. Most everybody in the world gets married. In this town there aren't hardly any exceptions. Most everybody climbs into the grave married. What you've seen was called the daily life. Let's call what you're going to see love and marriage. So it's three years later, 1904. It's July 7th, just after the high school commencement. That's the time most young people jump up and get married. Soon as they pass their final examinations in solar geometry and Cicero's orations, that's the time most young people think themselves fitted to get married. It's early morning again. Only this time it's been raining. It's been sundering and pouring. Well, I don't know. May start in again any moment. There's a 545 for Boston. There's Cicero delivering the papers like his brother before him. And there's Mrs. Gibbs. And Mrs. Webb coming downstairs to get practice just as old as for a modern day. I don't have to point out to the women in the audience that both these ladies they see before them. Both these ladies have been cooking three meals a day, one of them for 21 years and the other for 25, and never took a summer vacation. There's two children at peace, washed, cleaned the house, and never had another breakdown. And here comes Howie Newsom and Bessie delivering the milk. Come on, Dad. Anything in the paper I ought to know? Come on, Mom. George Gibbs, huh? I don't see I'd give up a second off that just to get married. I can't say. There ain't no talent that way. But in 95 we had a player side that even George Gibbs wouldn't have touched. Name a Hank Todd. But he went down to May in the summer portion. Wonderful ball player. All right. Howie? More than this Gibbs. That's too bad it's too wet, but I guess it's made up for good. Certainly, I hope it is. But I have a hard pool of relations today, Howie. Looks like I'll need three a milk and two a cream. I am milk and two a cream. My wife says to tell you we hope to be happy. You know the will. I'll tell you why. I hope she gets away. Maybe she can. She'll get there if she can. More than this, Will. Why, Mr. Newsom? I told you four quarts, but I hope you would stand me another. Yes, and my birth is quite a cream, too. Here's Newsom told me special to tell you that I hope to be very happy. I know the will. Thank you, Mr. Newsom. Come and thank Mrs. Newsom. They're coming on seeing you at the church. Yes, sir. We hope you get there all right. Wouldn't this man? Days come. I'm losing one of your chicks. Thank you. Don't you say another word. I feel like crying in the minutes. Coons upstairs, shaving himself. Only made very much to shave. He's whittling and saying like he was glad to leave us. Every now and then saying, I do, to the mirror. Oh, they don't sound convincing to me. I don't know how he's going to get along. I've always arranged his clothes for him. Seeing the rest of his feet were dry and he had warm things on. He's too young for him. And we'll never think of him, please. He'll catch his breath in the week. I remember my wedding morning, Julie. Don't stop that. Thank you. When I finished, young fellow in the state of New Hampshire. Thought I'd made a mistake for sure. And when I saw you coming down the aisle, I thought you were the prettiest girl I'd ever seen. The whole trouble was, I'd never seen you before. There I was, right in the congregational church, being married to a total stranger. Well, how do you think I sound? I'm pretty pretty. Weddings are perfectly horrible things. That's what they are. I made something for you. Why, Julie Hersey. French toast. It wasn't hard to make. I had to do something. I have to sleep last night, Julie. Oh, I'm stuck off. I get a shock every time I think of George setting out as a family man. That great gangrene thing. I tell you, Julie, there's nothing in the world so terrifying as a son. The relation between a father and a son is that dangest awkwardness. Mother and daughter's no picnic, I can tell you. A lot of trouble, I suppose, but that's none of our business. You know one thing that scared me when I married you? What's wrong with you? I was afraid we didn't have material for conversation more than at last a few weeks. No, no, no, no, no. I was afraid we'd run out and have to eat our meals in silence. All right. Well, you and I have been conversing for 20 years without any noticeable barren spells. Good weather, bad weather. It's a very choice. I always find something to say. Did you hear Rebecca stand around up there? No. This is the only day of the year when she isn't managing everyone's affairs up there. She's hiding in her room, and I have an idea she's praying. Great, because we've got to stop. Rebecca? Rebecca, come on. Across the grass, see, my girl. Ah, George, for two other dogs. You don't step out of their house and they'll catch you down the call and call for a new service. Ah, George. George, your mother tells you. From tomorrow on, you can kill yourself and all of it. When you're in my house, you'll live wisely, thank you. Maybe Mrs. Levine used to call at seven o'clock in the morning. Here, have a cup of coffee first. Be right in the middle. Let's finish the sightment. George, I hate to say it, but John is sad to have asked Ian. Why not? Good morning, Mr. Levine. Good morning, George. You don't have to wait in that super station, do you? There's a lot of common sense in super stations, George. Millions are solid, and don't you be the first to fly in the face of customers. How's Emily? She hasn't waked up yet. Haven't heard a sound out of it. Emily's asleep. Oh, no wonder we were up to all hours, so in a second. Tell you what, I'll do, George. Use the downstairs, Mr. Levine, and drink that cup of coffee. I'll run up and see that she doesn't come down. And I'll be too long about it. Well, George, how are you? Fine, fine. Uh, Mr. Webb, what common sense could there be in a super station like that? Well, George, on the wedding morning, a girl's head is full of, you know, clothes, one thing and another. Don't you think that's probably it? Well, I, uh... Yes. I guess I never thought of that before. A girl's have to be, uh, might nervous on her wedding day. We, uh, wish a person could get married without all that marching up and down. Every man has ever lived his life that way, George. It hasn't been any use. It's the women folks who built up weddings, my boy. Man looks mighty small at a wedding, George. All those good women stand on shoulder to shoulder making sure that the knot's tied in a mighty public way. Well, you believe in it, don't you, Mr. Webb? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Now, don't misunderstand me, George. Now, he's just a wonderful man. A wonderful man. Don't you forget that, George. Don't, sir. Mr. Webb, uh... How old were you when he got married? Well, you see, I had been to college. You know, I'd take him a little time to get settled. But Mrs. Webb wasn't much older than what Emily is. Oh, he hasn't much to do with it, my boy. That is, compared with other things. What were you going to say, Mr. Webb? Well, I don't know. Was I going to say something? I was remembering the other night. He advised my father gave me when I got married. Yes, he said. Charles, he said. Start right off by showing her who's boss. Best thing to do is to give an order about something. Even if it don't make sense. Just so she'll learn to obey, he said. Then he said, if anything about her irritates you, conversation or anything, get right up and leave the house. That'll make it clear to her. And oh, yes, he said. Never tell your wife how much money you have. Never. Well, I couldn't exactly do it. So I took the opposite of his advice, and I've been happy ever since. Well, let that be a lesson to you, my boy. Never ask advice of anybody on personal matters. George, and we've got to come down and eat a breakfast. You send your love if you don't water my eyes on you. Goodbye. Goodbye. I guess you didn't know about that older superstition. What do you mean, Charles? Since the caveman, no bridegroom should see his father long the day of the wedding or nearer. I remember that. Now, before we get on with the wedding, I think we should see how it all began. This plan will spend a lifetime together. I'm only interested in how such big things begin. You know, you're 21, 22, and then you're 70. You've been a lawyer for 50 years, and the white-haired lady beside you has eaten 50,000 meals. How do such things begin? Now, George and Emily are going to show you the conversation they had when they first knew it was saying, go, they were meant for one another. Now, it all happened last year on the way home from school. George is just an elected president, but you've seen your class, and Emily is just an elected secretary in pressure. Now, y'all know how important that is. Emily, can I carry your book home for you? Oh, thank you. It isn't far. If I'm late, the first traffic will give her some wrong highway. All right. I'm awfully glad you were elected too, Emily. Thank you. Why are you mad at me? Why not mad at you? You've been treating me so funny lately. Well, since you asked me, I might as well say it right out, George. Goodbye, Miss Cochran. Bye, Emily. Bye, Miss Cochran. George. What is it? I don't like the whole change. Just come over here this last year. I'm sorry that hurt your feelings. I just got to tell the truth and shame the devil. What do you mean? Well, up to a year ago, I used to like you a lot. I used to watch you while you did everything. Because you've been friends for so long and you started spending all your time at baseball and you never stopped to speak to anybody anymore. Not to really speak. Not even to your own family, you didn't. George, it's a fact. Since you've been captain, you got all the... stuck up and completed. And all the girls say so. It hurts me to hear them say it, but... I have to agree with them a little, because it's true. Gosh, Emily. I never thought that such a thing was happening to me. I guess it's hard for a fellow not to have some false creep into his character. Always expect a man to be perfect and think he should be. Why? I don't think it's possible to be perfect, Emily. Well, my father is. And as far as I can see, your father is. And there's no reason on earth why you shouldn't be, too. I feel that it's just the other way around. Men aren't naturally good, but girls are. Well, you might as well know right now that I'm not perfect. It's a disease for a girl to be perfect as a man, because we girls are more nervous. Sorry I said that about you. I don't know what made me say it. Emily. Now I can see it isn't the truth at all. Suddenly I feel it isn't important anything. Would you like an ice cream soda or something before you go home? Thank you, I would. Oh, George? Oh, Emily? Oh, it's Martin. What can I do for you? Well, Emily, what you been crying about? She got an awful scare, Mr. Martin, that... that hardware store wagon almost ran over her. Everybody says that Tom Hutton drives like a crazy man. Well, yeah, let me give you a glass of water. Gracious, you look all shook up. Why, Johnny, you've got to look both ways before you cross Main Street these days. Getting worse every year. What do you have? I'll have a strawberry phosphate, Mr. Martin. Oh, no, Emily, have a soda with me. Well, I... Two strawberry ice cream sodas, Mr. Martin. Two strawberry ice cream sodas, yes. Yes, yeah, I want to tell you something. There are 275 horses and drove his cars this very moment in talking to you. State Inspector was in here yesterday. Now, with all these automobiles coming along, it looks to me like the only safe place to stay was the home. Gracious, I can remember the time when a dog had ran out of the main street all day long without anything coming along to disturb him. There you are. Howdy, Mrs. Ellis, what can I do for you? Got to be skipping. Yes, well, let's see. It shouldn't take long to fill that. You just sit down here and do what you just did. It's expensive. No, Emily, don't you think about that. We're celebrating our election. Emily, I want to ask you a favor. What? If I go away to State Agricultural College next year, will you write me a letter once in a while? I certainly will. I certainly will, George. It certainly seems like being away three years will get out of touch with things. Maybe letters who will go with corners won't seem so interesting after a while. Well, with corners isn't a very important place when you think of all New Hampshire. I think it's a very nice town. Well, the day wouldn't come when I wouldn't want to know everything about our town. Well, I know that's true, Emily. Trying to make my letters interesting? You know, Emily, whenever I meet a farmer, I ask him if he thinks it's important to go to agricultural school to be a good farmer. Well, George... Yeah, and some of them, when you say it's a waste of time, they didn't get all that stuff anyway and the happiness the government puts out. Uncle Luke's getting pretty old and he's about ready for me to start taking over his farm. Tomorrow, if I could. Well, George, maybe it's important for you to go and learn all that about cattle-judging and soils and those things. Of course, I don't know. I'm gonna make up my mind right now. I won't go. I'll tell Paul about it tonight. But, George, you don't have to decide right now. It's the whole year away. Emily, I'm glad you spoke to me about that. But I've fought my character. Everything you said was right, but there was one thing wrong with it. That's when you said I wasn't noticing people. You, for instance, you say you were watching me when I did everything. I was doing the same thing about you all the time. Right. Sure, I always thought about you. I'm the cheap people I thought about. Well, it's made sure. You're sitting on the bleachers, with me for three days now. I've been trying to walk home with you, but I haven't always gotten away. Yesterday, I was standing out by the wall waiting for you. I walked home with Miss Cochran. Oh, George, life's awful funny. How could I have known that? Emily, I'm gonna tell you why I'm left on the agricultural school. I think once you've found a person that you're very fond of, a person who's fond of you, too, makes you well enough to be interested in your character. I think that's just as important as college is, and even more so. That's what I think. I think it's also important, too. Yes, George? If I do improve and make a big change, could you be... I am now. I always have been. So I guess it's a pretty important talk we've been having. Yes. Give me a minute, I'll walk you home. Why, George did. Do you mean to tell me that you... Mr. Morgan, I have a reason. Look, I'll leave my gold watch with me until I get back. No, no, no, you keep your watch, George. I'll trust you, but I'll be back in five minutes. I'll trust you for ten years, George. Not a day more, though. Are you all right, normally? Oh, yes, thank you, Mr. Morgan. It's nothing. I'm ready. Now to get on with the wedding. What's to be said about a wedding? We can't get them all into one wedding naturally. Especially not a wedding in Gilbert's Corners where weddings are mighty short and plain. People think a lot of thoughts during a wedding. The bride, the groom, the relative and the guests, and even the minister. Yes, a lot of thoughts go on during a wedding. I've married two hundred couples in my day. M married M. Million of them. The cottage, the go-kart. It's on the afternoon drives in the country. The first rheumatism, the grandchildren, the second rheumatism, the deathbed, the reading of the will. Once in a thousand times it's interesting. I don't know why I should be crying. I suppose there's nothing to cry about. Good morning with breakfast. Just come over. There was Emily eating her breakfast that she's done for seventeen years. I suppose that's known in my whole life. I don't want to get married. I can't stay for a while. Do you remember what she used to say all the time that I was your girl? I don't want to get married. Responsibilities? Why did everybody push me so? All I want to do is be a fella. I'm going to get married. Come on, Mom. Come on, Mom. You stay Thursday night. Emily and I'll be over for supper. I'll be Thursday night. You'll see. Come on, Mom. We've got to get ready for this. Got the ring? Oh, yes, sir. Come on. Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God and in the face of this company to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony. I don't know when I think of the lovely wedding. I always cry. I don't know how it is, but I always cry. I just like to see young people happy. They're sitting around me, careful. I've never been to such a man's wedding. I think... To love and to cherish till death you do part according to God's holy ordinance and there to fight her your trust? I do. Do you, Emily, take George to your wedded husband to have and to hold from this day forward or better forward or richer or poorer in sickness and in health to love and to cherish till death you do part according to God's holy ordinance and there to fight him your trust? I do. What token does thou give of thy sincerity? With this ring? With this ring. I re-wed. I re-wed. Or as much as George and Emily have consented together in holy wedlock and witnessed the same before God and his company and have declared the same by giving and receiving a ring I pronounce that they are husband and wife. Amen. Thank you, John. There you are, Ollie. Man, his age shouldn't be driving one of those things. Not when he's got a lot of young fellas to do it for him. Well, how he likes to deliver the nook and stuff as he gets the feel of the town that way. You know, in all these years he never kept up with us as all the accounts he says. I hear he's been doing so well. He's begun locking his front door at night. Great of burglars. Ain't no burglarism in town yet. No. But how he's had a bottom. Nine years have gone by, friend. It's the summer of 1913. Grad dual changes in Grover's College. Orson to get the railroad. Farmers are coming into town now and for it. I fear they'll be surprised though on the whole. Things don't change much around here. This is an important part of Grover's College up here in the hilltop. Lots of sky, lots of clouds. Often lots of sun, moon, stars. Certainly a beautiful spot up here. I often wonder why people want to be buried in Woodlawn, Brooklyn, when they might pass the same time up here in New Hampshire. Over here are the old stones. 1660, 1670. Wrong minded people will come a long ways to be independent. Over here are some Civil War veterans. Iron flags on their graves. New Hampshire portals. They had a notion that the union ought to be kept together. Although they'd never seen more than 50 miles of it themselves. All they knew was the name, friends. The United States of America. The United States of America. And they went and died of it. The new part of the cemetery. There's Mrs. Soames who enjoyed the wedding so much, remember? And there's our friend Mrs. Gibbs. Doc Gibbs lost his wife three years ago just about this time. And then there's the webs boy Wallace who's appendix first on a Boy Scout trip to Crawford Notch. There's Mr. Stimson, the organist of the congregational church. He drank a lot, they used to say. Hung himself in the attic. They tried to hush it up, but of course it got around. He wrote his own epitaph. Ain't a verse, exactly. It's just a lot of notes. I wouldn't know what it was. But it all went up in the Boston papers at the time, though. A lot of sorrows kinda quieted down up here, too. All those important things. Mother and daughter. Husband and wife. Enemy and enemy. Money and miser. All those terribly important things. The earth kind of burns away. Burns out. And what's left? What's left when memory is gone? And your identity is a smith. Something eternal. We all know down in our bones that something is eternal and that something has to do with human being. All the greatest people that have lived for the past 5,000 years have been telling us that. And yet you'd be surprised how we lose sight of that thing. There's something eternal about everything human being. I guess I'm thinking these thoughts today on account of our friend Emily. Another baby's expected down at that happy home we saw her started. It's Emily's second. There's a little boy about 6 years old. But this time Emily's pretty sick. Doc Gibbs is going around these days with a mighty worrying face. Remember when I was ready? Wasn't it a lovely? I remember I called on George and Emily at that farm just before I died. Those were beautiful farms. Dear friends. As we gather here in the last tribute of memory to our loved ones. Hello, Mother Gibbs. Let us remember the words. Hello, Mrs. Stumpf. Hello, Miss. Oh, I? Mother Gibbs. George and I have made that far the best place you ever saw. We thought of you all the time. We wanted to show you the new barn. And a great long, semen-sweeping fountain for the stock. We bought that out of the money you left us. I don't even know if you remember. The latest in you left us. That was more than $350. Oh, yes. Yes, you will be the same that enjoyed without me. But it's a lovely farm. My boy spending the day at Mrs. Carter's. Oh, Mr. Carter. My little boy is spending the day at your house. Yes, he loves this day. Mother Gibbs. When can you go back? Those days over again. Just get in for a moment. I was thinking about the moment I was there. And my baby was in my arms. This plane is back. The plane's been here longer. You'll realize that our life here is to forget only. To think of what is ahead. And be ready for what is ahead. It's how can I ever forget that life. So I know it's all ahead. The day's over again. I feel it. I know it's... You're not only a living. You watch yourself living it. Happy day. My baby isn't wise. Really it isn't. I'll choose the day. I trust you I love Joyce. Of course you don't be crazy. Because it's the happiest day. So there's the hardest to remember. And to forget. I must. Then choose an important day. Choose the least important day in your life. It will be important in us. Think hard. Remember? It's the old white paint that used to be around our house. Oh I've forgotten. I didn't have to return to the day. I didn't know Mama was ever very young. Yeah, then back in the old college in New York State. Make a seat. And then you was here? I had a customer who was called up this morning to rescue boys. So it turned your boys down. He was. And put them at the mayor's school. Morning, Mother. Well, there you are. Back at last. Time to go, Charles. Oh, fine again. Let me tell you a few things. Everything all right here? Yes. I think that thing happened special. It's mighty cold. And this one says 10 below down to his bottom. Yes. Well, it's colder than that at Hamilton College. Students' tears are falling off. Same question. Did we have any mistakes in it? Not what I noticed. Well, you can have your coffee when you want it, Charles. Don't forget it's Emily's birthday. Did you remember to get anything? You got it right here. Where's my girl? Where's my birthday girl? You're up to now, Charles. You can see her breakfast. She's slow enough as it is. I can't bear it. Why did they ever have to get old? Mama, I'm here. Oh, I love you all. Everything. I can't look at everything hard enough. Morning, Mama. I have a birthday to my girl. And many have to return. I was waiting for you on the table there. Oh, Mama, you shouldn't have. Can't I? Birthday? No, birthday. I want to eat your breakfast. Good as well. I want to grow up and be a good stone girl. That and the good package is going to help. Thanks, George. Thought this over for your birthday, Emily. Many have to return to the day. Thank you. It's only a photograph album. George, I'd forgotten. Oh, it's beautiful. Mama, just an album. I'm going out to my uncle's farm today. I like it out there. George, we grew up and were married, don't you remember? Uncle Luke gave you the farm. Well, goodbye. Goodbye. Thanks. You're this late. We couldn't slow it. I have to go. I'm on a cold day. Mama, look at me for one minute, as though you really saw me. Years have gone by. I'm dead. First on the cabinet of the Crawford notch. We thought you were terrible about it. Don't you remember? Your moments now were all together. Mama, let's be happy just for a moment. Let's look at one another. Matt and the Yellow Passies is something I found in the attic among your grandmother's things. You're old enough to wear it now, and I thought maybe you'd like it. Oh, and this is some news. It's lovely. It's just what I wanted. It's beautiful. I hoped you'd like it. Why don't you have a present for you, too? You may do a manual training pass. Be sure and make a pus over it. It's probably better to try it for you, too. I don't know where to do it myself. There you come. Where's my girl? Where's my Western girl? I can't understand you, hon. You don't have time to look at one another. We never noticed. I go back to my grave. One woman. Goodbye. I go with her. Mama's body clock was ticking. But in that dream, Mama's son's lost. Coffee. New iron dresses and hot baths. Sleeping and waking up. Human beings ever realized life's all they needed. You'd bring everything. I want to live. I want to live. I want to live. Of course you'd be happy. Of course. Down with the people, surely Hawkins has just watched the Albany train go by. Of course, Alton, George, and Emily's farm. They're still up. Hawking over the new baby, I suppose. It's like what one of those Midwestern poets said. You've got a love life to have life. And you've got to have life to love life. 11 o'clock in Robert's Forrest. The farm's another day. Everybody's resting in Robert's Forrest. You get a good rest, too.