 transcribed the mutual broadcasting system in cooperation with family theater incorporated presents the little-law shepherd starring Rory Calhoun Kathy O'Donnell and Gary Gray Vivian Blaine is your hostess more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of we all know the idea behind family theater it is simply that we believe a happy family is one of the greatest blessings that we can have a happy family does things together works has fun and prays together yes and prays together but we also believe that just as nothing can take the place of the family nothing can take the place of family prayer for family prayer can help bring a family close together can help keep that family together the best time for the family prayer is right after dinner while you are all at the table even if it's only one little simple prayer pray every night for a family that prays together stays together Vivian Blaine returns following tonight's family theater story the little-law shepherd starring Kathy O'Donnell Rory Calhoun and Gary Gray Robert and Mitchell Carver Jr. have read this petition and you are acquainted with the facts of the law as it applies to this case yes your honor yes your honor this was the day I had waited for a day that really started over a year ago it was a kind of a spring day that makes you think of Creole and pole and trout on a hook so I canceled all my appointments besides the lawyer has to keep up on his fishing I was cutting across the fields adjacent to father Ronaldo's acres about a hundred yards from the stream when I first heard the most agonizing sobbing ever to rip out of a throat it was a boy a pitiful little boy not more than seven or eight what's the matter son you heard no here now wait a minute it can't be as bad as that leave me alone now crying and running away never helps anything I'm a lawyer you know I'm pretty good at fixing things up can't fix this nobody can't I'm not ever going back oh are you one of father and all those boys yes I'm not going back I see well maybe you do have a case what do you say we sit down and talk about I've been to say he gave her away she wasn't even two years old but he gave her away he gave my baby away now don't cry son don't cry I held this skinny little body against mine while he cried his heart out it would have been cruel taking him back when he felt like that so after he quieted down we talked a while and then I took him fishing with I'm glad you're back Tommy you were worried about I'm sorry father Ronaldo I shouldn't have kept them so long but well there's something about sitting beside a trout stream that sort of dissolves one's trouble yes I know mr. Carver did you catch any time to father hmm big ones too we'll add them for supper take them into the kitchen will you Tom yes father thanks for taking him fishing we don't get to do half what he'd like to do for the kids oh I enjoyed it more than he did probably he's naturally pretty broken up about his sister being adopted it wasn't his sister mr. Carver but he said I know his baby it's happened several times now poor Tommy you want so much to be a part of a real family and he's not likely to he's 8 and not much to look at but why was he so upset about the baby I suppose the psychologist would say he's trying to create a family for himself to compensate always sits the infants he attaches himself to the babies he waters over them herds them like a little shepherd he's the only child we have who came to us with no identity no identity he was abandoned in the church we don't know who he is or where they came from it was on st. Michael's day so we named him Thomas Christopher Michael no identity I knew then if I had known it before I had to have them because you see I don't know who I am either that is not who I really adopted eight-year-old boy but darling we haven't been married six months I want my own children I want a family of my own so do I win and we will have but this is different look when why don't you let me bring him home I know you'll like him and he'll love you you need someone so badly darling I know how you feel about adoption and I admire you for it but why hasn't he been adopted something wrong with the child there's nothing so wrong that a little love and understanding couldn't fix he's just like a voter drift without sales he's got to find a port couldn't we just help him why do we have to take him because he doesn't know who he is or where he came from when don't you understand he's me me 30 years ago I owe it to a child you never so until today no to a half-starved little wave wandering around in the alleys of Brussels in 1918 and to a red-headed yank who after fighting a war fathers way through barrels of red tape to take me home with me it's not fair of you to bring up that kind of an argument your father was wonderful to you but you have to admit he did take a chance sure he took a chance that's a kind of a man he was I will not take this childhood I couldn't do it wholeheartedly he'll always be an outsider he'll always feel the difference between our children and himself I don't feel what we made him feel and that's all maybe we were young I was almost eight when my father gave me a mother and she wasn't still is the best mother anyone ever had if we knew something about his parents or what kind of people they were what his background was my father didn't ask if I were French or Belgian or German or that's different he was just always three years old and hungry I can't take a bitch I can't no I I guess you can't I don't know why I even thought you could oh you can afford the luxury of prejudice when you can trace your family tree back for generations but my life started in an alley in Brussels I don't know what I am so I can't afford to hate anything or anybody and I thank God for that it was the first time we'd quarrel we made it up of course we both said we were sorry but that didn't wash it away I didn't blame her her life had been so different from mine she was used to guarantees like sterling on silver but I couldn't get Tommy's face out of my mind and I couldn't keep away from the meeting oh hello mr. Gala you're getting be quite a steady visitor don't get up father and all oh where's Tommy take the name fishing and game yes if it's all right with you Tommy is getting quite attached to you I know and I wouldn't want to get her if you can't find a place for me in your life it might be better if you didn't see them so much I know father I'm trying trying to work it out you see Mrs. Carver is well I'll work it out somehow pull them in pull them in steady boy easy that's it here just a second I'll take it hey she's a beauty gosh that makes three this afternoon you're getting to be quite a fisherman you know this is kind of different when I'm with you how do you mean different Tommy it's kind of hard to explain mr. Carver but why don't you call me Mitch well if you ever lay on a grass like this and look up at those big white clouds sure Tommy lots of times and and kind of wonder where they're going and then you shut your eyes real tight like this you can't see anymore only you can still see them on the inside of your eyes they call that daydreaming Tommy is that wrong no only sometimes daydreams I miss leading Mitch have you got a boy no I I haven't I shut my eyes real tight then but I could still see Tommy's face on the inside of my eyes when this is Tommy I brought him home how do you do Mrs. Carver would you like some milk Tommy or some cookies no thank you ma'am sure he'd like some cookies go out to the kitchen Tommy right through that door make yourself right at home all right you shouldn't have done it not today when I thought if you just saw him you'd change your mind I'm going to have a baby a baby darling that's wonderful my Tommy will be pleased as punch oh darling don't cry you feel all right I feel miserable maybe better lie down how can you misunderstand me so completely I don't want to adopt a child I never did and now today can't you see how impossible it is now you'll have to take him back Mitch he can't stay here I can't take him back why can't you because I promised him well explain to him that it isn't possible now you don't understand when I promised him I told you I didn't believe in adoption and you brought him home anyway I tell you I'm going to have a baby and what do you say if he I'm gonna be a father or you've made me the happiest man in the world no you just say Tommy you'll be tickled when wait when please I don't know if Tommy heard it out in the kitchen or not but in the end she said he could stay a while she said she'd try and she did try she fixed up a nice room for me she even helped him with his homework she was everything to him everything except her mother Tommy you better do your homework now I could help you with I can manage them you sure makes well pudding why thank you if you want to sit down and knit something for the baby I could wash the dishes I promise I wouldn't break any Tommy at 7 30 if you expect to get any homework done it went on like that the boy trying to hide and win not hard enough the situation was becoming more and more tense but there was one person who might be able to help me so I went to see her I've been thinking about you all day hi mom well how's that big family of yours coming along oh fine when Sansa love how's she feeling great just great all right what's troubling you I never can fool you can I mom it's the boy isn't it yes mom I don't know what I'm going to do when fights at all the time she won't let herself love Tom but you said she was trying oh she tries in her way I was so sure it would work out because it worked out for me and you mom you were wonderful you love me right from the beginning why can't win be like you son I never told anybody this before not even your father I tell you now because it may help you to understand when Mitch I I didn't love you not in the beginning not at first that took time never suspected I never meant you to well I guess that's that there goes my balloon wait Mitch there's more to it than that have you ever wondered why people say you look like me you don't not really but when people live in happiness a long time something in them gets to be alike love does that I see come here son your tires crooked again thanks mom for everything I was more patient with when after that and I kept hoping but I had a lot of problems on my mind when and the new baby and Tommy and those adoption papers I hadn't been out to see father and all the room quite a while when I received this message Mitch how does Mrs. Carver feel about Tommy now as the feeling change oh yes it's much no not really perhaps you'd better send Tommy back to me oh no no I I couldn't do that it wouldn't be right at a time like this you must consider the happiness of your wife well give me a little time father I I know the work it's got to remember Mitch you cannot break a family to make the law gives you a trial period of one year eight and a half months have run through I think it would be kinder to all concerned if Tommy want to come back now push it right let me think about it for a few days that night was a lie with thoughts of I lay in bed my eyes wide open in a dark are you awake Mitch yes I'm sorry I never wanted to let you down I honestly tried I'm gonna take him back tomorrow have you told him no I'll tell him in the morning oh no Mitch let him stay I'll try harder I know what it means to you and that's not enough man he's got to mean the same to you too I'm sorry honey there's a terrible thing a small boy's right echoing in a dark I diced down the hall he was sitting up in bed the cover still gone over his head he was trembling so violently that whole bed seemed to shake I pulled the covers away talking to him all the while softly I didn't want to startle him any worse gradually I woke him out of the nightmare now now Tommy it's all right what was it Tommy what frightened oh Mitch don't let them take me away take you away who all of them they're gonna take me away I don't want to go I told them but they made me no no no Tommy relax it was just a dream don't go away I'll dream it again stay here with me Mitch please I'm afraid you don't want ever to be afraid there's nothing to be afraid of you wouldn't let anything hurt me would no not if I could help I don't know why was such a scary cat dream like that you would never let them take me away I turned away from the trust in those simple eyes went back to bed poor little kid I tried not to think about anything I had an important case tomorrow I couldn't afford to be distracted sure force of habit must have put me to sleep but I slept fit for the dreaming confused dreams I woke with a headache I was late rushed out the front door when and Tommy were upstairs and I hadn't said a word to him about sending him back the pajamas Tommy oh I forgot I'm sorry yes Mrs. Carver I hung up at the towels in the bathroom that's fine and I cleaned me on my ears my finger nails I'll go down now and put up your lunge spread up your bed and then you hurry down you'll be late for school no ma'am I won't maybe you'd better let me carry that laundry downstairs for you never mind I'll get you a pillow off the couch you're not supposed to move now don't try to one bit promise me please promise me you won't move my pack you're gonna be all right don't you worry I'll go get the doctor you're gonna be all right mother honest you are I was in court when the hospital called my office it took quite a while to reach me they said she'd fallen that's all they said and I was half crazy with worry by the time I got to the hospital Tommy I know where is she now in there the doctor took her in there it's been a long time Mitch why don't they come out don't worry I can't help it she was crying we sat there two people who loved her and waited that's all we could do when the doctor came out of the door I was afraid to ask him all right both of your girls are all right the fall didn't both of my girls yes six pounds two ounces and your wife's all right oh she'll have to stay in bed a little longer than usual maybe but she'll be all right you want to see her yes yes I'd like to write in through that door oh when I was so afraid he was wonderful to me he's a good doctor no I meant Tommy he was frightened but he acted so grown up took care of me like I was calling Tommy Mrs. Carver wants to see you hello Tommy are you all right I'm sure glad why did you call me Mrs. Carver that isn't what you called me after I fell down the stairs is it Tommy no do you remember what you called me mother tonight's story about a young man a family and love recalls one of the finest bits of inspiration I know the prayer of st. Francis Lord make me an instrument of thy peace where there is hatred let me so love where there is injury pardon where there is doubt faith where there is despair hope where there is darkness light and where there is sadness joy oh divine master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console to be understood as to understand to be loved as to love for it is in giving that we receive it is in pardoning that we are pardoned and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life think what it would mean if every one of us took this prayer to heart a world of prayer is a world at peace this is Vivian Blaine saying good night and God bless you our thanks to Rory Calhoun Kathy O'Donnell and Gary Gray for their performances this evening our thanks to John and Gwen Bagney for writing tonight's play and to Max Tehr for his music this production of family theater and corporate it was directed by David Young tonight's cast included Pedro de Cordova Janet Scott Norman Field and Whitfield Connor next week our family theater star will be Jimmy Durante in Mr. Carousel your hostess will be Jeanette McDonald this series of the family theater broadcasts is made possible by the thousands of you who felt in need for this kind of program and for the mutual broadcasting system which is responded to this need this feature was produced and transgrad earlier in Hollywood Tony Loprano speaking this is the mutual broadcasting system