 Remember a hallmark card when you care enough to send the very best Tonight from Hollywood the makers of hallmark greeting cards bring you Gregory Peck in Carl Sandberg's the prairie years on the hallmark playhouse Each week hallmark will bring you Hollywood's greatest stars in outstanding stories chosen by one of the world's best known authors The distinguished novelist mr. James Hilton Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is James Hilton on our hallmark playhouse tonight We dramatize for you a story which is not only enshrined in every American heart But has also been told in one of America's best-loved books the prairie years by Carl Sandberg This book forms a part of that great biography of Abraham Lincoln to which Carl Sandberg devoted many years of his life and Which has become a classic in the literature of our time and there could be no higher praise of it than to say that it is Worthy of its subject Perhaps sometime someone will study the effect upon a writer of writing a great man's biography For on the one occasion I met Carl Sandberg I couldn't help thinking that something of the humanity and at the same time the humility of Lincoln had entered his own personality The prairie years tells the story of Lincoln as a young man a story in which the shape of things to come is nobly foreshadowed And we are especially privileged tonight to have with us taking the part of Lincoln one of Hollywood's most distinguished actors Gregory Peck Now Frank gas may we have a word from you? There are hallmark cards for every memorable occasion on your calendar for birthdays Anniversaries holidays Yes for every occasion that calls for remembrance for a friendly greeting a word of good cheer an expression of sympathy There is a hallmark card that says just what you want to say the way you want to say it and that identifying hallmark on the back That says you cared enough to send the very best Hallmark Playhouse presenting Carl Sandberg's the prairie years and starring Gregory Peck and the ears are half gypsy They look out as on horizons from which at any time Another and stranger wonder song may come calling and take the heart They're luck hunters and luck is it yonder over the horizon over yonder Is there a calling and a calling The pioneers so often are believers in luck out yonder Such was the pattern of my prairie years the mystery of imagination Reconstructing and piecing together today the things my eyes saw yesterday has always absorbed me When I was seven a hood owl crying in the branches would call me from my bed And I'd go to look up at the high riding quarter moon And the white shine of thin frost on the long open spaces of the sky I'd watch the moon and wonder what it could tell me And I'd fancy there were voices that I couldn't quite distinguish And I'd wonder what they were saying I know now what they might have told me that winter I was seven 16,000 wagons came along one turnpike in pennsylvania today heading west Passengers at lowerlands and seas broken wagon wheels rusty skillets empty my eyes saw yesterday The tricks and whims of the skies the creeping vines of ivy and wild grape The ways of snow rain drizzle sleep my own axe biting into sugar maple and sycamore For six and seven months of each year. I grew my feet were bare against the bareness of the earth It may be the earth communicated to me then in her own tough gypsy slang one or two maxilliving worth keeping And somewhere too along those years of my growing I discovered books Books that lighted lamps in the dark rooms of my gloomy hours Over and over I'd say to myself Someday the time will come when I'll be free from work for a few weeks or a few months And then I will read Please god Then I will read And so I grew surviving loneliness Monotony floods forest and prairie fires snake bites horse kicks chills fever malaria and milk sick We were living in goose nest prairie in the southern part of coals county when I Reached my majority and was lawfully free to go if I chose After get out of my own sometime I better be at it. Were you hitting new sailor man named denton often said he'd give me a job Well, I'm sure I wish you luck at it. You can come back as soon as you wasted enough time to suit yourself I'd better see to this dog. I tried to stay out of the way I wanted him to have his time alone with you. I'm gonna miss you old lady lady You have no idea the house is going to seem mighty empty without you here But it's time you were getting on You've got a lot to do in the world Well, I don't know what yet You'll find out You're going to make your mark I hope I can make you proud of me I'm proud of you now Bless you So with my belongings wrapped in a handkerchief bundle and tied to a stick over my shoulder I was on my way to new sailor I floated a canoe down the sagamon river Going to a new home with laughter and youth in my bones And in my head a rag bag of thoughts I could never expect to sell Soon as I got there I went right to work at denton off its store Check through the stock thing with a feather Must be I can't imagine a man wearing it Isn't it awful what women will put on their heads? Good morning denton. Hey, I'll make you acquainted with my new clerk Abe Lincoln. Abe This is mr. Rutledge one of the town leaders. Howdy nice to know you You're coming to the barn dance tonight. I sure am fine I saw yesterday the beauty of the things my eyes saw yesterday I'm mighty pleased to meet you. Are you pleased to meet you at last miss Rutledge at last Well, I knew I was going to meet you, but I didn't know when you knew you were going Oh, not your father. My stepmother told me I'd meet someone like you Oh Would you would you like to join in the dancing? I love to Come on James Hilton will return to present the second act of Carl Sandberg's the prairie years starring Gregory Peck, but first Picture a group of handsome young men gathered about a delicately fashioned urn They wear loosely hanging tunics have sandals on their feet and on their heads are garlands of flowers Now at a signal one steps forward Plunges his hand into the urn and draws out what seems to be a small piece of paper Eagerly he unfolds it for written here is the name of the young lady to whom he has permitted to send a valentine Only it wasn't called a valentine then for the year is 49 bc And we are in ancient rome during the festival of lupercalia What the day does correspond to our february 14th And you may be sure the greeting the roman youth sends his lady will be a work of the most exquisite art And in that way at least his valentine is like the hallmark valentines that you will send in this year of 1949 ad Not only to your sweetheart, but to all your best friends and loved ones For we moderns like to send a remembrance on valentine's day to all who are dear to us And for each of these there is a hallmark valentine that says just what you want to say The way you want to say it you'll know how true this is when you see all the unusual The entertaining the beautiful hallmark valentines now on display at the friendly store where hallmark greeting cards are sold Oh, and as you select your valentines notice the hallmark on the back That tells your friends you cared enough to send the very best Now we present act two of call sandberg's the prairie years starring gregory peck Yes, the mystery of imagination Reconstructing and piecing together today The things my eyes saw yesterday Has always absorbed me When I was 22 A hood owl crying in the branches could still call me from my bed And I'd stand watching the branches of the trees register their forks and angles In flat black shadows over the white flat spread of moon silver on the ground I'd look up at the moon Wondering still what it could tell me And I'd still fancy there were voices that I couldn't quite distinguish I know now what they might have told me that spring I was 22 I saw yesterday In 1834 when I was 25 I was elected to the illinois legislature Now I was to leave new salem And ann rutledge We're all going to miss you abe But we do wish you a good fortune at vandalia. Oh, thanks You must be excited. Yes, but I'm sorry to leave new salem Oh my goodness, you'll be back. Have you Heard anything from your Betrothed mr. McNeil No But you're still engaged to him Well, the understanding was that as soon as he visited his family in new york He would come back You You love him don't you and I don't know don't know Father says I'm very fortunate to get a man like that Handsome and well situated But I don't know You see this isn't the way I dreamed it when I was young And it's hard to change Dreams that have gone up with you What did you dream of? I dreamt of someone young and full of laughter I dreamt of someone of ambition and purpose Would let me love him and help him Someone not necessarily handsome Although of course I would think he was handsome Someone strong kind Well, could he could he have been interested in in books and And law and and government Oh, he could have been indeed Well, could he have been newly elected to the state legislature? But don't answer that I I shouldn't have said it. I had no right. Oh, yes. He could have been newly elected to the state legislature It isn't much of a description of John McNeil What I've been dreaming of all the time. I've been waiting for mr. McNeil It's a beautiful night Yes It's beautiful What do you suppose the moon thinks about? Looking down on the whole world as she does And she's as wise as she's made out to be She must be thinking now There's a man who lost his heart a long time ago But what's the poor fool gonna do about it? Perhaps I could be Right to mr. McNeil. All right. I have no money. I'm deep in debt money can always be earned. Dave And do you Do you really mean oh, you must have known Everyone says it's written all over my face whenever I look at you. Oh, and and And Wait, you write to make me when I'll go to the legislature and by this time next year. Oh darling Things my eyes saw yesterday Vandalia in the legislature I introduced a bill limiting the jurisdiction of justices of the piece Introduced a bill to authorize a toll bridge across salt creek I offered a resolution relating to a state revenue to be derived from the sale of public lands I worked steadily constantly Joyously my eyes and my heart on the future I'd win the world and lay it at her feet In the spring I went back to tell her this Abe We're gonna be mighty pleased to have you in the family. Well, thank you, sir In the fall anus to go to a young lady's academy in Jacksonville And as soon as you have sufficient money to start out You can be married things my eyes saw yesterday August of that same summer came Corn and grass stunted of growth for want of rain There was a scarcity of birds A dry parchness on the lips And on the land that had come before if I'd known Darling darling, you you look so better in a day or two. I've been making plans while I've been in every day I'm going to walk to your office with you And then I'm coming back and get the house in order And then the boys and I the boys Our sons and then the boys and I will go on a picnic or fishing Or maybe we'll whole roll beans and potatoes and while we do that we'll plan your dinner And Now you're going to have to build a big fireplace Because the boys will want to be in front of it all the time and so will you and I And we'll sit in front of that fire every night Growing old Growing old together. It will be like that one. Oh, darling. Say you believe in the future. You believe in it Of course, I believe in it. It was spring just a day ago We've had so little time But we have the long years ahead Abe If this should be all If these few days of spring should be all I want you to know how happy I've been loving you And knowing you love me Oh and if it should be all It was still worth all the years. I lived to find you In the last few moments Of my life My dear the dead are at peace The living must find their peace Abe do you hear me? I hear you. She was my daughter. I loved her too. I I've lost a daughter. I have things to put your mind to. You've got to force yourself. I can't bear to think of her out there alone Or rain in the storm shan't beat on her grave. I can't bear it. I should bear it. Where you're going? Goodbye I'm sorry. I have no memory of walking the seven miles to the burying ground I only know that at last I lay there With one arm across her grave and move darkness Pressing as from asleep hours later The storm had passed And I looked up To see the high-riding quarter moon. I felt stripped and empty of all emotion And I thought this is the end for me the end of dreams and plans And hopes and interests And somewhere within the moonlight in the mists Or the voices I couldn't quite distinguish But I know now what they might have told me that summer when I was 26 But these things better In the years to come. Gradually as I sat there staring at the sky An old-time order of control came. I knew I'd changed And I knew also that I'd keep to myself The gray mystery of the change I knew that I'd go on somehow I'd go back to my law Back to politics Although a girl was gone in a lifetime. I would never live was buried with her Another love was still left me America In one blinding moment of vision A nation seemed opening before me the nation that must be for all The proud realization of a dream of freedom and liberty So I left her grave I went out of the burial ground Back into the world And started on my out yonder Over the horizon Over yonder Is there a calling the pioneers so often are believers in luck Out yonder Such was the pattern of my Prairie year In a moment james helton and gregory pack will return Now with valentine's day less than two weeks away Here's a very special treat that hallmark has prepared for the youngsters It's hallmarks make your own valentines They're fun to make a wonderful way to encourage children to be thoughtful of their little friends In one make your own kit or bright red cards lacy white panels Tiny golden hearts and cute little figures to fasten on each valentine a little bear a baby duckling a toy horse Eight different figures and children don't need scissors paint or glue to make these valentines There's material for 16 valentines in this kit which sells for a dollar Or you can buy a smaller package of different materials for only 50 cents Find hallmark make your own valentine kits at the friendly store where you buy your hallmark greeting cards Here again is james hilton It's been a rare privilege tonight to hear the story of a great man as recorded by a great writer And played by a great actor On behalf of all our hallmark family our sincere gratitude mr. Gregory peck. Thank you, mr. Hilton I can't think of a greater honor for an actor than to play the immortal lincoln And to play him as he was drawn by a writer and historian as great as carl sandberg Lincoln's life and work is full of meaning for all of us It has served to show that no matter who we are or where we come from Each of us can have a purpose a message A contribution to make to improve the world we live in It may be a great work a crusade Or just a simple word of cheer a thoughtful expression Each of us in our own way Can find a means of expression that can help us and the people around us to live a happier life And I might say that your fine hallmark greeting cards serve very well as an everyday means of helping to do that Thank you and your hallmark people for inviting me here this evening You have made this a memorable evening for us mr. Peck We shall certainly listen to you on your prudential hour program in the near future And we'd like to remind you to listen with us next thursday when we present one of the great love stories smiling through Starring that fine and deservedly popular actor lou ares and the following week mr. Hilton I understand hallmark playhouse will do your own story Random harvest. Yes, and with a very brilliant star miss jones fontaine And the week after that edna ferber so big starring virginia bruce Our hallmark playhouses every thursday our director producer is d angleback Our music is composed and conducted by lin marie and our script was adapted tonight by gene holloway So until next thursday then this is james hilton saying good night Look for hallmark cards that are sold only in stores that have been carefully selected to give you expert and friendly service Remember hallmark cards when you carry enough to send the very best Gregory peck may currently be seen in the 20th century fox picture yellow sky This is frank gauss saying good night to you all from the hallmark playhouse. This is cbs the columbia broadcasting system