"In those trying years of the Depression the
achievements of any Walton family member were a source of pride for all of us.
But the visit to our home of an extraordinary young man gave us all a new, and
perhaps more balanced perspective in our views toward academic brilliance. It
happened on a weekend when we were getting ready for a church bazaar".
The kids rush home after smelling English
toffee coming out of the kitchen. Jim Bob calls Grandma “Granny” much to
Esther’s displeasure. She thinks it makes her sound “old”. Olivia tells the
children that they can’t eat the candy, because it is being sold at the church
bazaar on Sunday. Ben doesn’t think it makes much sense to buy back their
candy. Mary Ellen is out selling bazaar tickets. Erin is acting in the lead
role of Joan of Arc in the play being performed. She has persuaded Jason
to play Captain Baudricourt, but he isn’t too happy about the “old, dumb
play”.
At Boatwright College, John-Boy is asked by
Dean Beck’s secretary Miss Forester to wait outside his office. After another
student leaves, John-Boy is asked to enter. Dean Beck warmly greets John-Boy,
finding out that his father has taken a job in Norfolk. John-Boy learns that he
is barely passing physics, and Dean Beck would like to see an “A” because his
scholarship is up for review. Beck thinks that John-Boy could be helped with
the student in the outer office: Lyle Thomason, who is sixteen years old, a
sophomore, and most likely will graduate in less than a year. In exchange for
this help, Beck asks John-Boy if he will take Thomason home for the weekend and
help him with a problem that will soon become obvious. John-Boy agrees to help.
On the drive home, John-Boy tells Lyle that
he needs to stop at the local general mercantile store to pick up chocolate and
sugar. Lyle doesn’t speak much, but does say he is from Emporia and has been
doing scientific studies in Chemistry. At the store, John-Boy introduces Lyle
to Ike and Corabeth. He asks Ike for five packages of cooking chocolate and ten
pounds of sugar so Esther can make her, as Corabeth says, “rightfully famous”
fudge. Ike calls Corabeth “sugar plum”. Corabeth is making divinity from a Doe
Hill recipe. Lyle won’t play Ike’s game of chance because he thinks the slot
machine is set up against winning. Ike remembers just last week Easy Jackson
winning the jackpot, and John-Boy remembers that last summer Miss Emily won the
jackpot twice in one afternoon. Lyle calculates in his head that for every ten
dollars input into the machine, it will only return eight dollars, seventy-five
cents. He thinks it is a fraudulent misrepresentation if they don’t inform
their customers about the statistics. As they walk out, Corabeth wants Ike to
confront about what Lyle said. Ike isn’t sure whether they were called
“cheaters” or not. John-Boy realizes that Lyle has few social graces.
At home, John-Boy introduces Lyle to Grandpa
who jokes to them about stewed prunes. Lyle doesn’t understand the pun. Erin is
practicing the play with Jason, Ben, and Jim Bob on the front porch, when
John-Boy introduces them to Lyle. In the kitchen, he is introduced to Grandma,
Olivia, Mary Ellen, and Elizabeth. In John-Boy’s bedroom, Lyle explains vector
analysis to John-Boy, and solves a physics problem involving the Pythagorean
Theorem that John-Boy doesn’t understand. Lyle glanced through the book a few
years ago, and remembered the problem. John-Boy is amazed at the boy’s talents,
and goes to the barn for the cot (for him to sleep on that weekend). Outside,
Grandpa wonders how Beck wants John-Boy to help with the boy (who doesn’t talk
very much). John-Boy thinks he looks like a “Martian” staring out of those
glasses.
At supper (of hot dogs and corn bread),
Grandma says the blessing, but Lyle doesn’t join in. Lyle tells the family that
he has no brothers or sisters, and his father is a former blacksmith who lost
his shop in 1932. He was sent to the University of Virginia when five year old
for psychometric tests (evaluation for mental capacities), then went to a
special school in Chicago for ten years, only going home two or three days each
year. Even at Boatwright College Lyle says he doesn’t go home much because his
parents can’t read or write. He also tells then that he has a photographic
memory. Grandpa says he used to know a man who had a “phonographic” memory: he
couldn’t ever forget a song once he heard it on the Victrola. The boys speak
the language of the play as they ask for more food to eat. When Olivia invites
Lyle to church and the bazaar on Sunday, Lyle says he doesn’t go to church, and
is not a Christian. He says that primitive peoples manufacture beliefs and
gods, but those beliefs hinder scientific thought. Grandma is angry at what he
says, saying that he is calling them all stupid.
Ben and Jim Bob try to get a radio crystal
set to work. Lyle walks up to say that the antennae needs to be higher and that
it is not connected properly. Lyle connects the short antennae to the metal
bedsprings, and explains the concept of a radio, much to the annoyance of the
boys. They silently leave. Lyle tests the radio by himself. Grandpa and
John-Boy work at the mill while discussing Lyle. John-Boy can sense that Lyle
knows how he rubs people the wrong way. Grandpa asks John-Boy to try on the
armor he made for Erin’s play. John-Boy sees Lyle going over to see Mary Ellen,
who is watering the plants in the garden. John-Boy thinks that Lyle has a crush
on her. Lyle clumsily talks with her about how hydroponic turnips were grown at
the Chicago’s World Fair. Mary Ellen quickly tires of his facts and figures and
sprays him with water from the hose. Lyle says, “You got me all wet!” and Mary
Ellen responds, “The evidence would seem to indicate that!” Grandpa and
John-Boy laugh at the sight. As Lyle approaches the house to change his
clothes, Grandma coldly stares at him. Lyle watches as Erin tries to explain
the story behind Joan of Arc but the boys only laugh. She finally leaves in
frustration. Lyle runs upstairs. Lyle asks John-Boy, when he walks in, why Mary
Ellen sprayed him with water. John-Boy thinks that she likes him. Lyle finds
her emotions and actions to be illogical, and he tries to scientifically
explain it. John-Boy says that there is more to life than logic, like having
fun. Lyle says that in primitive cultures, they think love and feelings make
one go crazy, so they arrange marriages, a much more logical way to do things.
John-Boy asks him if these primitive peoples are the same ones that manufacture
gods?
At supper, Mary Ellen says they’ve already
sold ten dollars worth of tickets, and the baked goods should bring about
twenty-five dollars. Lyle tells them that exchanging goods is illogical and
that just giving the church money would be more practical. Olivia patiently
explains to him that the money is going to the Claytons, whose father is out of
work, and whose mother is expecting her seventh child. Lyle says that rewarding
people for having more babies that they can’t support is not logical. Grandpa
says the family is a respected family in town.
At the bazaar, John-Boy announces the beanbag
throw, three throws for five cents to win a balloon. Grandpa stands over the
pastries, while Grandma and Olivia sell the fudge and candies. Corabeth asks
Grandpa if that is Maude Gormley’s coconut cream pie. Zeb says yes, that’s it’s
priced at thirty-five cents, but will sell it special to her for fifty cents.
Corabeth agrees because it is for a good cause. The Baldwin sisters tell Olivia
and Grandma that Dr. McIver’s says they should reduce their intake of candies,
so they buy two pounds of fudge and two pounds of divinity. Erin looks for
Jason who is hiding from her, not wanting to act in the play. Ike buys fudge
from Olivia for forty cents. Erin tells her mother that Jason is missing.
Olivia asks Grandpa to find Jason. John-Boy suggests that they ask Lyle to
perform in place of Jason, and Mary Ellen asks him. But, he refuses. John-Boy
tries to convince him, knowing he could memorize the part in five minutes.
John-Boy tells him that he’s made a fool of himself, showing everybody that he
doesn’t care about anybody on the Mountain. John-Boy says that maybe he’s smart
enough so he doesn’t need anybody, but with that attitude he will very likely
live a very lonely life. In spite of that, John-Boy thinks that underneath Lyle
is a likeable guy. Lyle thinks of what he is told.
Mary Ellen makes the announcement that the
play is about to start with a visiting actor from Emporia, Virginia: Lyle Thomason.
The crowd gathers for the performance. Ben begins the play by introducing
Captain Baudricourt (Lyle). Lyle hesitates initially but gradually feels
comfortable with his new part. Erin enters the stage and Joan of Arc and
Captain Baudricourt begin their interaction. At the end of the first scene,
Lyle enjoys the applause of the audience.
During supper, Grandma says that the Baldwin
sisters bought four of Mary Breckenridge’s pies, and then gave them back to be
resold. Mary Ellen said they took in forty-eight dollars. Zeb bought two pounds
of fudge. They laugh about the sword breaking off during the play. Jason says
the Lyle was much better then he would have been. Lyle thanks everybody for
letting him be a houseguest. He shows his affection for all by pouring a glass
of water on top of Mary Ellen’s head. The family laughs.
"Lyle Thomason came back to stay with us
several more times, and we enjoyed his visits very much. He did indeed prove to
be a decent, kind, and very likable human being. But what pleased us even more,
was that after that weekend, Lyle spent almost all of his free time visiting
his own parents".
Jim
Bob: I'm glad I don't have a photographic memory!
Elizabeth: Why wouldn't you like to have one, Jim Bob?
Jim Bob: There are a lot of things I'd like to forget, like my grade in
Civics.
Grandpa: I knew a fellow once had a phonographic memory!
Grandma: Old man now, that wasn't funny the first time you told it.
Grandpa: Then why are you laughing Esther?
Jim Bob: Why are you laughing, Grandma?
Grandma: Oh Zebulun you stop that, now don't do that!
Elizabeth: What's he doing, Grandma?
Grandma: Oh my Lord he's tickling me, stop it now this minute or I'll go
sleep on the sofa!
Grandpa: Goodnight old darling!
Grandma: Hm hm, goodnight.
Notes:
John Walton is away, working in Norfolk, Virginia.
Information about Joan of Arc and Captain Baudricourt can be found at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1431joantrial.html.
Lyle Thomason is from Emporia, Virginia. In real life Emporia, Virginia, a town of about 6,000 people, is located south of Richmond, Virginia at the intersection of Interstate 95 and Route 58. Information about the city of Emporia can be found at: http://www.ci.emporia.va.us/.
Also appearing:
Ike and Corabeth Godsey (Joe Conley and Ronnie Claire Edwards); Miss Emily and Miss Mamie Baldwin (Mary Jackson and Helen Kleeb); Lyle Thomason (Dennis Kort); Dean Beck (George D. Wallace); Little Girl (Alexis Jacks); Secretary, Miss Forrester (Kim O’Brien); Student (Tim Haldeman).