 The DuPont Cavalcade of America tonight the DuPont company brings you its radio adaptation of Dale Unson's popular story the day they gave babies away starring Claude Jarman Jr. on the Cavalcade of America Bill Hamilton of the DuPont Company good evening Christmas morning will find many little girls happy and in love with their brand new dolls many of these dolls have lifelike skins as soft and smooth as a real babies they can be bathed without being hurt by soap and water that's because many doll manufacturers have used neoprene the rubber made by DuPont other toys made of DuPont neoprene will also rate high on Christmas morning there's poochie the pup with the whimsical look clever little animals in gay colors play balls and bright balloons neoprene toys can be sterilized in boiling water without becoming soft and gummy this helps keep them clean and free from germs neoprene chemical rubber is one of the DuPont company's better things for better living through chemistry Claude Jarman Jr. who won the Academy Award for his portrayal of Jody in the yearling appears by arrangement with Metro Golden Mayor producers of Sinclair Lewis's cast Timberlain starring Spencer Tracy and Lana Turner now the day they gave babies away starring Claude Jarman Jr. as Robbie on the DuPont Cavalcade of America this is a true story it happened to a small boy his father was dead and he lived with his mother and his brothers and sisters in a small town on the Fox River in Wisconsin and the boy's name was Robbie Robbie yes mama you'd better clean this lamp tomorrow I can't see where I'm stitching gee you ought to go to bed mama I've got to finish this shirt waste for Ms. Runyon oh cold face now that ain't a good way to talk Robbie I hate Mrs. Runyon Miss Runyon was very kind to give me this so-and-to-do yeah she sure lets you know how kind she is too you think she's giving us charity or something no that's just the way she is Robbie she means well oh my will you pick up that spool of thread for me dear thank you mama can I take a job at the logging camp up to Berlin the cook said he'd take me on as a helper not till you finish the sixth grade all that won't be before next spring if I pass you know your Papa wouldn't want you going to work without an education Robbie well either with Papa won't you sitting up all night long so-and-for cold face Robbie I'm sorry mama how about Saturdays can work at the camp on Saturdays well it would be a big help if you would Robbie a mighty big help all right you both did now let me in the house hi Kurt how much did you make today Rob same as last week me next Saturday you're too young for this work Jimmy I'm only a year all right a year and 10 months in what's the difference well I think two years mama needs your round here Jimmy where's your mom is laying down does she feel better than about she's laying down well I'm gonna tell her I'm back mama I'm awake Robbie do you feel all right I'm a little tired that's all I can work full-time at the camp if you'll let me mama I think you better finish school Jimmy I'm Robbie mama are you sure you're all right I'm tired and a little upset stomach that's all do you want me to get Dr. Delbert got no money to spend on doctors Robbie all I need tonight's sleep well good night mama good night Robbie I'm gonna get Dr. Delbert I think she'll sleep for a while now what's the matter with the Dr. Delbert typhoid fever that's bad ain't it your mom is a very sick woman a very sick woman do you understand Robbie you mean she might not get better well we can always hope but I want you to come running if there's any change I'll be here every morning and every night to see her but in the meantime you better get Mrs. Disco next door to come in and take over she's gone she's down to armor visiting her daughter until after new years you ought to have somebody oh we'll get along I'll stay home from school you're kind of like that don't you boy yes not on kind of mama you're a good lad Robbie now Mrs. Delbert will be over every now and then to look in on you don't worry about us we'll be fine is she better well she knows me this morning mama's been delirious Dr. Delbert said so now don't you go say anything to her about it Annabelle is mama gonna be well for Christmas don't go asking her that either come on it's up I like James knows won't mama see you like that now here we are hello children are you better mama I guess so are you being good children I did not I did not you too cut that mama don't hear about a little hair ribbon we're all getting on fine mama that's nice Kirk Jane talked she said dog Jim oh Annabelle mama don't want to hear Jane say don't not now do you want to sleep some more mama isn't it time for school school's over mama it's supper time oh I wondered why it was so dark come on we'll let her sleep is mama going to be all right well be sure come on Robbie yes mama Robbie you stay yes mama Robbie I'm gonna die no you ain't mama I can tell Robbie you mustn't go grieving cuz there won't be time I'll get back to doubt it or not yet Robbie first I gotta tell you what to do about the children they're all nice good children Robbie gotta get decent homes for understand yes mama I guess six is too many for any one family to take so you'll have to break up I want you to see they all get homes where they get the same kind of love they had here I will mama you're all used to brothers and sisters better try to find families with children of their own I'd better get Dr. Gilbert no no wait Kyler's and the radians like Jimmy and I and then the none of us have to go to Mrs. Runyon's do it I don't want any of you going where you won't be happy Robbie not if you can help it you gotta decide who's right and who isn't no don't let anyone else tell you or to decide I will mama you watch out for the others go and see to it as often as you can to take care of a good place for yourself I'll get along all right mama don't worry about me I know you will Robbie there's such a touching funeral dr. delbert oh but those poor little children Mrs. Runyon whatever will become of them yes those poor children well I guess we'd better get the boys in here Bob Jim did you want us dr. delbert come in Bob we want to talk to you and Jimmy yes yes now then it's not easy to say boys but you once in children will have to be put out for adoption we know that dr. delbert I'm afraid we can't expect any one family to take on six youngsters we don't we've been figuring out what folks might be talked into taking one a piece of you now there must be six families in this town to whom duty means more and inconvenience there's the McDonald's for instance there excuse me Mrs. Runyon you mean to be kind I know but I'm the oldest one mama said I was to decide where we would go why are you just a little boy well just to say mama said it was my response that's ridiculous how could a child your age be expected to know what's good for children doctor I say we should decide here and now where these young and so to be packed off to well you may be right look dr. delbert tomorrow's Christmas and it'll probably be our last chance to be together on Christmas now would you please go away and leave us alone and the day after tomorrow we can decide about that I don't see why we don't settle things right now to be together on Christmas isn't very much to ask is it no no you're right James that's not very much to ask well we'll see you boys tomorrow coming folks I want to talk to you yeah what do you want Bob soon as Kirk and the girls on bed we got to make a list of the families in this town who would appreciate children and raise them right why don't we do that tomorrow we'll be calling on the people then but you told dr. delbert you'd wait until the day after I know that mama told me I was to decide they won't let me you heard mrs. runyon so we can't wait besides tomorrow's Christmas we ought to be able to get you to that anybody we want to take us in oh Christmas you are listening to the day they gave babies away starring claud jarman jr. on the cavalcade of america sponsored by the DuPont company maker of better things for better living through chemistry continue as a small boy named Robbie is seeking homes at Christmas time for a five orphan brothers and sisters it's one o'clock mr. and mrs. Tyler and their two small boys are seated at the dinner table for their Christmas and give us grace even as you have given us this food we thank you for a man can I have the wishbone pa you and Bruce can pull it between you somebody's knocking on the kitchen door mom well I'll see you with tears well it could it be everybody should be home and join their dinner this time of day hello mrs. Tyler what what Bobby Umsen and one of your sisters what I thought you'd be with the Bradley's or the Delta's are coming and coming I'm not a bell yes she's my sister Annabelle look who's here why Bob and Annabelle good good you'll have Christmas dinner with us and we won't take no where we am we certainly will not begging you pardon mrs. Tyler but I was wondering what that is Jimmy and I were wondering that well if you didn't need it so the sister for how we and Bruce Annabelle here's a good little girl she'd be an awful lot of help to you she's well that is she was learning to sell she can wipe dishes and she knows of ABC ABC D E F G H what you got in that bundle Annabelle it's Christmas we've got to mm-hmm well you think you're going to like live in our house Annabelle oh she'll like it a lot mr. Tyler she likes anybody that's good to her we'll be good to above I guess you and I know each other sure I know you mr. Tyler Elizabeth the partners want home we're going to find Bob and come hey Jimmy here he comes now what's the matter when the potter's taken they've gone away oh now what do we do we can't keep her much longer she's getting blue it's over in Stevens and his wife what about them he's a school principal oh well Elizabeth won't care she's a girl but they haven't got children maybe they don't like them the only way to find out is to ask Jimmy mr. Stevens oh mr. Stevens hello hello mr. mrs. Stevens hello Robin I was just coming to see you well mr. Stevens and I've just been over to your house we wanted to see if there was anything we could do there is ma'am well that is it's quite like to ask but I thought that since you and mr. Stevens didn't have any children that well you might like to take a look that's her that is she take her you mean we'll sort of adopt her she doesn't look very pretty now but you'd learn to like her mom and papa did she's quiet and called usually mom never had any favorites but she had any I guess it looks before it would have been the one wouldn't she jump sure when you're a little bit cold look Frank her eyes are like yours yeah so they are so they are she's a little hard to understand at first she lips but you get used to that you bet we'll get used to that all right young lady you crawl right up in this cut get under this robe here darling that's it there we are well you boys come and see us whenever you can whenever we can bye did you see that Elizabeth jump right in the mr. Stevens arms it's if she know all her life I think she never had a mama can't forget awful fast yeah hey here's Kurt looking every place for you mr. Runyon set the house says he's gonna take Jane we do Bob we'll just tell Mrs. Runyon that you just can't have her come on I'm only trying to get your coat on you can't go out whether like this about it stop it Mrs. Runyon what are you doing going to take Jane home with me to live my conscience has asked me all night you can't have her why not it's my duty I'm sorry Mrs. Runyon but Jane but promise who to well nobody you know I know everybody in this town these folks don't live in this town by their way up to Berlin who's authority are these children being disposed of mama said I was to decide you start in that talk again you're just a little boy I don't care you can't have Jane well I'll see the sheriff about this nobody's going to deprive me of my right to do my Christian duty are you wait here I'll be back Jimmy we got to get this thing set up quick come on Kirk you better get over to the Kramer's they expecting you I don't want to go like it at the Kramer's miss Kramer's got a banjo you played duets with her on your fiddle I want to stay with you and Jimmy on I don't be a crab baby and about Elizabeth didn't cry well bye bye Kirk what are you gonna do with Jamie pick up the bird I like I told Mrs. Runyon Berlin miles I'll skate up the river and pull Jane on the sled you're gonna stay up there lobby uh-huh I'm gonna work up there there's a login camp just five miles out of town they'd have some work for me now you know mama wouldn't like it if you didn't at least finish the sixth grade Jimmy you go to the ratings like we figured talk to him yet no but I don't have to they'll take me in Mrs. Rayden's always said she was shadow boy like me you like them all right don't you I like I'm all right well then what's the matter all those girls I've made milder penelope and more I can just hear well ain't you guess I better get over to the ratings so long Janie again did you hear yeah she said it fine will you skate down once in a while bar sure every chance I get now see you don't start wearing dresses with all those girls around shut up well so long so long and now Jane you're gonna have a nice long sleigh ride look Jane those men got a fire they're fishing through the ice getting over every minute you'll never make it we'll make it we gotta on the street there ought to be a home just right for you look there's a house with a Christmas tree inside and if they've got a tree they must have kids Jane let's take a peek in their window nice folks Jane they've got two boys and little girl that's just about right let's go please ma'am I wonder you'd like to have a baby that's the story they all got homes when the last and smallest of them Jane was safe in the hands of the Clarys Robbie said goodbye and walked up to the lumber camp in the woods where he became a helper later a logger in his own right he always kept tabs on his brothers and sisters though their lives took them far apart as each grew up he took on the characteristics and absorb the points of view of his foster parents but there was one thing that was notable about them there was always something a poignant in their love for each other because they had nothing but that love in common but that was like having almost everything Claude Jarman Jr. will return in just a moment but first we'd like to present the author of the original story we dramatize tonight Dale Unson fiction editor of Cosmopolitan magazine I'm very grateful to the DuPont cavalcade of America for broadcasting the day they gave babies away I want to thank Frank Gabrielson especially for his understanding adaptation of my story for radio I'm also more indebted than I can say to Claude Jarman and these fine players who made all those people come to life for me again you will appreciate my reason for saying that when I tell you that I had a particular reason for writing this story and wanting you to hear it Robbie was my father good night and thank you thank you Mr. Now here's Bill Hamilton of the DuPont company human nature being what it is most of us are inclined to think now and then that we can do it better maybe we hear somebody sing a song or maybe we look at something we've bought well we say to ourselves that's all right but I'll bet I could do it better well now that's a healthy feeling it's just because Americans have this competitive spirit that American industry provides the world with such an amazing variety of products products which do get better year by year for instance not long ago hairbrush manufacturers were faced with a problem they wanted to improve their products but lack the materials with which to do it knowing this the chemical industry set out to help them all in the American tradition of doing it better for improved bristles brush manufacturers and chemical engineers said the bristle we need must be sanitary it ought to be stiff but not too stiff it must be springy it must wear well and be easy to clean and because some people brush their hair with the bristle must not take up much water and the quality must be constant always the same the final answer was bristles made of nylon but that was only half the problem now the manufacturers and plastics men agreed we need a back that will hold bristles tightly it must be light in weight and very strong it must feel smooth and pleasant to the touch it must be good to look at to and easy to keep clean like the bristles the answer this time was lusite acrylic resin and today a whole line of better brushes is on sale in stores near you hair brushes shaving brushes baby brushes military sets for men hand and nail brushes just for a reminder they make wonderful Christmas gifts there's a thought for Christmas a brush of nylon and lusite both developments of chemical science from DuPont maker of better things for better living through chemistry and now our star called Jarman jr. I just like to remind you that this is the time of year we can buy Christmas seals they have fight tuberculosis you know so buy Christmas seals your pennies will help save lives thank you next week the cavalcade of America will come to you from the stage of the playhouse in wilmington delaware where we will present a special program of Christmas carols sung by members of the DuPont chorus who are employees of the DuPont company join us next Monday night for a program of Christmas carols sung by the DuPont chorus of 129 voices on the cavalcade of America tonight's story was dramatized by Frank gabrielson based on the book the day they gave babies away by dale unsen published by ferris strawson company the music for the DuPont cavalcade of America is composed by arden cornwell and conducted by donald bryan supporting claud jarman jr. in tonight's cast for sarah fossil david anderson judy loxer and lois borkman as children in the unsen family this is Ted Pearson inviting you to listen next week to our special program of Christmas carols sung by the DuPont chorus on the cavalcade of America and brought to you by the DuPont company of wilmington delaware