"Rambling Rose" "In deep Dixieland, of October is almost summery." "I had come to visit my father." "Mother had died a few years before and Daddy was living alone." "He wouldn't have it otherwise." "Seeing the old house, nostalgia for the south gripped me." "The old South I had known and the people in it." "When I was 13, a girl came to this house." "I overheard my father decide with my mother to hire this girl." "A good-natured, but unfortunate girl, working for a farm family, near Gadsden, Alabama." "Thus she was hired, sight unseen, by a long-distance call." "She was the first person I ever loved outside my own family." "But, as my father said, she caused one hell of a damnable commotion." "Hello." "I'm Rose." "I've come to live with you." "Mother, the new girl's here." "Wonderful." "What's your impression of her?" "She's big." "She could beat up Daddy if she wanted." "But she's very girlish." "She wouldn't hurt anybody." "Your impression is very reassuring." "I sensed that she was so." "I'm glad to have it reconfirmed." "You mean confirmed, mother." "If it had been confirmed previously, it would be reconfirmed." "Alright." "You get Doll and Waski." "I'll telephone Daddy." "This is Waski." "His real name is Warren, but we call him Waski." "He dislikes it." "I guess, one day we'll have to stop calling him that." "You can stop it now." "You'll find him a very good boy." "As you can see, he's beautiful." "Rose, this little girl is Frances." "We call her Dolly." "It's short for Doll or Doll Baby." "Doll Baby, that's worse than Waski." "I want to be called Fran." "Daddy won't allow it." "That young man, you have met." "He is my oldest son and my most brilliant child." "They say I brag too much about my children." "I simply tell the truth." "Am I boring you, Rose?" "No, ma'am." "Not at all." "Good." "I realised the remarkable thing about Brother when he was 6 weeks old." "He looked at me and recognised me." "He understood me." "Sounds crazy, but it's the truth." "I have to warn you about him." "He can be very dangerous." "He has an evil streak in him." "It is a streak of pure, sheer meanness." "You'll scare the girl, going into the 4th dimension like that." "Maybe to you it's the 4th dimension, but to me, it's the truth." "Well, well, so Miss Rosebud has arrived." "Yes, indeed." "Doll Baby, take this for me." "Rosebud..." "I swear to God, you are as graceful as a capital letter "S"." "You will adorn our house and give a glow to its old walls." "Yes, indeed." "Now, it is my wife's belief, which I accept, though do not grasp, that to hire a person to do household work is a criminal practice." "You are therefore here as a friend, and indeed as a member of this family." "In love and harmony, dear Rosebud." "In love and harmony." "Do you understand?" "Yes, sir." "I know you've had some troubles." "Those scoundrels in Birmingham trying to lead you astray, and so on." "Life can be very cruel to a young girl." "You've had a hard time." "But I hope and believe you've found a safe haven in this house." "We welcome you to our home." "We welcome you from the heart." "We hope you're happy here." "Thank you, sir." "Hands in your pocket, pockets in your pants, watch the turtles so the hootchie-kootchie dance." "Let's see if she goes in the water." "Waski, you gotta lick your lips." "You mean to those seeds, they'll snap at you, Waski." "Buddy, that hotel that Mr. Hillyer runs... do y'all own it personally?" "Yes, it's part of Mother's estate." "Her estate?" "Her inheritance." "It was left to her when she was orphaned." "Buddy, your mama was a orphan?" "Yes." "Y'all help me shuck." "Hey, Buddy?" "Where is Columbia University?" "And what is it exactly?" "It's an advanced school for brilliant people, in New York." "New York?" "New York!" "Imagine that, with all them skyscrapers, and  things like that." "New York." "And your mama lived there?" "Went to that school." "Good Lord." "That's something." "Rose?" "Who were those scoundrels in Birmingham?" "Nobody." "Keep shucking." "But who were they?" "Bad men, that's all." "Bad in what sense?" "Bad is bad, Buddy." "Ain't no sense to it." "Did they try to make you become a prostitute?" "I don't listen to talk like that." "I turn my back and look the other way." "That's why Daddy hired you, isn't it?" "T o keep you away from those scoundrels." "Your daddy is the best and most kind-hearted man in the world." "Did you hear about the terrible thing in Cave Spring?" "What terrible thing?" "There was this old man that ate his niece." "I did not hear that." "I don't hear you." "Chopped her into pork-chops." " I don't even hear that." "There's terrible things in this world." "Rose, did you hear about that man in Chattanooga?" "Killed his wife with a black widow spider." "She suffered horribly." "You are in one of your evil moods." "That's what it is." "The family's all here." "Reverse-insomnia." "What a curse." "No appetite, either." "Rose, may I have half a cup of coffee?" " I already got it." "Rosebud baby..." "you are the light of my life, darling." "You're as pretty as a moonbeam, and warm as sunshine." "Now, how did we get by without you?" "Rose must be "non compos mentis" this morning." "Must be that time of the month." "She has been a little peaky lately." " Not till Daddy came." "What, dear?" "Your hearing aid is on the blink." " What?" "Your hearing aid is buzzing at me like a snake." "Waski, I shot you." "Fall down." " I'm going." "Hey, Doll, come on." "I got you, too, Doll." "Mrs. Hillyer?" "Yes, dear?" "Will you get your Master's degree soon?" "Pretty soon, dear." "When I finish my thesis." "What are you studying right now?" " American history, dear." "Is that the story of this country?" "Just like the story of a person?" "Exactly." "You must have a wonderful brain!" "Rose, darling, you work too hard." "Sit down and have a nice refreshment." "After all you and him has been doing for me, working hard is nothing." "Mrs. Hillyer?" " Yes?" "Is it true you were a orphan?" "Yes." "After the age of seven, I was." "Me, too." "Daddy sure is dumb." "Mother didn't notice, either." "You'd think she wouldnotice." " She is ignorant about such things." "Besides, her maternal feelings are aroused." "Maternal feelings run deep." "Yeah." "Rose is in terrible shape." " Yeah, she is." "Shut up, Wawa." "You don't even know what we're talking about." "I do, too." "Rose is madly in love with Daddy." "He loves me." "He loves me not." "You don't eats greens?" "Alright." "Here, Rose." "T ake my napkin, darlin'." "It's OK." "Are you alright?" "Are you ill?" "No, ma'am, I'm just fine." "I just spilt the beans." "I have to present my magazine at the garden club tonight." "I'll drive you." "You have no business at the wheel of an automobile." "Why not?" "If you're not thinking, you'll run into a telephone pole." "Darling, I think about what I'm doing, all the time." "And I have as much right to be at the wheel of a car as anybody." "Besides, I want you to help Rose with the dishes." "She isn't feeling well." " The dishes, darling?" "Yes." "You can help, even though it's not a man-type thing to do." "Man-type things, women-type things." "The creative force behind the universe doesn't care about such things." "So you can help with the dishes?" "Certainly, darling." "Delighted." "Thank you, darling." "Come on." "I'll be damned." "It says the moon is 238,000 miles from the Earth." "How about that?" "Mister Moon." "It says that it's a solid rock body, two thousand miles in diameter." "That's fascinating." "I think she's going to kiss him." " At least." "Oh, God, Mr. Hillyer!" "I love you!" "I tried!" "But I can't help it." "Kiss me!" "Rose, Rose, Rose!" "Get off my lap." "Buddy, stop it." "I can't see!" "I can't help it." " Calm down." "The children will hear you." "No, no." "Let's talk about this thing." "Please." " No, let's calm down and discuss it." "Please." "Don't make me get up." "What are they doing?" " Discussing it." "I can't kiss you." "I only kiss Mrs. Hillyer." "But I love you." " You don't love me." " I do." "Just kiss me once." " If I did, you wouldn't ask anymore?" "Just once." " On the lips or mouth?" " Mouth." "I only kiss Mrs. Hillyer on the mouth." "They're kissing." "What's happening now?" "Rose's titty is out." "His hand is on it." "Enough of this damn nonsense." "And I mean enough." "Get up, Rose." "Put your damn tit back in your dress." "You hear me?" "Replace that tit." "Damn you, girl." "You made me make a fool out of myself." "She put it away." "A man is supposed to be a fool." "But a woman should have some control." "Now, are you a nitwit?" "What's the matter with you?" "I'm sorry, Mr. Hillyer." "I couldn't help it 'cause I love you." "Rose, Rose, poor miserable child..." "You said you loved Mrs. Hillyer." "Is this any way to repay her?" "She would defend you." "She would fight for you like a tiger." "Don't cry, honey." "Don't cry." "Here..." "Now let me warn you..." "I'm standing here at Thermopylae." "I am standing at Thermopylae  and the Persians shall not pass." "Now get your tail out of here, and wash those dishes." "Go on!" "Wasn't Daddy great?" "I bet he wanted to kiss her some more, but he didn't." "He was probably just scared Mother would come home early and catch him." "Buddy, sometimes you make me sick." "Ooh, Baby Doll..." "Thermopylae  The Persians shall not pass." "Buddy, are you asleep?" "No, I'm awake." "What's wrong?" "Buddy, I have been wandering in the wilderness, lost." "I feel awful." "Do you mind if I get in bed with you for a while?" "Alright." "I'll be quiet." "I'll lie here a while." "You go on back to sleep." "Oh, Buddy, you don't know how it hurts to have a broken heart." "Men, I don't understand 'em." "I can't see through them." "I can't figure them out." "They break my heart, that's all." "But this is the worst ever." "'Cause it wasn't his fault, it was mine." "I was bad." "You wouldn't believe how bad I was." "What did you do, Rose?" "I was just awful, Buddy." "Worse than you could know, a child like you." "It isn't just the loss of him  but my own bad behavior what bothers me so." "It has just made me ill." "I am sick." "What was the cause of it all?" "You promise not to tell Doll or nobody?" "It's your Daddy." "I'm so much in love with him, I'm out of my mind." "How could such a thing happen?" "You know, when I first come, and he says I looked graceful like the letter "S", and called me "Rosebud"?" "I fell madly in love with him right there, right then." "But it's a lost love." "He's a good man." "He won't have nothing to do with me." "Can I touch you here?" "It's soft." "It's awful soft." " What did you expect?" "I thought it was like a cantaloupe." " That's some idea, a cantaloupe." "There's some gristle in it." " Buddy, quit that." "You're just a child." "You shouldn't be interested about such things." "Actually, I am." "That daddy of yours is the funniest man." "The things he says." "You never know what he'll say next." "Can I put my hand inside your nightgown?" "No, you can't." "I'll tell you something else." "He scares me." "You can't fool around with him." "Not with that man." "If I ever do that again, he'll fire me." "Can I see what nipple looks like?" "Buddy, what has come over you?" "A child like you, asking such things." "I'm curious, Rose." "Buddy, get your hand away." "Quit it!" "Get your hand off of me, Buddy!" "Buddy, come on." " Just for a second." "What's the harm?" "You don't realize it, but what you're doing isn't nice." "Can't I just see what the nipple looks like?" "Are you satisfied now?" "Can we lie and talk now, huh?" "It has a nipple." " Or course." "At first I couldn't feel it, but now I do." "It's like an acorn." " OK, Buddy, that's enough." "You're just a child, and wouldn't understand, but that type of thing  can stir a girl up." "Now you lie down and we'll just talk." "It was softer than I thought." "That was my main impression." "If you hit a girl there, it could hurt her a lot." "Who would do a thing such as that?" "Some fiend might." "You know, Buddy, I can't figure you out at all." "You can be very nice, but like your mama said, you have an evil streak." "Everyone does, Rose." "Your Daddy doesn't." "What has happened has made me love your pa more." "I not only love him, I respect him." "I admire him." "I have a serious favor to ask." " Most men would act like he did." "If they get a girl, they go ahead and get her." "Just like some monkey." "Then they tell her she's no good, when they done the same thing." "Since you're here in bed with me, and I've already touched your titty..." "Buddy, what an awful thing to say!" "Where did you get any such idea as that, anyhow?" "I'm curious, Rose." "I'm real curious." "Well that is just too bad." "Curiosity killed the cat." "Yeah, but satisfaction brought him back." "May I?" "No." "You should be ashamed, asking such a nasty thing, a child your age." "Can't I touch it just a little bit?" "Just to see what it's like?" "No." "Oh, Rose, I'm curious." "Can't I touch it for a second?" "Aren't you my friend?" "Don't you like me?" "I like you a lot." "In fact, I love you." "You're sweet, Buddy, but you don't really love me." " I do!" "Don't you like me just a little bit?" "Sure I like you, Buddy." "But you're just a child." "I'm 13 and I have a natural curiosity." "It's nature, Rose." "Now what's wrong with nature?" "Honey, what's the matter?" "Just that  damnable reverse-insomnia." "You go back to sleep." "The Depression has got me." "Strong men weeping, children hungry." "What a life, what a world." "Buddy, quit it." "Am I hurting you?" "No, you're not hurting me." "You just better quit it, that's all." " Why, if I'm not hurting you?" "You wouldn't understand." "I must be out of my mind." "This is definitely the most fascinating experience of my life." "Oh, Lord." "Man rises like sparks in a fire." "What's wrong, Rose?" "Are you sick?" "I have robbed a cradle and fell into hell." "I must be crazy!" "I got to get out of here!" "Buddy, you wouldn't tell nobody, would you?" "No, I won't tell a soul." "I sure hope you don't." "I got to get out of here." "I hate to turn this light on." "Your daddy is downstairs." "I have to take the chance." "Buddy, please don't tell on me." "I said I wouldn't." " Buddy, I never meant to harm you." "I'd never hurt you, ever." "But they'd think I did." "I don't see why you're so worried." "It was my idea." " You don't get it." "They'd blame me, not you." "They'd think I was awful." "A disgusting girl, which I am." "But please don't tell!" "Please!" "Rose, what did those scoundrels in Birmingham want with you?" "They wanted what you said." " For you to be a prostitute?" "How much do they pay girls to do it?" "In the house in Birmingham, 3 dollars." "The girls got a dollar and the house took two." "How many men did they have to do it with in a day?" " I don't know." "10 or 12, I guess." "Maybe more." "Twelve, that's a lot of men." "They probably had BO." "and needed shaves." "Probably." "On the other hand, 12 men a day at a dollar each." "In two days, you'd make what you make here in a month." "Buddy, I don't want to be no whore." "I can't." "It'd kill me." "But that isn't why I don't want you to tell them." "The reason is  I love it here." "I love your whole family." "And Buddy..." "I don't want to have to go." "So please  if you like me a little bit  don't tell them, please!" "I know that I'm a bad girl." "But please have pity on me." "Please." "Buddy, don't tell them." "Please don't." "I won't tell on you, Rose." "They could put splinters under my fingernails  and I would never tell." "Because I love you, Rose." "Thank you, Buddy." "When I start bothering your Daddy, even worse, robbing a cradle," "I gotta face the facts of life." "T omorrow..." "I'm going to get myself up and go out." "Get yourself up and go out?" "Buddy," "Mr. Right is out there somewheres, and I'm going to find him." "If I have to wake you up at 11:00 in the morning, either you're sick, or you were up very late last night." "You weren't reading "Huckleberry Finn"." "I looked in your room." "It's not there." "What were you doing?" "I have to tell the truth." " Of course." "I was reading one of those dirty comic books." " Oh, Brother!" "I'm so disappointed in you." "You mustn't read them." "They degrade the human image." "They're filthy." " Sex isn't ugly." "It's very beautiful." "The creative power of the universe designed it." "I know." "We must respect it." "We must be in awe of it." "Oh, I am in awe of it." " Not enough." "Get the castor oil." "Can't it be Calomel?" " This is not punishment." "It's for your health." "If you act like this, you are full of poisons, you are sick." "Here, Buddy." "Here we go." "Open up." "One, two, open up." "Good." "Goddamn crap." "What'd you say?" "I said "putrid stuff."" " No, you didn't, Brother." "I did." "Your hearing aid isn't working." "He's lying." " Doll, I'll cut your guts out." "And yesterday he stole money out..." " Shut up, you brat!" "Children, be quiet." "The strangest vibrations are in this house today." "Where is Rose, anyway?" "Getting herself up to go out." " What did you say?" "She's getting herself up to go out." " Out?" "Oh, yes, it's Thursday." "Oh!" "Hello, Rose, dear." "My, you're looking.." "... pretty." " Like my outfit?" "I made most of it myself." "Well..." "It's very... cheerful." "I have a knack for designing clothes." "For the day... isn't it... tight?" " It's meant to be clinging." "Holy catfish!" "What have you done to yourself?" "I got myself up is all." " Got yourself up?" "I'm going out." " You're going out in public like in those clothes?" "Darling, I wish you wouldn't pick on Rose." "Ignore him." "You look very pretty." " You're sweet." "Come on, Waski, stop it." " No." "Daddy, Buddy was up late reading dirty comic books." "Mother gave him castor oil, and he cursed it, and took the Lord's name in vain, then he claimed he hadn't said it." "Don't be a tattletale." "You mustn't be Delilahish with your brother." "I'm only trying to help him." " What a hypocrite." "You must talk to him." "He was reading those ghastly books again." "Lay off that stuff, son." "It upsets your mother." "I mean seriously speak with him." "He shouldn't read those depraved things." "OK." "I'll take him with me downtown." "You, too, Rose, if you want a ride." "I'd love one." "I'm going out amongst 'em, boys." "Gumballs..." "Gumballs!" " Yes, ma'am." "My feet sure do hurt." "I bet they don't hurt as much as mine." "Why do yours hurt?" " I'm a salesman." "Do a lot of walking." "Incredible, the swiftness of it." "The girl strikes like a cobra." "That girl bothers me." "She bothers you?" "In what way, dear?" "It is a little tedious having her around." "You think Rose is tedious?" "I don't think she's tedious." "I think she's the very opposite of tedious." "From a man's standpoint, she's tedious." "She's back." "And in one piece, I hope." "I thought you liked Rose." " I'm crazy about Rose." "I just hope she isn't a hotcha character, that's all." "Hotcha character?" "What you don't understand is, it's positive energy on this planet." "It's what we do with it that makes it negative." "Darling, don't go off into the 4th dimension, all right?" "Every time..." "Every time I say something important, you always say I've gone off into the 4th dimension." "Well I don't entirely grasp your philosophy, but I respect it." "I respect it." "Then I wish you wouldn't say cynical and mean things, that go against life itself." "What's so cynical about hoping Rose isn't a hotcha character?" "She just wants to look pretty, that's all." "We are not going to argue about this." "I can see that you are beyond reason." "So are you, dear." "So are you." "I don't want to talk to you." "I'm not going to talk with you." "I can't hear you." "Sweetheart, your hearing aid is buzzing." "I didn't hear you." "I said be quiet." "I don't want to talk to you anymore." "I have nothing to say." "It's obvious you don't love me, or even respect me." "I love and adore you, sweetheart." "You know that." "Do you?" "You know I do." "I just hope that Rose's bite isn't as bad as her bark." "It's not." "You just don't understand her." "It isn't sex she wants." "It's love." "Those silly clothes she wears is the only way she knows to get it." "You may be right, but I'm afraid we'll rue the day Rosebud came to our house." "I disagree with you." "She's a very sweet girl." "And she loves children." "She loves everybody, that's her problem." "Everybody." " That's not a bad quality." "No, it's a beautiful quality." "You're right as rain, sweetheart." "You sleepy?" " No." "You sleepy?" "Can you hear me?" " I don't need to, I can feel you." "Rose!" "The scruffy man is back in the garden." " Well, I don't know him." "I'm going to call Daddy." "Have a good stay." "Grand Hotel." "The scruffy looking man is back." "I'll be right there." "Where is he?" " Over there." "Come here!" "Come back here, you!" "Come back here!" "I couldn't catch him." "He ran like a deer." "I don't know him." "Doll, I got St. Louis on my crystal radio." "I don't care about your radio." "I'm worried about Rose." "She's awful dumb." " She's not dumb, Doll Baby." "Her basic intelligence is probably above average." "Then why does she act so dumb?" "Daddy petrifies her so intensely, her brain blows a fuse." "And she doesn't like to think anyhow." "Son-of-bitch!" "What're you doing here?" "Knock me out!" "Knock me out right here!" "I got a loaded shotgun, so you better get outta here quick!" "And don't come back." "I'll blow your heads off!" "You children go to bed." "Very good, Rose." "Waski would like some." "Give her your juice glass." "Waski, pass the syrup to your brother." "Doll, do you want some?" "Well, Rose.." "my sleep was disturbed last night." "So was Mrs. Hillyer's and the children's." "How about you?" "Was your sleep disturbed, too?" "Why, yes, it was." "I heard strange voices." "Strange voices, Rose?" "Rose, stop behaving as if you were Bo-Peep." "I'm not behaving as if I'm Bo-Peep, sir." "Those men had a fight because of some female in this house, and it wasn't Dolly or Mrs. Hillyer." "Well, it's because..." "I don't know them." "They're strangers to me." "Darling?" "I don't think Rose is well." "She may have a fever." "It's not my fault if the girl has the Epizootics." "Rose, when I have to get up at night to defend my home, against 2 scoundrels in the bushes..." "They weren't scoundrels." "They were just boys." "Boyfriends of Rose's And why shouldn't she have boyfriends?" "Don't you think she's human, the same as you are yourself?" "Just a moment, dear." "All I meant is, I wouldn't want any young woman living in my house, traipsing out at night, meeting strange orangutans to discuss the New Deal with 'em." "I'm not going to listen to this." "We're having a conversation, and you bring in orangutans?" "Darling, please." "Scrappers in the bushes, whatever." "It's the South with its horrible traditions of slavery and oppression of women." "The South has nothing to do with this." "Now, Rose..." "You cannot fire this girl." "Not for having boyfriends." "Not while I have strength in my finger, to squeeze the trigger, and shoot you with the truth between the eyes." "I don't intend to fire her." "You don't'?" " No, I don't." "Rose, I told you she's your friend, and would fight for you like a tiger?" "Yes, sir." "Thanks to her, you get another chance." "But don't try my patience again." "There are growing children here." "You understand?" "Yes, sir, I do." "I'm gonna tell Foster and Horton to stay away from here." "I'm playing a spectacular triple-combination." "Nine ball in the corner." "Read 'em and weep, boy." "That's all she wrote." "Mr. Hillyer, the police Chief is on the telephone." "What exactly happened?" "There was a brawl at the "Busy Beaver" last night." "The fur was flying, the gal was screeching." "All hell broke loose." "You know Horton, the bootlegger?" " I've heard of the scoundrel." "Scoundrel is right." "He near killed a man with a beer bottle." "This girl was the cause of it all." "She bit a police officer's thumb down to the bone." "She was real upset." "She didn't mean to bite me." "No, I didn't mean to bite him." "I got an awful bad cold." "I believe she mite be sick." " She's as healthy as a horse." "No, I'm not, Mr. Hillyer." "I'm as sick as a dog." "You wouldn't want her to have an arrest record." "She's your girl, Mr. Hillyer." "You want me to release her to you?" " No, not really." "But I guess we'll have to do that." "Le t the crazy creature out and I'll take her home." "I didn't mean to bite him." "He was hitting Horton real mean, and I just bit him accidental." "I have to get back to the hotel." "I'll speak to you later, Rose." "What is Rose going to do?" "Where can she go?" "I don't know." "They're still in there." "I gotta find out what's going on." "Daddy will kill you, Buddy!" "Who says that our morals are any better than hers?" "The idea that one set of morals is as good as another is ridiculous." "Ridiculous!" "Maybe so, but Rose has never hurt anybody, and she never would." "She bit a policeman's thumb to the bone!" "I'm sure that in her heart, her intentions were good." "Good intentions are what the road to hell is paved with." "You can have a good heart and still do a lot of harm." "Excuse me." "I could have sworn I saw that boy." "Rascal." "I just don't understand how Rose could be a bad influence." "She has a loving nature." "You should want someone like that around the children." "Why do you think all men like her?" " I've got a pretty good idea." "You mean sex?" "You couldn't be more wrong." "Anybody with common sense can be sexy." "Rose likes those boys and men." "She has love in her heart." "That's why they follow her." "Sweetheart, I'm sorry, but Rose has to go." "Well, let me talk to her." "What's happening?" "Mother fought like a tiger, but..." " Is Rose going to have to leave?" "She might." " I don't think it's fair!" "What did Rose do?" " She bit a policeman's thumb." "She shouldn't have bitten anyone, but I don't see why she has to leave." "She didn't do anything really bad." "Dear, are you alright?" "Rose, you're ill." "You're burning up!" "I don't need to go to the hospital." "I'll die if I go to the hospital!" "No you won't." "You listen." "I promise you're not going to." "We're coming right behind you." "It's a safe place." "The hospital is huge." "We're going to say a prayer for Rose." "It's going to be alright." "We better say a prayer for her." "She's in here." "The girl's as strong as an ox." "That is what's keeping her alive." "But not many people walk away from double-pneumonia." "She looks terrible." "She looks awful." "Of course." "And I am puzzled by your delay in bringing her here." "Her illness was grossly neglected, I don't understand why this occurred." "We didn't know she was so sick." "I think normal powers of observation night have suggested it to you." "Rose hid it from us." "She's afraid of the hospital." "Afraid of the hospital?" "Deathly afraid." "Her people are poor farmers, she doesn't know medicine." "That girl is a product of the hookworm and pellagra belt?" "Yes." "She's from a poor dirt farm." "I find that unbelievable." "Aside from her illness at the moment, she is very strong." "and a splendid specimen of a young human female." "And a comely one." "She has the figure of a Venus do Milo." "She definitely got protein as a child." "Rose is an amazing girl." "We took her to our dentist." "She had perfect teeth." "No cavities!" "Just so." "You don't get perfect teeth eating sorghum syrup and hoecake." "She had protein." "Which also accounts for her superb aeriferous endowment." "Her what?" "Lung capacity, sir." "That's why I believe she will survive, despite delay in medical treatment." "That's all I want to know." "Thank you for your discourse, Doctor." "Very interesting, I'm sure." "Now let's get out of here before I get the epizootics myself." "Thank you, Doctor." "I beg you pardon... "Epi-zoo-tics"?" "You mean "Epi-zo-o-tics"?" "An animal epidemic?" "No, I mean epi-zoo-tics." "T elling me about epizootics!" "They oughtta hang that polecat!" "You don't like him because he's a Yankee." " He's a polecat, dear." "Rosebud looked pitiful in that bed." "I hope she's alright." "But I still think we should fire her." "How can you think of that at a time like this?" "When she recovers, dear." "He's so smart and good inside." "And so unhappy with a rich wife not understanding, her being a southerner." "You're too uncritical of people." "But you don't know the bedside manner of that man." "He's so soothing, so smart, and do kind-hearted deep inside." "He practically gets tears in his eyes, listening to my heartbeat." "He says to me, "My dear, you are beautiful."" "Wasn't that a nice thing for a doctor to say to a patient?" "What could cheer a girl up more?" "Rose, I have doubts about that doctor." "So does Daddy." "He has doubts about hisself." "Isn't that sad?" "The poor man thinks nobody likes him." "I'd believe it." " He wants justice in the world." "For everyone, especially the coloreds." "That's nice of him, 'cause the coloreds have a rough life." "Yes, they do, but that guy doesn't care." "Then why does he say it?" "T o look better than everyone else." "Dr. Martinson!" "Come in, please." "It's very damp outside." "Rose is feeling so much better." "In fact, she's almost all well." "Let me be the judge of that, Madam." " Yes." "Her room is at the head of the stairs." "Right on the right." "When is that polecat going to come down from her room?" "Dr. Martinson is a very good doctor." "He studied at Johns Hopkins." "I don't care if he studied at the North Pole" "Anyway, I have a plan for Rose." "I'm gonna start with clothes." "She dresses too provocatively, and we've talked about it." "Where are you going?" "Everything all right, Doctor?" " Oh, yes... fine." "She's getting healthy." "A few more days." "Rose, you look so pretty." "You're sweet to make this dress for me." "Darling, now she is a different person." "Being sick made an impression on her." "I think she's learned her lesson." "Open this door, Rose!" "Open it this instant!" "Open it or I'll break it down!" " Who is it?" "Open the door, damn you!" "You got a man in there." "I saw his shoes on the back porch." "Rose, open up immediately, You hear me?" "Rose, procrastination won't help you!" "Where is he?" " Nobody is here." "I knwo he's here." " There's nobody!" " Where are you, you bastard?" "Where have you got him hid?" " There ain't nobody here." "And who, may I ask, is that?" "Well..." "That's Billy." " And what was Billy doing here?" "Billy's very poor, ain't got no money." "He had no place else to go." "Silly question." "He's nice." "You'd like him." "He wants to be a fireman." "Ye gods and little fishes, a fireman." "Put something on, You're naked." "I think your friend Billy is injured." "Where are his clothes?" "Under the mattress." "I didn't want to be mad." "He wants to marry me." "He's sweet." "I can't marry him." "He's got no money, no job, he's too young and all  but he loves me, and I was thinking..." "You won't hurt him?" "Oh, I won't hurt him, Rose." " Mr Hillyer, I know I was bad." "I hadn't ought to have done it." "But I am only a human girl person." "I ain't always perfect." "Don't fire me." "I love you all so much." "Rosebud, you break my heart." "But I am only a human man person, ... of the father variety." "Pack your bag, baby." "As of this moment you're hired, mired, and fired." "This country couldn't stand George lll, and I can't stand Rose!" "But liberation is at hand." "Hear ye, hear ye, I've got news." "I called cousin Hop long distance, and Rose, I found you a job in Tennessee." "Tennessee?" " It's a lovely state." "What kind of job is it?" " You'll like it." "It's an outdoor job." "You mean a farm?" " No, not exactly." "It is a dairy establishment." "Honey, Rose has terrible memories of farm life." "Rose, this isn't a dirt farm like the one you were born on." "It's nice." "Nieghbor of cousin Hop's." "It isn't a farm, damn it." "It's a beautiful dairy establishment." "Now stop crying, Rose." "It's ideal." "How can you call it ideal?" "You know what the word "farm" means to her." "It isn't a farm." " Calling it a dairy establishment is jiggery-pokery." "She's goin' there tomorrow." "And I must say, it is selfish of her to sit there and cry." "I'm crying for somebody else, not me." "Who?" "I hate to think of the baby being born on a farm." "What baby is that?" "Mine." "I'm going to have one." "Good God Almighty!" "This is a calamity!" "They won't hire her now, mama." "You poor thing." "Don't cry, honey." "Nobody's perfect." "Who's the father, dear?" " Well..." "I know this is embarrassing, but who were you exposed to, dear?" "Well, Mrs. Hillyer, it's kind of hard to say..." "This is no good line of questioning." "The problem is, what are we gonna do?" "That's why I'm asking who he is." "It is the most vital question." "Who is he, dear?" "She doesn't know." " She must know, unless..." "Unless..." "Rose!" "Was there ore than one person?" "It's kind of hard to think right now." " You shouldn't act like that." "Oh, I know." "But I didn't really." "There was only one, but he's out of town and didn't leave me no forwarding address." "No forwarding address?" "No forwarding address?" "Hold the phone." "In the shock of this, I forgot something." "Rose will lie." "She's no more pregnant than I am." "I am, too!" "You are not!" " Yes I am!" "Tell us, Rose." "Why do you think you're pregnant?" "I hadn't had my period in 3 months and my stomach is getting big." "I don't believe it." " It's so, Mr. Hillyer." "All right." "You've had your clothes off enough." "Pull up your dress and let's take a look." "Honey!" "She can keep her panties on." "Pull up your dress, Rose." "You just won't believe me." " Rose you don't have to." "I don't mind." " Now you'll see she's lying." "See?" "I'd say about three months." "Are you satisfied?" "What did you say she had?" " An ovarian cyst." "What is that?" " We thought she was pregnant." "I'm not surprised you thought that." "An ovarian cyst can look very much like pregnancy." "But that's just wishful thinking." "She's lost her reproductive capacity." "She had gonorrhea at age 15, and it was left untreated." "Gonorrhea?" " Just so." "She also had tuberculosis." "The X-rays plainly show scarring." "But the Gonorrhea caused irreparable damage to her fallopian tubes." "She can never have children." "That's very sad." "Poor Rose." "What a sad life she's had." "Just so." "Now as to the malignancy..." "I think it unlikely." "I probably shouldn't have told her." "You're right." "She thinks she has cancer and is going to die." "She is an adult, Mr. Hillyer." "I merely gave her the facts." "If she survives the surgery, it's better than being pregnant." "No." "It's a blessing, really." "And a stroke of luck for an other reason." "This operation provides a therapeutic opportunity, important in the case of this girl, who suffers not only from a cyst, but also from a neurotic condition." "Neurotic condition?" "Go ahead, Doctor." "I'm following you." "Evidently, she has been quite promiscuous since childhood." "She has absolutely no control over her sexual impulses." "Pray continue, Doctor." "As a rule, I don't believe in radical hysterectomy." "The woman's hormonal system can be profoundly disturbed." "She may become depressed, and certain secondary sexual characteristics can be affected." "Her breasts may shrink and become flabby." "Facial hair may appear, along with a certain coarsening of the features." "And of course, her sexual drive would be greatly diminished." "For these reasons I am opposed to removing the womb and other ovary." "As a rule." "Do you follow me, sir?" "I'm ahead of you." "I think we both know her." "Yes, we do." "I don't understand this bushy talk." "Mrs. Hillyer, this girl is sick, in more ways than one." "She is an extreme psychoneurotic with uncontrolled sexual impulses." "We can spare her the suffering she causes herself  and others." "Therefore, I recommend, as a theraputic measure, removing her second ovary." "I feel it is the medically proper decision." "And I suspect that your husband agrees with me." "Reluctantly, I do." "It would be a kindness to her, and everyone else." "But the girl is oversexed." "And I say, spay her." "Over my dead body!" "Are you human beings?" "Or some kind of male monsters?" "Is there no limit to what you'll do to keep your illusions about yourselves?" "Illusions?" "You'd go so far as to mutilate a helpless girl, with no means of defending herself?" "I know what you just said." "Do you think I don't understand the dreadful, revolting crime you just conspired to commit?" "I thought I knew you better." "I thought... in your heart..." "you were a good and kind man." "A defenseless girl, trusting you to protect her, and you propose to destroy her?" "Well, now..." "I thought it sounded reasonable." "I thought she might be better off." "If I thought that you meant it," "I wouldn't want to live." "You look me in the eye." "Could you really take Rose's womanhood from her, when it's all she has got?" "May I say, that I am against this as a rule, but in the case of near-nymphomania..." "I must admit, in Rose's case it would be cruel." "She's so attractive and pretty..." "But  no... no." "It would be bad for any young woman, whether it be Rose," "or our Doll Baby growing up, or whoever." "I was wrong, and you're right." "And you are wrong." "I'm sorry, darling." "Please forgive me." "I was dead wrong." "I will not cry like a woman." "Now you get this straight." "I don't have very much money any more, but I can raise quite a few thousand dollars if I have to." "And if you hurt that girl," "I'll hire lawyers, and sue you from here to kingdom come." "I'll ruin you." "Just so." "Actually, I won't operate." "I don't do major surgery." "Dr. Hardy will operate, and of course, he shall be guided by your wishes, dear lady." "Let him be guided not by my wishes, nor by Rose's wishes, thought I'm sure they are identical." "Let him be guided by the wishes of the creative power of life itself, because that is what has spoken through me here today." "I thought I'd seen it all, but this is the biggest epizootic she's ever had." "How is she?" " She's fine." "Rose is fine." "You're looking chipper, Rose." "I feel perfect." "Except for the scar, I wouldn't know I was in the hospital." "Well, we know you been there." "We got the hospital bill and it's pretty blood-curdling." "I'm going to pay you back." " I didn't mean that." "Forget about it." "I could take a job as a waitress." "Absolutely not, Rose." "You're not working in any honky-tonk place." "Just a touch." "Well, I have a hotel to run." "Bye, darling." " Have fun." ""Room and a bath for a dollar and a half."" "I married a rich woman, and now I'm running a jack-leg hotel." "Morning, ladies." "Buddy?" "I'm going to have to leave here." "I have to go." "Why do you say that, Rose?" "I got to, Buddy." "Why did you get rid of all your rabbits?" "I don't know." "I just got tired of them." "When I was a child, we had more than 500 rabbits." "Five hundred rabbits?" "At least." "We had them in orange crates." "Daddy thought we could sell them." "but only country folk eat rabbit." "And they ain't got mo money." "We had to eat them all our ownselves." "It took four years to eat them all." "The doctor said you got protein." "He was right." "Later on, after Momma and Lunette died, all Daddy was doing was killing himself and chasing after me," "It would have beed good to have had some rabbit stew." "That was when I run off to Birmingham." "That daddy of yours must have been pretty awful." "Yeah, I guess he was." "How old were you when you ran away?" " Fourteen." "Fourteen?" "How did you live?" "I looked a lot older, so I worked as a waitress." "Your daddy killed himself?" "He fell in the river drunk." "What was your momma like?" "A saint." "Just like your own." "What did she die of?" "Same thing as Lunette, typhoid and TB." "Was Lunette like you?" " No, she was a lot nicer than me." "Lunette was the sweetest girl who ever lived." "Mother says it's a miracle you are like you are." " Like I am?" "That your bad environment didn't drag you down." "Buddy, life ain't a picnic for nobody." "Don't you guess them millionaires up there have troubles, too?" "500 rabbits..." " Yeah." "Maybe it was eating all them rabbits that made you so sexy." "Sex don't mean nothing to me." "It ain't nothing but a mosquito bite." "A mosquito bite?" "Buddy, I'll tell you a secret." "Girls don't want sex." "Girls want love." "Mother says that." " Then it must be true." "When was your mum ever wrong?" "I want to thank you for a wonderful afternoon and evening." "Can I see you in the morning?" "You sure can." "You'll never guess what happened." "I have met Mr. Right." "Who do you suppose he is?" "The policeman whose thumb I bit." "He's Mr. Right." "I been with him." "Knowing the seriousness of marriage, are you resolved to take your vows before God and these people?" "We are." " Who gives this woman to be married?" "You can sit down now." "Would you join your right hands?" "David, repeat after me." ""I, David, promise with God's help to be your faithful husband, to love and to serve you as Christ commands, as long as we both shall live."" "Rose?" ""I, Rose, promise with God's help to be your faithful wife," "to love and to serve you as Christ commands, as long as we both shall live."" "Do I see a monkey?" "You three want ice-cream?" "Do you like picnics now?" "I love them!" "It isn't a picnic, it's a barbecue." "A picnic doesn't involve roast meats." "At a barbecue you have a lot of roast meats." "Well... these kids still want ice-cream." "Come on." "We love you." "We'll miss you." " I love you guys." "We all love you." "Behave yourself, you hear?" "I love you." " I love you." "Did you give her a suitable goodbye?" "Bye, Buddy." "I love you, Buddy." "I love you, too." "I'll miss you so much." "I love you all." "Thank God we're rid of her at last." "And she's happy, that's the main thing." "Yes, she's happy." "Of course, Dave doesn't have her life force." "Ain't much furniture in his house." "Her furniture comes out the windows." "Now, honey, he is Mr. Right." "Well, he adores her." "I hope she ain't too much for him." "What do you think, Brother?" "He's crying, Mother." "Of course Dave wasn't Mr. Right." "He was Mr. Wrong." "It took her 4 husbands to find him." "They've been married for 25 years." "And I do believe she has been a faithful wife." "Some people might not believe it, but I think so." "I knew from the way Daddy talked on the telephone  there was sad news about Rose." "Maybe that's why she had been so much on my mind." "Daddy?" "Hello, old man." "How you doing?" "I'll be damned." "Look who's here." "Good to see you, son." " You too, sir." "You're looking chipper." " You, too, how do you feel?" "You bring any Yankee whiskey with you?" "I don't mind." "I'm only 133." "Now what's this about Rose?" "You said you "sort of" heard from her?" "There is some sad news." "I would have written, but I thought I'd wait until you were here." "When I look at the river, I feel like I'm a boy again." "I was 13 when I saw Rose coming across the bridge carrying that suitcase." "I remember that suitcase." "Well?" "We have our drinks." "We're out here on the porch." "You have prepared me for it." "Rose isn't well." "Isn't that it?" "She's sick again?" "No, son." "She's dead." "Rose is dead?" "I'm afraid so." "About a week ago." "Her husband phoned me." "She asked him to if anything happened to her." "You have knocked me for a loop, old man." "I know." "You loved her." "You loved her, and so did I." "It was an awful shock to me, too, son." "Rose was so alive..." "It's hard to believe." "Nobody lives forever, and who'd want to?" "That's a horrible thing to say." "Get a grip, boy." "She had a good life." "She met Mr. Right." "What are you blubbering about?" "I'm not blubbering." "Rose isn't dead, son, not really." "Some of us die, and some of us don't." "Rose lives." "Don't worry about it, boy." "She's at rest with mother in the creative universe." "She's at rest with mother."