"In 1935 life on Waltons Mountain began to change, our activities took us more and more away from home and it was only knowing most of us would all be there again at night that helped us keep the family ties that had always been our strength. To help pay back the money we had borrowed from the bank, my father had taken a job in Norfolk, and when possible he returned home on weekends. My mother, under the additional pressures of being a substitute teacher found her life changed, and these changes took some getting used to for all of us".
"Samuel
Miller continued on in Waltons Mountain School learning more and more every
day. My mother was very proud of him and of herself. Marcia Woolery became a
good sales clerk and when she did marry it was not out of desperation but out
of love".
John-Boy helps Jim Bob make a lunch, while
Grandma helps slow-moving Elizabeth. Grandpa asks Ben to help with the Carson
order. John-Boy says he’s not going to the dance on Thursday because there is
work to do while his Daddy is working in Norfolk. Mary Ellen knows that he’s
not going because the girl he wanted to take is going with someone else.
Grandpa thinks Olivia is fretting being the substitute teacher for Rosemary,
knowing that the assistant superintendent, Mr. Gordon, is visiting today. Erin
runs in to say that a letter has arrived for John-Boy from Richmond. She says
it smells “devine” and on the back of it is written” SWAK”. Erin says that
Corabeth believes it means “Sealed With A Kiss”. The children leave for school
with Olivia. John-Boy can’t believe it’s from Marcia Woolery, who left about a year ago. She asks
him to pick her up at the bus station. John-Boy thinks she is fickle. Grandpa
says she isn’t asking him to marry her, only to pick her up at the bus station.
John-Boy says he is having enough trouble with trigonometry without more
trouble from her.
At school Ben and another boy talk about
smoking cigarettes, while Mary Ellen tells Martha Rose, Erin, and another girl
that she may call her mother “Mrs. Walton” while in school. Martha Rose thinks
that is very sophisticated. Jim Bob tells a boy that he’s expecting a good
report card, now that his mother is the teacher. Mrs. Gordon walks in to find
that the class has not begun, and it’s after eight o’clock. Elizabeth sits next
to her mother, unwilling to share her mother with the others. While Mr. Gordon
talks to the class about the interest the Jefferson County Board of Education
has in their students a tall boy walks in, after saying that the corn has been
harvested. Olivia asks his name, but when he mumbles Ira says “Its Simple
Miller.” Elizabeth says that his name is Samuel.
Under the sign “Bus Station – Rockfish,
Virginia” John-Boy watches as the bus drives up and lets off Marcia Woolery.
They kiss and she points out his car, saying it looks just like him: “all cute
and shiny”. She wonders if he missed her while she was working for the last one
year and three months. She sits close and acts friendly to him. John-Boy puts
his arm around her, but she suddenly points out her engagement ring, being
engaged to Frank Taylor. Driving up to her old house that she intends to sell,
John-Boy says it has deteriorated since her Daddy died. Marcia says that her
fiancé needs more money for a business he wants to buy. She also says that
she’s quit her job.
When school lets out Olivia tells Samuel that
she will help him with his reading since he missed so much of school. But he
said that he couldn’t learn, so it would be a waste of her time. Mr. Gordon
wants to speak with her, saying that she is doing fine, but wants her to not
waste her time on Samuel because the superintendent, Mrs. Meriwether, is
familiar with the boy’s slowness. He also says that Elizabeth shouldn’t sit so
close to her. But, Olivia says that she will let her daughter sit close to her
until she is comfortable with her in the classroom.
John-boy places the sign “For Sale – See Ike
Godsey General Store” in front of Marcia’s house. Marcia offers him a piece of
apple, but he refuses. She wants him to take her to Westham, but he wants to
wait until tomorrow, saying if she wants to go today then have “Frank” do it.
He tries to kiss her but she pulls back. John-Boy is confused with their new
relationship as friends.
At school Elizabeth tells her mother than Mr.
Gordon has returned. He finds chaos, but the class is preparing for current
events. A girl talks about a monkey, while Jim Bob talks about an airplane story.
Olivia asks Samuel to speak, and he gives a report on the World Peace
Conference in Brussels. Since he got the information from the radio, not the
newspaper, Mr. Gordon doesn’t think it appropriate, but Olivia says its only
about a current event, so gives him an “A”. Later, Olivia tells Grandma that
Samuel just needs some additional help. John-Boy is sitting in the swing when
Frank Taylor and Marcia drive up. Frank explains his business plans for a
gasoline station. He corrects Marcia who says they will pump 800 gallons a day,
when it should be 800 gallons a week. Frank admits he doesn’t have confidence
in Marcia’s business sense, even though John-Boy said Marcia was good in math.
Frank says that Marcia cannot sell her property (because she is less than
twenty-one years of age), unless an adult signs a paper saying she is
competent. Frank wants Olivia to verify that Marcia can conduct business. Frank
thinks Marcia has the papers, but Marcia says that she gave the papers to him.
He blames her for the added time to
return with the papers. After they leave, John-Boy says, “She’s not
going to marry THAT!”
In the morning Grandpa is drinking coffee
while Grandma tries to get all the kids off to school. John-Boy drives Jason to
school, and then intends to tell Marcia that Frank is a “gold-digger”. At
school Olivia shows the class a painting of Van Gogh, in his blue period. She
moves Samuel up to the front of the class, even though one little girl says,
“He’s too big!” Closer to the blackboard he is able to read what is written on
it, but was unable at the back of the room Olivia tells him that she’ll walk
home with him so she can talk with his parents.
At the Blue Ridge Coffee Shoppe John-Boy
orders two root beers and a tuna fish sandwich for Marcia and a hamburger with
everything except onions for himself. He asks Marcia if Frank proposed before
and after he learned that she has money. Marcia admits that she never advanced
from her stock room position, even though others had advanced to clerks and
buyers. She finally conceded she would have to marry in order to get out of the
stock room because she isn’t bright enough and doesn’t want to end up like Old
Miss Jackson.
School lets out and Olivia tells the children
to walk home while she talks with Samuel’s parents. Mr. Gordon drives up with
Superintendent Meriwether who says that she is breaking away from tradition
teaching methods and giving preferential treatment to individual students.
Olivia abruptly ends the conversation saying, much to the amazement of the two
administrators. Mr. Miller thinks that his son is a “throwback”, not bright
enough to read, and is only good with the corn, but his wife doesn’t believe
it, and Olivia thinks he only needs glasses. Olivia is at a loss to what else
to do to help her student. She returns home to find John-Boy leaving for the
Boatwright Dance. He’s decided to take Marcia, hoping she’ll find a man that
she likes. Frank Taylor isn’t expected back until late that night.
Marcia admits to John-Boy that she is nervous
about talking with the students. John-Boy says she’ll charm their socks off. At
the dance John-Boy introduces Marcia to Peggy, Randolph, Gloria, and Ewbank.
Randolph asks Marcia to dance, and the others dance, too. Peggy sings You Do
Something to Me, and after dancing the group sits and talks. The students
are envious the Marcia is living her life, while they are only preparing to
live their lives. After the dance Marcia and John-Boy walk past the Kappa
Epsilon (KE) house. They watch Frank Taylor drive up. He hits John-Boy, and
then tells Marcia that the engagement is off. Marcia blames John-Boy for
everything. At the house Olivia tends to the bruise on John-Boy’s jaw. Grandpa
tells John-Boy that the reason Taylor broke off the engagement was because he
found that there was a mortgage on Marcia’s house, and the bank foreclosed on
it (and therefore she has no money). Zeb tells John-Boy that Marcia will be
looking for someone to honeymoon with, and that he should not marry her.
John-Boy tells him he has no intention to marry her, only wants to be her
friend.
Olivia tries to convince Mr. Miller to buy
glasses for Samuel, but he doesn’t have the three or four dollars needed. Mrs.
Miller says that her sister Luella bought glasses at the five and dime store
for fifty cents. He agrees to that amount if Olivia takes his son to the store.
Olivia, Jim Bob, Samuel, John-Boy, and Marcia go to Charlottesville. Marcia
thinks John-Boy is taking her there to buy an engagement ring, but he admits he
found an interview for a salesgirl at the Federated Store. At the store Samuel
tries on glasses that aren’t correct for him. Jim Bob tries on one and says
(talking like Grandma), “Zeb, come wash your hands. Zeb, you’re going to catch
a cold.” In the room outside the interviewer’s office Marcia and John-Boy talk
about her chances. As the last job applicant leaves, Mr. Keaton, the
interviewer, speaks with Marcia. She tells Mr. Keaton why she thinks his store
is her favorite.
Samuel finds the correct glasses and looks
clearly around. He voices, “... jaw breakers, licorice, jellybeans, peppermint
sticks. It’s beautiful. Mrs. Walton, you sure are pretty.” Olivia responds,
“Samuel, I think you need another pair of glasses.” Marcia exits the interview,
telling John-Boy that she got the job, and that she doesn’t need a ride home,
because she is having dinner with Mr. Keaton, and he is driving her home. As
John-Boy drives back he seems disgusted. Olivia thinks he is fickle, and
John-Boy eventually admits that he is, at least when it comes to Marcia. Jim
Bob and Samuel sing I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover.
"Samuel Miller continued on in Waltons
Mountain School learning more and more every day. My mother was very proud of
him and of herself. Marcia Woolery became a good sales clerk and when she did
marry it was not out of desperation but out of love".
Grandpa:
John-Boy? Get Marsha all settled in?
John-Boy: Yes Grandpa.
Grandma: Is it a nice place?
John-Boy: Well very nice she's got a corner room, big -
Mary Ellen: - And two meals a day.
John-Boy: Mary Ellen how did you know that?
Mary Ellen: Her boss buys her lunch.
John-Boy: Mary Ellen.....
Mary Ellen: Mata Hari knows all....
Olivia: Does she know when her bedtime is?
Mary Ellen: Mata Hari never sleeps!
John-Boy: No, she's too busy snooping. Goodnight Mata Hari.
Mary Ellen: Goodnight Fickle Face.
Elizabeth chuckles.
John-Boy: Mary Ellen...
Mary Ellen: Goodnight John-Boy.
John-Boy (quietly): Goodnight.
Notes:
The year is 1935. Samuel Miller announces, “all the corn has been harvested” at his first day of school; so it is fall.
John is working in Norfolk, Virginia.
Peggy sings “You Do Something to Me”, and its lyrics can be found at: http://www.vex.net/~buff/sinatra/cgi/arch.cgi/You_Do_Something_to_Me
Jim Bob and Samuel sing I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover. Its lyrics appear at: http://www.joanncastle.com/tracks/i.html#pearly
Also appearing:
Marcia Woolery (Tammi Bula); Samuel Miller (Bob Marsic); Mr. Rueben Miller (Sam Gilman); Mrs. Miller (Jan Burrell); Frank Taylor (Morgan Paull); Martha Rose Coverdale (Cindy Eilbacher); Mr. Gordon (Don Hanmer); Mrs. Meriwether (Mavis Neal Palmer); Peggy Hill (Marcia Kramer); Randolph Lee (Joel Kimmel); Gloria Davis (Deborah Newman); Ewbank Swanson (Damon Douglas); Ira (Ric Militi); Tom (Jackie Earle Haley); Mr. Keaton, the employment manager (John Walsh).