The Waltons (1971–1981): Season 6, Episode 3 - The Recluse - full transcript

Oh, I'm much
obliged to you, sir.

- Where you heading?
- I'm going as far east as you can take me.

- You're leaving the Mountain?
- My son has kicked me out.

As the news of war in
Europe grew increasingly grim,

we could feel a
tension here at home,

a charge of
electricity in the air

as we looked to the outside
world with new interest and concern.

It was a time when my brother Ben
was reaching out for new horizons.

And for my family, the long
Depression years were coming to an end.

- Hey, Ben.
- Mr. Jarvis, what's all this?

Well, I'm closing down,
Ben. Going out of business.



I'm sure sorry to hear that.

Now that I've
graduated high school,

I was planning that I'd
get a full-time job here.

I thought you were
doing real good business.

Well, yeah, but I can do
better in defense work.

My brother found me a job
at the shipyards in Norfolk.

You wouldn't believe the
kind of money there're offering.

I'm glad for you. It
sure puts me up a tree.

Well, everything's changing,
Ben. You gotta move with the times.

I suppose Darlene
will be going with you.

No, she and her mother
are going to be staying here.

I'll board with my brother
and come home on weekends.

- Good luck down there.
- Thank you.

I'll be glad to write you a recommendation
if you think it'll help you find a job.



- I'd appreciate that a whole lot.
- Well, come on in the office, Ben.

Okay.

This one looks kind of nice.

Oh, yes, that one is
marked down from 59 to 49.

- I'll take it.
- I'm sure that you'll be pleased with it.

Thanks, Corabeth.

Oh, Ike, any mail
for the family?

No, but there's something I'd like
you to drop off for me, if you would.

It's for Fern Lockwood,
it's from Philadelphia.

And, well, she's been writing me
notes about it for a couple of weeks.

Oh, now, don't bother Jason
with that. I'll deliver that package.

I think that Corabeth would
just like to get a look at Fern.

I'm afraid he's right. I have
heard of this mysterious creature

ever since I came into this county
and I have yet to lay eyes on her.

Well, you wouldn't get to
see her and neither will Jason.

When I drop the groceries
off, I just put them on the porch

and she doesn't come
out till after I'm gone.

Well, we'll see.

So, just drop the package
on the porch, ring the bell,

and then don't stand
around and wait, okay?

All right. See you all
later. Thanks again.

- Bye, Jason.
- Bye-bye.

Mr. Godsey, I fail to understand why
you cannot agree with me just once.

Young man?

Would you kindly split
the log by the back door?

Sure.

Pa, there're building a new
hospital over in Charlottesville.

We might be able
to get the contract.

Hospital contract? Well,
we better get in our order.

Put in a bid before Willie Pawlett
gets his in over at Charlottesville.

I'm moving to Norfolk.

I said I'm moving to Norfolk.

- Why are you going there for?
- What was that, Son?

I'm moving to Norfolk
to get me a job.

Couldn't you find something
a little closer to home?

Mama, that's where the jobs are.

Roosevelt's building tons of
ships to send supplies to England.

I'll be home lots of
weekends and every holiday.

That's what John-Boy said and
we haven't seen him since he left.

Daddy?

I don't know, Son.

You're the only one in the mill who
can run that machine besides Pa.

But there's no work.

I know there's no
work, not right now,

but we're liable to get some,
then we're gonna need you.

Hey, whose is this?

It was John-Boy's. I've worn it a
couple of times, but you can have it.

Well, thanks.

I still can't get over Mama
and Daddy letting him go.

Jim-Bob, it's how you handle it.

Notice how I didn't ask
them, I just said I'm going.

I'm never gonna get out of
here. They still think I'm a baby.

That's 'cause you are.

You better shut up then, Walton.

I'd hate to get into a fight
with you on your last night.

If there's gonna be a fight,
you better wait till I get back.

- Where you going?
- Over to Fern Lockwood's.

I left my jacket
there. I'll be right back.

- Unless she puts a hex on you.
- Ha.

Who's there?

It's only me, Miss Lockwood.

I left my jacket here this
morning when I split the wood.

- Jason.
- Yes.

- The musical one?
- That's right.

When you were a little boy,
you used to walk by this house

and sometimes you
would play the harmonica.

How did you know that?

In the afternoons I sit in a summer house,
by the edge of the yard near the road.

I always waited for you young people
to pass by on your way back from school,

and I listened, shamelessly, to your
conversation and shared your lives.

Recently, there's been only the
youngest girl and the youngest boy.

Jim-Bob and Elizabeth are
the only ones in school now.

I've often wondered what
happened to the older ones.

Well, John-Boy's in New
York writing his second novel.

I'm a student at Kleinberg.

Mary Ellen's about
to have a baby.

Erin's working and going
to school in Rockfish,

and Ben's leaving
tomorrow for Norfolk.

How overwhelming!

- What the passage of time does to us all.
- Yes, ma'am.

One of the pleasures I allow myself is
a fire in the fireplace on cool evenings.

Would you come by again and
manage the firewood for me?

Sure. Be glad to.

Good night, Jason.

Good night.

Better go get your tickets,
Son, leave your suitcase here.

Yes, sir.

You've had that same smile on
your face for the last half hour.

- It's not real.
- You pretending something?

Pretending that
I'm a good mother.

And that I can let go of my children
when they think they're ready to leave me.

Well, at least he's
not going off to war.

Thank God for that.

I got the ticket.

Don't forget where
you live, Son.

I won't, Daddy.

Bye-bye, Mama.

I packed some
soap in your suitcase.

I want you to wash your
underwear and don't forget to change.

As soon as you get there,
I want you to find a church

and go every Sunday so
you can meet the right people.

Yes, ma'am.

I don't expect you
to write every day,

but I packed some
envelopes with stamps on them

- and some writing paper, so you can write.
- I have to go, Ma.

And don't stay out too late.

And you be careful of
those streets at night.

I bet he forgot to
pack his toothbrush.

I'll bet he did.

- Where you headed?
- Norfolk.

So am I. Supposed to be some
jobs down there. That's what I hear.

That's what I hear,
too. What's your name?

Anson Adams. What's yours?

Ben Walton. It's
nice to meet you.

- Well, we made it.
- Yeah.

- Good luck to you, Ben.
- Good luck to you, too.

You were my bonny bride

The roses all have
left your cheeks

I've watched them
fade away and die

Your voice is sad
whenever you speak

And tears bedim your loving eyes

Oh, I will take
you back, Kathleen

To where your
heart will feel no pain

And when the fields
are fresh and green

I'll take you to your home again

Yes?

I couldn't sleep and I
was just driving around.

I stopped in front of your
house and heard you singing.

Did I so disturb the night air?

No. It sounded very pretty.

Would you like

to come in?

If you like I recently received a music box
from Philadelphia, we could listen to it.

Thank you.

I am not accustomed to receiving
company, especially at such a late hour.

That's a beautiful piano.

It was only played once.
Isn't that a remarkable thing?

Who was it? I mean, who
played the piano once?

Wrapped in the cloth around
this cage is my companion,

a canary named Gabriel.

Who was it who only
played the piano once?

Someone I knew many years
ago. He was fond of Chopin.

What is it?

There's water in that
decanter on the table.

Are you all right?

I get these attacks from time
to time. They are not serious.

I seem to have troubled
you. Maybe I ought to go.

I promised to play
my music box for you.

It's the small green one on the
table. Would you bring it to me?

Isn't that lovely?

Shall I tell you why the spinster
Lockwood has retreated from the world?

Please.

I do not remember my mother,
but I was raised by my father,

he was a professor of Romance
Languages at Bennington College in Vermont.

When he developed lung trouble,

he was advised to find
a more benign climate,

so we moved to the
mountains of Virginia.

For a brief time, we
lived as others do here.

I even joined the
choir at the church.

My! With what hearty
voices those Baptists sing!

I know. I play for
the singing at church.

On my 21st birthday Papa and I
journeyed by train to Richmond,

to attend a concert given by
the son of a friend of Papa's.

After the concert, we went
backstage. The moment I saw Kyle

and the moment he saw me,

we were in love.

There was hardly
any need for courtship,

although, of course, he did court me,
and I did accept his proposal of marriage.

He died, in an accident
on the way to our wedding,

which was to have been held
at that small Baptist church

where you now play the organ.

- Hasn't it been a long time to grieve?
- Not grief!

I decided that the
remainder of my life would be

a monument to that one

perfect love

that could have been.

And I have kept
you far too long.

And I'm afraid I have
awakened Gabriel.

May I come again?

I have not had a
friend in many years.

I'm afraid I have
forgotten the social graces.

I'm not sure I can recall them.

However, should you
call again, I will try.

Good night, Miss Fern.

Good night, Jason.

- Pa, come here.
- Huh?

Look what I found in
the Charlottesville paper.

What do you got?

Oh-ho, what do you know.

"Subcontractor for the
army hiring in Charlottesville."

Looking for a local outfit to
do some construction work, Pa.

Well, I could sure listen to the sound
of a buzz saw around here again.

Let's go over and tell him we're
just the local outfit he needs.

I'm tired of living
hand to mouth.

I could use some prosperity
they're talking about around here.

Where is everyone going?

Home. That's the
night shift leaving.

- What can I do for you?
- Well, I need a job.

You ever have any
woodworking experience?

I've worked in my
daddy's furniture mill.

- Do you know how to use a band saw?
- Yes, sir.

Good. You're going to be on my
shift. Report to work at 12:30 tonight.

- And bring a lunch.
- Lunch?

Yeah, whatever you want to
call it, but no booze, no liquor.

You mean I got the job?

Well, it's graveyard
shift, but you'll do all right.

It's not a bad deal,
either, it's pay and a half.

Well, get, I got work to
do. I'll see you tonight.

Yes, sir.

I have lost a friend.

How'd that happen?

I may have left the
door to his cage open.

However he managed, as I
came into the room this morning,

he was hurling himself
against the window

as if in some desperate
effort to be free.

And then, in one final terrible
effort, he crashed against the glass,

fell to the floor.

I buried him in the rose garden.

What you ought to do is
get another one right away.

That shows small
regard for Gabriel.

How would you feel if you died and
someone replaced you immediately?

Happy that
someone still had life,

happy that they wanted to
replace me, happy that they could.

Miss Fern, there's a pet
shop in Charlottesville.

I'm gonna to take you there and
we're gonna get you another canary.

- I can't do that.
- Why not?

I have not been out
of this house in years.

There's nothing to be
afraid of. I'll be with you.

Poor Gabriel.

Miss Fern, we're
going to Charlottesville.

This won't take a minute.

Ike?

- I need two dollars' worth of gas.
- Okay.

Well, hello. Haven't
seen you in quite a while.

Jason.

Would you kindly take me home?

- They don't mean any harm.
- I implore you.

Take me home.

That's enough gas, Ike.
How much do I owe you?

I just put in a dollar's worth.

Here.

Ben!

Ben Walton. I
thought that was you.

- Well, hey, Anson, how you doing?
- I'm still looking for a job.

Well, I found one.

- That's terrific.
- Yeah.

- Did you find a place to stay?
- I stayed at this hotel last night.

- Every place around here is so expensive.
- Yeah, I know what you mean.

I'm staying at the boarding
house across the street,

paying twice what I figured.

Hey, maybe we could share
the room and cut the costs?

Well, that sounds great. Come
on up. I just bought us supper.

Anson?

You think God would be insulted
if we say grace over beans?

Dear Lord, thank
you for your blessing

and for this food.

- Amen.
- Amen.

This here's our new man.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Join the moles.

Your blanks are over there
and there's your sample.

If you got any questions,
you ask Ed here.

Yes, sir.

- Wanna try one?
- Sure.

Okay, turn her on over
there, it's on your left.

Just take her easy.

I told you, Pa, we
couldn't turn it down.

That'll feed us a whole
year, that contract.

Well, you know darn well we
haven't got enough hands to do the job.

Would you have turned it down?

I would have done
considerable thinking about it.

We didn't have time to
give it considerable thinking.

The man said take it or leave
it. Now we can get this job done.

Ben's away, and Jason and
Jim-Bob can't do cabinet work.

Maybe we've bit off more than
we can chew, but let's get to work.

Now, come on.

Sometimes I think you
haven't got any sense.

Doing factory work.
That's what we're doing.

This is really something.

Well, I've seen pictures of
Hawaii in the National Geographic.

Sure makes you feel like you're right
down there in the South Seas, doesn't it?

How do you like
this ringside table?

- The waiter's a friend of my brother.
- The Hula Hut's famous all over Norfolk.

Would you like to
order drinks now?

Hey, look at those drinks,
they got flowers in them!

I'm going to have a
Missionary's Dream.

- There's no liquor in these, is there?
- No, ma'am. It's not allowed.

My grandpa'd really get
a kick out of this place.

- Come on, Ben, order.
- Oh, yeah, yeah.

I'm gonna have a Silver Typhoon.

Wow, that sounds
terrific. I'll have a...

A Whaler's Downfall.

Would you just listen to those names?
I've never heard anything quite like them.

I think I'll take the one
that comes in a pineapple.

Tradewind Tropical Punch.

I bet you they're
real Hawaiians.

My brother said they came right from
a place called Waikiki. That's in Hawaii.

This is the best
place I've ever been.

You hear that music? I've heard
it before. It was on the radio.

Do you ever listen
to Hawaii Calls?

- All the time.
- All the time.

Back home they don't even
know there's places like this.

Wow, look at those drinks!

I am never going back
to Jefferson County.

- Me neither.
- I told you you'd like this place.

I bet you never saw anything
like this back there in the sticks.

- Thank you.
- It's like a whole new world.

To Ben's new world.

You're really beautiful.

- Thank you. Having a good time?
- I'm having the best time of my life.

Getting a job and meeting you.

Living here in Norfolk.

It's like I'm really living
for the first time in my life.

Well, live it up.

I will.

Got a contract with the
Army to make some desks.

You two have been working
night and day, I don't like it.

Gotta get that work done.

Me and Jason would
be glad to help you.

I need somebody who
can handle machinery, Son.

You think you're gonna
make your delivery date?

What we need is for someone
to invent a 30-hour day.

I wish you'd never
even gotten that contract.

Well, we got the contract
and we're gonna do it.

Well, I'm no great shakes at woodwork,
John, but I'll sure give it a try.

Thanks, Doc, but you save
those hands for doctoring.

What's the use of the
money if the work's killing you?

Hard work never killed anyone.

Someday you're gonna admit you're
wrong and I'm gonna fall down dead.

That makes two of us.

Hey, John? John?

- Easy, how you doing?
- Well, I ain't been doing too much.

Seems like all the work
hereabouts has gone down to the city.

That's what I hear.

Ike told me you might
be needing some help.

I need the help bad, Easy.

Well, you know me,
John, I'm a demon for work.

You just give me the word, and I'll
get in there and roll up my sleeves.

Now, Easy, last time we worked
together, it didn't work out too well.

Oh, John, you and
me got along real good.

That's right, we get along fine, it's
just that you don't always tend to work.

Oh, now, John, I ain't had a
drop of liquor in over a year.

I promise you a fair day's
work and that's the Lord's truth.

All right, Easy, I'll put you
on. We're making desks.

The blueprints are
there, you get to it.

Yes. Oh, John, I'm
just a little bit short on...

I pay every day at
the end of the day.

All right, that's good.
That's good. Thank you.

- Hi, Easy.
- Mr. Walton.

You're not thinking
of hiring him, are you?

I've looked over the whole county,
Pa. We gotta take what we can get.

Well, he's starting
out like a house on fire.

Miss Fern?

Miss Fern?

I wanna talk to you, Ben.

Did I do something wrong?

No, you've done
most everything right.

You must've grown up
around a woodworking mill.

Well, yes, sir, I did.

Well, I'm gonna move you up.

You're gonna be on the
shaper starting tomorrow.

It pays a dollar and a half more a day. I
guess that won't hurt your feelings none.

No, it sure won't.
I appreciate it.

- Well, that's all. Keep it up.
- Well, thank you.

If that's lemonade, my one
tonsil could drink a quart of it.

Where's Easy?

He worked for a day and
then went to town for a drink.

I paid him for one day's
work and he's gone.

You men can't keep on working like
this, 14-15 hours a day, seven days a week.

Well, I, for one, am
ready to throw in the towel.

- Well, I'm not.
- Go ahead, be stubborn.

Now, you two cool down.
It's hot enough in here.

Everything'd be all right
if he'd just send for Ben.

Pa, I keep telling you,
I'm not gonna do that.

Ben'll have plenty of chances.
Let him come home and help you.

He's got a good job, he's making his
way in the world, I'm not gonna stop him.

If he knew you needed
him, he'd be here in a second.

- No!
- Don't you raise your voice to me.

Well, then, stop standing
around and getting in our way.

Come on, Pa, let's go.

I don't like the way
you're rushing things,

it's altogether too
risky. I just don't like it.

Pa, if you don't like it, you
don't have to stay, you know,

you can take a walk.

All right, it would be a
pleasure. I will. I will take a walk.

Oh, well, he's driving me mad.

It's bad enough falling behind without
being reminded of it every two minutes.

- Now what?
- I'm going to work.

- Show me what I can do to help.
- This is not women's work, Liv.

Show me!

All right, come on.
Come over here.

You could prime
that board there.

Then get all the edges around
here so you can smooth down...

- I understand.
- All right.

How nice of you to
accept my invitation.

It's nice of you to ask me.

- Well, come in.
- Thank you.

He's a splendid singer
with a commanding voice,

and when I play my music boxes,
he sings along with the music.

I'm glad you're enjoying him.

It was most thoughtful of you,
Jason, and I am deeply grateful.

And in return I would like to
present you with something.

Oh, you didn't have
to do that, Miss Fern.

Thank you.

- May I open it now?
- Please do.

Oh, it's beautiful!
Thank you very much.

Oh, see? Isn't it wondrous?

Have you named him yet?

- I have been calling him Jason.
- Jason! I like that.

Come, let's have our tea.

It tickles me to have a
canary named after me.

He is positively
raucous sometimes.

Well, maybe you should
have named him Raucous.

I had forgotten the pleasure
of laughter in this house.

I heard you sing one night.
You have a wonderful voice.

I did once. Everyone said so.

It sure would be nice to
have you in the choir at church.

I think next Sunday, I'm going to call
for you and take you to church with me.

Oh, no, I could never do that.

I'm not taking no for an answer. I'm
coming here and taking you to church.

Then you must come
with a team of wild horses

for that is what it would take.

I'll be here at 9:45.

Jason, I shall never
leave this house again.

Yes, you will. Next Sunday.

These sure are good
drinks, aren't they, Grandpa?

Could use a touch of the Recipe.

This is a real nice
place though, Ben.

Reminds me of the places
I was in down in Cuba

when I was fighting the
war with Teddy Roosevelt.

They had girly places like
this down in Cuba, you know.

It's so good to see you, Grandpa.
I wanted you to see this place.

Why didn't you let me
know you were coming?

Well, the truth is I left
home rather suddenly

after a heated discussion
with your Daddy.

What happened?

Right after you left, your
Daddy got a big war contract.

Lot of money. The only trouble is,
he hasn't got any help to get it out.

Well, why didn't he call me?

Well, you know your
Daddy, how stubborn he is.

So stubborn, he didn't wanna spoil what
you were doing down here on your own.

You know him.

When I left and walked
out on him that day,

he had your Mama in the mill
working right alongside of him.

Miss Fern? Time for church.

I'm not leaving
here without you.

Please leave me alone!

I'm not leaving
here without you.

Now see what you've
gone and made me do.

You don't need them.

What do you, in your
youth and innocence,

know of what I need?

You told me once that
your life was a monument

to something that
could have been.

It isn't that at all, it's
a monument to death.

Okay, that's a tragic
thing to happen.

Something like that
happened to me once, too.

I lost a friend three years
ago and it hurt me to my guts.

And it can still hurt
if I think about it.

But I didn't turn into some kind of
coward and turn my back on the world.

Somehow I got through it and learned
to love my life in this world again.

I would like to learn

to live again.

So many more gravestones
than there used to be.

The windows are different.

Real colored glass now. It
used to be just painted over.

The Ladies Aid Society
is real proud of them.

I'm not sure I can
do this, Jason.

You can.

I was standing here.

The wedding guests had long
since gone home, but I lingered,

watching my wilting
bouquet of white stephanotis,

determined not to leave until
I received some kind of word.

And on this very spot,

they came and told me.

Kyle was dead.

Praise Him, all
creatures here below

Praise Him above,
ye heavenly host

Praise Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Will you all please turn to number 344 in
the hymnal? In The Sweet Bye And Bye.

There's a land that
is fairer than day

And by faith we can see it afar

For the father
waits over the way

To prepare us a
dwelling place there

In the sweet by and by

We shall meet on
that beautiful shore

In the sweet by and by

We shall meet on
that beautiful shore

We shall sing on
that beautiful shore

The melodious
songs of the blessed

And our spirits
shall sorrow no more

Not a sigh for the
blessing of rest

Need some help?

I can always use a good man.

Good.

Ben remained at home, and
for a while the family was intact.

But each day brought the war
closer and closer to the Mountain,

and with it, the
knowledge that each of the

boys would be called
to serve our country,

which, in time, we did.

Good night, Ben.

Welcome home, brother.

Good night, Ben,
I'm glad you're home.

I don't think I can sleep.

I'm still running on the night shift.
This is when I've been waking up.

Good morning, Ben!

- Good morning, Ben.
- Good morning, Ben.

- Morning, Ben.
- Morning, Ben.

Good night.

English -SDH