"The joy and pain of growing up came to each of us in different ways." "But no one endured the experience alone." "And so it was when Mary Ellen tried her first searching steps away from her childhood." "It was a time of joy and pain for her, and for the rest of us as well." "So far it's been easy on us, 'cause at least we've been able to do the things we like, and still stay at home." "Yeah." "I hope it's as easy for Mary Ellen." "Well, at least the family wants her to be a nurse, and she's not gonna have to spend any time convincing them." "She's just dying to go." "Who's that?" " Ike." " Mary Ellen." "You know, she's been in and out of here 20 times a day." "What on earth is she expecting?" "Graduation presents." "Mostly a suitcase." "She's been afraid she's gonna have to go away to nursing school with her stuff in a gunnysack." "Well, I don't know about any packages, but I think there's a letter here for her." "Here it is." "Miss Mary Ellen Walton." "Who's it from?" ""University of Virginia, School of Nursing, Charlottesville."" " Great." " She's been expecting that." "And there's a package here." "It's for your daddy from Richmond." "Everything's coming in today." "Is that for us, too?" "No, this is for Miss Nora Taylor, Public Health Nurse." "Yeah, we know her." "I think it's some supplies from the Center Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia." "It's been here a couple of days." "Well, does she know it's here?" "Well, there's no way for me to get in touch with her." "She's up at the Basham's place." "I guess there's somebody pretty sick up there." " Well, I'll take it up there." " Sure." " Well, I'm sure she'd be obliged." " It's no trouble." "And listen, you tell Mary Ellen that if any packages come in here that even remotely look like a graduation present," "I'll personally deliver them to her." " She'll be happy to hear that." " Great, thanks, Ike." " See you later." " Okay." "Hey, Jim-Bob." "What's the matter with you?" "I'm watching out for Mary Ellen." "They working on that trunk over there?" "You ought to see it." "It's looking good." "I'm gonna take a look at it." "See you later." " Hey." " What do you think of it?" "It's real snazzy." "It's better than that." "I'd say it's almost professional-looking." "Well, coming from an almost-writer, I guess that's good enough." "We'd be all but finished if we had that hardware from Richmond." "There it is." "How about that?" "It came today." " Hey, you got the hardware, huh?" " Yeah." "Wow, look at this." "Well, that's even prettier than it looked like in the catalog." " You think she'll like it?" " Sure she will." "I think if it helps her get out into the world, she'll be crazy about it." "She's just busting to go." "Yeah, and I'll bet she'll be busting to come back when she gets homesick." "You gotta remember, this is a big moment for your sister, going off to nursing school." "You're getting old, Daddy." "Three down, four to go." "Yeah, and I'm next." "You got a long way to go, Son." "Who's the package for?" "Nora Taylor." "I've got to deliver it to her later." "You sure did a good job with this suitcase." "Yeah, we're kind of proud of it ourselves, if we do say so." "Yeah, well, considering what we had to start with, it doesn't look too home-made, does it?" "No, it looks real professional." "Well, it's practically worn out." "We've had to hide it one place and another so Mary Ellen wouldn't find it." "Well, she may need it before too long, 'cause this came for her today, from the School of Nursing." "I'll be up in my room." "Mary Ellen's gonna make it just fine." "I told you that the day she was born." "Hi, Mary Ellen." " Open it." " Here, hurry." "John-Boy, it's me." "Hide this, quick." "She almost caught us." "All right, I'll put it under here." "No, not under there." "You can see under there from the hall." "Mama!" "Look at this letter!" "I'll be right down, Mary Ellen." " Hide it." " Where?" "Anywhere!" " I'll put it under the desk." " No, not there!" "You said anywhere!" "Mama!" "Where are you?" "Mary Ellen, I'll be right there." "Put it in the closet!" "I'll come up!" "No, no, no!" "Stay there, I'll be right down!" " There's no room in the closet." " Oh, John-Boy." "This is it, Grandma!" "This is what I've been waiting for!" "Yahoo!" "I'm gonna be going, I'm gonna be going!" "Mama." "Mama, hurry up." "Here it is." "Well, there she is." "All grown up and ready for the world." "I wonder if the world's gonna be ready for her." "Wait, wait." "Listen to this." ""Entrance examinations will be held for a two-day period," ""and arrangements can be made for out-of-town applicants" ""to stay at the Nursing School overnight."" "I'm gonna be going, Mama!" "I'm gonna be going!" "That letter's been a long time getting here." "Yeah, but it got here." "Never any doubt in my mind." "What's all the celebrating about?" "Look, it came." "I got it." "Mary Ellen got her letter from the School of Nursing, just like I said she would." "Does this mean you're going away?" "For two days to Charlottesville to take the exams, and then I'll be back for a couple of days to pack, and then..." "And then I'll be going off for school!" "If you're gonna stay overnight, you're gonna need a suitcase." "Or a sack or something." "We used to have an old suitcase around here someplace." " Where is it, Mama?" " That old suitcase..." "It's probably stuck away somewhere." " It'll take a month of Sundays to find it." " I'll go look." "Mary Ellen, listen." "I'm gonna go up the hills and see Miss Nora." "I've got to deliver some supplies to her." "Why don't you come up and give her the news?" "You tell her about the exams." "I'm sure she'd much rather you told her yourself." "We'll help you look for that old suitcase later." "All right." "Let's go." "Here, Grandma, hold on to this." "And don't lose that." " Give me that." " Come on, John-Boy." "Elizabeth." " Elizabeth!" " Well..." "How'd you like to ride up here every day like Miss Nora does?" "Well, according to Ike, she's been staying up here, mostly." "Somebody's sick at the Basham's." "You reckon your entrance exam's gonna be tough?" "I'm not worried about it." "You know, college was a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be." "This nursing school could be the same way." "Well, I don't care if it is." "I just want to ride off this mountain, down into the rest of the world." "Well, it's down there, honey." "All around, everywhere." "Well, I'm just tired of hearing people talk about it, and taking everyone's word for it." "I wanna be there!" "Afternoon." "We're looking for Miss Nora Taylor." "We've been looking for Miss Nora Taylor." "She's caring for my daughter-in-law." "Essie's took down with something." " Sorry." " I hope she'll be better soon." "Been so long now her man's gone." "Ain't nothing I can do for her." "Ain't nothing I can do for anybody." " Howdy." " Hi." " How are you?" " Tired." "That came in for you at the post office." "I needed these things." "We figured you might." "I'm mighty grateful to you both." "You're welcome." "Is Mrs. Basham very sick?" "She's had a rheumatic heart condition ever since she was a child." "It's gotten progressively worse." "We won't keep you." "But Mary Ellen did have a piece of news for you." "Day after tomorrow, I go into Charlottesville to take my nursing exams." "Mary Ellen, I am glad!" "I wish you were a nurse right now." "If there were 50 of us in these hills, it wouldn't be enough." " Well, thank you both." " We'll be seeing you." " Keep well." " Stay well." " Bye-bye." " Afternoon." "Is that your mule?" "Yeah." "His name's Blue." "How come you call him Blue when he's white?" "Well, we tried to get a blue one, but they're pretty scarce in these parts." "We'll be seeing you." "Well, I need some kind of a suitcase." "Even that old wreck would be better than nothing." "Well, I don't know where it is." "Are you sure you looked all over in the attic?" "I told you I did." "Well, then it has to be in here." "Erin." "Keep her away from the house!" "Where?" "The barn." "Get her to the barn, and keep her there till I call you, all right?" "What if she doesn't wanna go?" "Well, just..." "Just tell her something's in the barn!" "What?" "Good Lord, Erin." "Dream up something." "Well, it was here, and now it's gone." "Now who would have taken that beat-up old thing?" "I remember now." "The last time I saw it, well, it was in the barn." "You think so?" "Well, we've looked everywhere else." "Might be." "Well, if it's in here, Myrtle's probably eaten it." "Well, maybe it's in that corner over there." "Ready down there?" "Is the coast clear?" "She's in the barn." " Where?" " In the..." "Then up and at it, fellas, and lose no time." " Take the ice cream over to the porch." " Over to the porch." "Put them on the steps." "Sure is heavy." "How many quarts did you make, Grandpa?" "Well, there's enough for you to have a taste after I have my usual share." "Ben, now, don't you dip your finger into that ice cream." "Zeb, you and the boys get on the bottom step with the ice cream." "No, first get the bench out of the kitchen." " Come on, Ben." " Ben?" "Here you go, Ma." "That's beautiful." "You just put it right there, so that it's the first thing that she sees." "Ma, now you boss of this work crew?" "Well, it's a special occasion and, well, I just want everything to go just right." "Well, I'm not arguing with you." " Good!" " Where do you want this, Grandma?" "Right here." "Put the bench..." "Put the cake on the bench." " It's not here." " Well, keep looking." "Well, we've already looked everywhere." "Maybe we missed it." "You can't miss a suitcase." "Mary Ellen, we found it!" "I wonder where." " Mary Ellen." " We're coming." " Is she coming?" " Try to look natural." "Here she comes." "Okay." "Come on, sit down." " Surprise!" " Surprise!" "Like Grandma said, we found it." "It looks brand new!" "Yeah, Grandma and Mama sort of fixed it up together." "Me and Erin helped, too." "They both pitched in." "I can't believe it!" "Now you can go away and stay away." "You sure that's what you meant to say, Jim-Bob?" "Well, it didn't come out like I thought it in my head." "It's beautiful!" "You'll be the only girl in school with a hand-made trunk." "You even put my name on it!" ""Mary Ellen Walton!"" "Hey, she knows how to read!" "It's a requirement in nursing school, Ben." "Here, I wrapped it myself." "I can use some pencils." "Yeah, well, I got the kind with the biggest erasers 'cause I figure you're gonna be making a lot of mistakes." " Jason!" " Jason!" "Here, that's for you." " It's a book." " Don't tell me." "It's the story of Florence Nightingale." "She's supposed to be the idol of all the nurses." "I haven't read it." "I hope you like it." "You're all just awful!" "I don't know what to do." "And a bouquet." "Yeah, Grandpa, is the ice cream ready?" "It's perfect, but, of course, I've forgotten how to make any but perfect." "I just don't know what to say." "It's just..." "Come on." "I'll cut the cake here." "Good luck." "I want a piece of that cake." "Don't I get a hug?" "The room sure is gonna feel empty when you're gone." "Just think of all the extra space you'll have." "But it still won't be the same." "You'll get used to it." "What are you doing?" "Well, I thought as soon as you get your stuff out, I can move mine in." "Well, you could wait until I leave." "I mean, I'm not even gone yet." "Are you taking your bed with you?" "You want that, too?" "Well, as long as you won't be using it." "I thought you were going to miss me." "All you want to do is get rid of me so you can take over my things." "No." "We're all gonna miss you." "But, well, I just thought, anything you wouldn't be using..." "Well, anything I leave, you can have, but wait until I'm gone." "What are you doing with that?" "It's your baseball glove." "I know." "Can't I have it?" "Elizabeth, at least you could have waited until she was gone." "Can I help?" "With what?" "I know a worried man when I see one." "You know, Liv, when the boys were testing their wings, you used to stay up all night, and I'd tell you not to worry, they know how to take care of themselves." "But now it's Mary Ellen." "She's your baby girl, and it's different." "She always has been." "She's a young woman." "She's strong, capable, sensible." "She's ready to make a life of her own." "Of course she's ready." "Spent her whole life on Walton's Mountain, protected." "Liv, there are things out there, there are people out there, she doesn't know anything about." "Wanna go out there with her, take her by the hand?" "Would you like me to walk in with you?" "No, I'd rather go in alone." "All righty." "Good luck." "Thanks." "Excuse me." "Good morning." "I'm Mary Ellen Walton." "I'm here to take the entrance examinations." "Are you planning to spend the night with us?" "Well, they said I could in the letter." "That's an interesting-looking suitcase." "Thank you." "My mother and my grandmother made it." "That is, they sort of made it over." "Here we are." "Mary Ellen Walton." "All right." "Come with me, Mary Ellen." "Thank you." "This will be your bed for the night." "Joyce Parish is here to take the exams, too." "She's up from Richmond." "Joyce, this is Mary Ellen Walton." "Our cafeteria is in the basement." "Lunch is at 12:00 and dinner at 6:00." "Where do we take the examinations?" "The first one is about to start in 45 minutes." "And that'll be in classroom 102." "That's just to the left of the reception desk, where you came in." "102 in 45 minutes." "Everything will seem very strange and confusing at first, but if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask." "Thank you." "Are you scared?" "I was at first, but not so much now." "Well, do you know anybody here?" "No." "Neither do I." "I wish I was home." "Well, if you were home you'd wish you were here." "I've been wanting this as long as I can remember." "Have you?" "Yeah." "Well, she said it would be a little strange and confusing at first." "Tomorrow you'll be fine." "I sure hope so." "Livie, you are a mind reader." "Guess I'm not much of one." "I thought it was just you and Grandpa." " Sweet cider." " Only two glasses." "Well, that's okay." "Jim-Bob will go to the house and get some more." "Guess I'll never be older than him, get to run him around some." "Here, you hold it, then." "This one's for Grandpa." "All of it's for Grandpa." "Aren't you the lady that came down here this morning with coffee and this noon with sandwiches?" "Got my eye on the man that works here." "Could Mary Ellen leaving have anything to do with that?" "Could be." "I guess when one of them goes away, you want to be closer to the others." "I don't understand these questions." "But I don't." "Well, they're perfectly clear." "Not to me." "Well, you just take this on down the hall, and your questions, too." "The admissions nurse will have to help you." "Go on, now." "I was taking the test and I had some questions." "Well, these deal with algebra and some beginning chemistry." "Well, I haven't had either of those courses." "I'm sorry, but we have rules here that are really not flexible." "They simply will not bend." "You mean there's no way I can pass?" "Well, this work is quite good, but without math and science, you can't enter nursing school." "Well, this is a fine time to find out!" "How was I supposed to know?" "Someone should have told you." "Well, someone didn't tell me!" "Do you have any idea how much we need nurses where I come from?" "Miss Walton." "You have some things to learn." "I know." "I get told that all the time." "About math, about science, and about admissions nurses." "You do not shout at them." "I'm sorry." "I know better." " It's just that I got so mad." " Angry." "And I really can't blame you." "I don't think I can understand these books." "Someone will have to tutor you." "Who?" "You'll have to arrange that on your own, and you will, if you want this badly enough." "When you think you can answer the questions, you come back to us." "You make it sound so easy." "I don't mean to." "Nothing about this is easy." "You have to truly want to become a nurse." "I've always wanted that." "You be sure of that." "Some girls come to us when all they really want is an excuse to leave home." "Mary Ellen, they told me you called." "What happened?" "I don't wanna talk about it." "What, something go wrong?" "Dumb school!" "They don't tell you anything!" "Mary Ellen, what happened?" "If I talk about it, I'll cry." "There's nothing wrong with that." "Mary Ellen!" "Something wrong?" "Is something wrong, honey?" "That school is so dumb." "They expect you to know stuff and they don't even tell you!" "It's gonna be all right." "Easy, easy." "I'm so dumb I couldn't even take the test!" "I don't believe that." "Well, they had all these questions about stuff I'd never even studied." "Honey, that's not the end of the world." "That school will be there for years." "You can make those subjects up, can't you?" "Mary Ellen!" "Mama, don't even ask me what happened." "Mary Ellen, what happened?" "There were questions about algebra and chemistry and stuff I'd never even heard of!" "What kind of stuff?" "Subjects like John-Boy didn't even have in school." "He got into college." "And those are the subjects he's having fits over." "May I come in?" "I don't care." "Sorry, I thought you'd finished crying." "I have." "I'm sorry, John-Boy." "I'm sorry I was so mean to you after you came all the way from Boatwright to get me." "Don't be silly, you weren't mean at all." "I felt so ignorant." "Nobody in the world knows everything." "That's for sure." "Don't you think you can do it?" "You should've seen this place, John-Boy." "It was the cleanest, the whitest place you ever saw." "And the nurses, and the student nurses, and even the walls..." "They just gleamed." "Really something, huh?" "Sure was." "And there was such order and such beautiful simplicity" "and such purpose." "I sound crazy, don't I?" "Everything I want, and here's what's stopping me." "It's in these two books." "Math and science." "I have to get them somehow." "How hard do you want to work?" "Like a mule." ""Like a mule" might do it." "Would you like me to help you?" "D-C angle equals a..." "Yeah." "That's right." "Right." "Now, look." "See, you got ahead of yourself there." " I did not!" " Yes, you did." "You missed a step from there to there, right there." "What difference does it make as long as I get the right answer?" "How do you know you got the right answer?" "'Cause I looked it up in the back of the book." "See?" "I know it's in the back of the book." "That's not the point." "You're supposed to get the right answer, but you're also supposed to be able to prove how you got the right answer." " Why?" " I don't know." "That's what they ask you to do." "Look, here's the example, and here's the proof right there, see?" " You just do it." " All right." "Look, if we ever get through this algebra stuff, which I'm not too sure about, we're going to be in a lot of trouble when we hit chemistry, 'cause I'm terrible at that." "I know." "Have you spoken with Mrs. Fordwick?" "No." "I guess I'll have to." "I just wish there was some way I could cut through all this book stuff and just go right to nursing." "Well, there's probably tons of stuff in these books that you don't need." "What you ought to do is talk to somebody who's taken the test and knows exactly how much math and how much science you need to pass." "Someone like Miss Nora." "Well, sure." "She's probably had to take the exam." "Of course she has." "Why don't you talk to her about it?" "Yeah." "Hey, that's a really terrific idea, John-Boy." "Thanks." "I have them all the time." "How's Mrs. Basham feeling?" "She don't seem to be picking up none." "I'm sorry." "I hoped things were better here." "Only so much a mortal can do." "Hello there." "You want I should fetch Miss Nora for you?" "If she's busy, I can wait." "She said to stir it now and again." "You can read, I'll bet." "I'll bet you could, too, if you got the chance." "Mama, she wants I should read." "She's bad off now." "I'll bet she's real proud of the way you're helping Miss Nora." "If you don't cost a cent, I can afford you." "I could say the same to you." "I can't get into nursing school until I know what's in them." "I know." "If I could tell you why, I'd be glad to." "You'll study all this and later after you start your training." "We can help each other, Miss Nora." "I'll do all I can around here if you'll help me with these courses." "You have any idea how much I need your help?" "We just keep saying the same things to each other." "It's far from easy, Mary Ellen, and it's far from pleasant." "I can start now, can you?" "Be careful." "Don't drag it in the dirt." "Hang it up there in the sun." "That way they'll smell good when they're dry." "I'll never be able to study it all, I just won't have time." "There's no need to." "A lot of things in these books aren't covered in the examinations." "That's what John-Boy thought." "Maybe if I just covered the important things." "It's just a matter of sorting out what you'll use." "They won't ask you any questions on chapters five and six." "Chemistry of metals, you'll study that later." "Poisonous elements, that's important." "Chemistry of food, you'll wanna know that." "When will I ever use algebra in nursing?" "On one important occasion." "To pass your entrance exam." " Gently..." " Put you on your side." "Easy." "You must have brought more blankets." "Yeah, we had some extra ones." "Pull it tight." "Close your eyes." "You better watch it, you're next, kid." "All right." "It's okay." "You're dreaming." "It's okay." "It's okay." "I have someone here who really wants to see you." "Who?" "My big girl." "I'm right here, Mama." "She's a real big help to us." "Miss Nora and I, we depend on Violet a lot." " Mrs. Basham feeling any better?" " It's hard to say." "Mary Ellen's working wonders keeping her comfortable." " How are the studies?" " You've got no worry there." "And she's a great help to me in every way." "She's mighty willing." "She's a worker, if she gets the notion." "Tell us, Miss Nora, what with Mary Ellen working along with you and all, do you think she's right for nursing?" "She's gonna tell us that, John." "Believe me, if she's right or wrong for it, Mary Ellen will be the one to tell us." " Bye now." " Bye-bye." "Maybe I better get some supplies and run them up to the Basham place." "Old Lait Basham would rather starve to death than accept a handout." "I'll work on that when I get up there." "Elizabeth, don't pull any of the big ones." "They're about to go to seed." "Give me some of the nice, sweet, little, juicy, young ones." "Thank you, Grandpa." " Looks like a boy at school." " Yes." "It does look like Oscar." "Give me some more of them." "What about the turnips?" "There's a lot of activity around here today." "Daddy and I are taking some supplies up to the Bashams." "Miss Nora's making her rounds up in the hills, so Mary Ellen is alone up there now taking care of Mrs. Basham." "I will stay with her to help in whatever way I can." "Now here's enough vegetables to last them for a while." " Put in the cornmeal?" " Cornmeal and flour." "This is about the finest ham to come out of the smokehouse, Pa." " Which pig was it?" " Petunia, I think." "But for sentimental reasons" "I don't keep track of who's who in the hams anymore." "Hope the milk keeps." "It's a long way up there." "It'll be all right." "Just wrap it wet and cool." "Goat's milk lasts longer than the others." "John-Boy, I got a great idea on how to make us rich." "I'm gonna start calling you "Make A Million" Walton." "No." "This is a real good idea." "Really." "If we grow a goat as big as a cow, it would give ten times as much milk." "That's a great idea, as long as it's a nanny goat." "You try milking a billy goat the size of a cow, he'll butt you from here to Saint Louis." "Ready for you, John-Boy." "Ben, you hurry up with that milk." " You talk to Myrtle, Grandpa." " Myrtle..." "Would you?" "Could you?" "Papa!" "Papa!" "A horse is coming." "Now you'd hardly know this place, Daddy." "Mary Ellen has sure done a job of work around here." "Got a ways to go, Son." "Lait!" "John." "Sorry to hear about Essie, Lait." "She's took right bad." " Hoped things might be looking up." " No, sir." "Lait," "I'm kind of short on rock maple." "I got me a special order." "Can you spare a couple of trees?" "Trees is all I got, John." "Kind of short on cash, too." "How about you take some garden truck and ham and such until I come up with some money?" "Fair enough." "Fair enough." " Come on, Son." "Help me out." " Yes, sir." "How is she?" "About the same." "Daddy's here." "He'd like to see you." "Could you go outside for a minute and speak with him?" "I can't leave her now." "I'll stay with her while you talk to him." "All right." "Just sit with her." "That's about all you can do." "All right." " Hey, Daddy." " Hello, honey." "How are you?" "I'm fine." " You're looking tired." " No, it's a good kind of tired." "I feel like what I'm doing is worth something." "It's like I just suddenly woke up to life." " You gonna stay on up here?" " As long as I'm needed." "You come home as soon as you can." "John-Boy will stay with you till you're ready, all right?" "All right." "Hey, you!" "Hey!" "What're you doing?" "I need that leg, you." "Get out of here." "We've got them cleaned up, and they're learning to work some, but..." "They're gonna have to find their own way out of here." "Looks like they got a ways to go." "You should've seen her, Liv." "She looked like a regular grown up woman." " She is." " In a week or so?" "I imagine it happened little by little." "Growing up does." "I just can't think of Mary Ellen that way." "I remember when we used to talk about her graduating from high school." "Now here it is." "Liv, why does it bother me so much?" "Just remember, a son is a son till he takes a wife." "A daughter is a daughter for the rest of her life." "Yeah, well..." "Before you know it, some guy will be around here asking me if he can marry her." "That'll come, too." "Yeah." "Well, he's gonna have to be some kind of man." "It's awful early." "But it ain't cold a bit." "It's a quiet time, peaceful time." "Try and remember it that way, Violet." "That's dew on things this early time of day." "Tiny little water drops waiting for the sun." "I'll bet your mama told you that." "Mothers do that." "They tell you all the nice and pretty things when you're little." "And you always remember what your mama tells you." "You have it with you your whole life long." "Even when something happens and your mama has to go away, you can remember what she told you, and you can bring her back to you." "Is Mama gone?" "She tried so hard, Violet." "But she was tired and weak." "She didn't want to leave you, but she just had to." "Does Mama still hurt?" "No." "And she'll never, ever hurt again." "It's all right to cry." "I think your granddaddy needs you now." "I was worried about you." "It was a hard time." "I figured something was wrong." "Mrs. Basham died." "Mary Ellen was with her." "I got the circuit preacher to take care of everything." "You all right?" "I never really understood before." "All my life I've heard grownups say," ""It's best," ""she won't suffer anymore."" "And all I could think about was, "She's dead." ""She won't live anymore."" "And what about the kids?" "Violet." "She's not much older than Elizabeth." "She's the oldest now." "I'm just tired." "I saw everything she did, Mama." "You'd have been proud of her." "I am." " What are you doing home from school?" " Got a cold." "What are you looking at, big eyes?" "I was just thinking, you know after you go to nursing school, and Erin will probably get married or something, well, then I'll have the room all to myself." "And then one day I suppose you'll be going away, too?" "I guess so." "You know, when I was at the Basham's, it was as if I'd already left home." "It was kind of scary." "And then I'd think about the house." "The way the sun hits the windows in the morning, the sound of Mama and Daddy's voices when they first get up," "the way we all say good night, how good it feels to all sit around the table together." "When I go away to nursing school I'm gonna remember all those things." "Then maybe I'll grow up and be brave." "Mary Ellen, you're the bravest person in the world." "No, I'm not." "I just talk like I am." "By summer's end, Mary Ellen had been accepted at the School of Nursing of the University of Virginia." "All of us watched her grow through those difficult weeks as she gathered the knowledge and maturity she needed." "At the end of it, Mary Ellen knew that nursing was to be her life." "And as long as she pursued it, it was rewarding to her and to everyone who knew her as a nurse and loved her as a person." "Erin, was that you?" "There's a cricket in my bed!" "A big fat cricket!" "Jim-Bob, did you put that in Erin's bed?" "Jim-Bob?" "It was Grandpa." "Mary Ellen, I wish I could go away to school with you." "So do I. I'd have my very own room." "Everybody go to sleep." "I'm gonna get you, Grandpa." "English"