Original subtitles

Our Heavenly Father, bless this meal and all those who are about to receive it. Make us

thankful for your generous bounty and your unceasing love. Please remind us in these

hard times to be grateful for what we have been given and not to ask for what we cannot

have. And make us mindful of those less fortunate among us as we sit at this table

with all of thy bounty. Amen. Amen. Amen. Turn your plate over. Put your napkin in your lap. Frank,

you want to take some ochre and pass it to your pa? Yes, ma'am. Forgot to tell you we got a letter

from Yank Gladys yesterday. She was hoping we could come on up to Oklahoma and visit him

during your vacation. But I don't know. I was hoping we could paint the house.

Thank you. Frank, one biscuit. Yes, ma'am. Right on my biscuit. It's all right. I'll be right

there, Jack. I'm sorry to bother you, Sheriff, but there's a drunk nigra down by the tracks.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Frank, where do you think you're going? Come on, Pa. Royce. Hey,

no one excused you from the table, young man. You stay here. I won't be gone long.

Who'd you say it was, Jack? It's that Wiley going, Sheriff. I don't know how he got himself

licked up. You here? Wiley? Wiley? Hide him, Mr. Royce. Nice day. Wiley,

you're drunk as a skunk. I sure am, Mr. Royce.

Now, you ought to know better than that. I'm sorry, Mr. Royce.

You ready to come with me now? Just a minute.

Wiley, are you done?

Royce? Frank? Possum? Frank? Possum? Come here.

Come on. Something's happened to you, Pa.

For pity's sake, what do you think you're doing?

You can't get out of here. Right now. Right now, Glenn. I mean it.

I don't want anybody to see me. It's all right.

I don't want anybody to see me. I won't let anybody see you.

We would have been married 15 years this October.

We had two children.

And I never knew till just now where I sat a scar right there.

I was afraid... I was afraid you wasn't going to make it.

I just heard I got as fresh as I could. All I could think of

when I saw that poor man in there

was what would I do if it was you?

What would I do if something was to happen to you?

And nothing's going to happen to me. Don't worry.

I don't think I could live without you.

I love you. I love you so much.

Thank you.

Where's Edna?

She's in the kitchen with Margaret.

All right.

Hi, Betty.

Hi, Wayne. How you doing?

Hi, Mrs. Paulding.

She's all right.

Hi.

You want to take this for a minute? I'll be right back.

Here you should.

Come on, you gotta eat something.

Marie Thornton made that.

Real good.

Well, Margaret, what's going to happen to us?

I can't support this family

and the least idea how to go about it.

It seems like I haven't ever done anything on my life but

raise kids and take care of this house.

I've always paid all the bills.

I never even knew how much salary we made.

What's going to happen to us?

And by faith we can see it for others.

And thou shalt eat the herbs of the field.

Sweat of thy face shall thou eat brave,

till thou return him to the ground.

For out of it was thou taken, for thus thou art.

And unto thus thou shalt return.

We shall meet on that beautiful shore in the sea.

Lord, I thought those people were never going to leave.

Margaret, let me get this now.

No, you go on in and rest.

Go get that.

Evening, ma'am.

Excuse me, but I was wondering if you have any

work that needs doing around here.

No, there's nothing here.

You go on now.

Sue, what is it?

I was just asking if you had any chores I can help with.

No, there's no work around here.

I can make you a plate of food.

Thank you, ma'am.

You wait out by the gate.

Yes, ma'am.

Excuse me.

Morning.

I thought I told you last night you can't stay around here.

Well, I seen you was most out of firewood,

so I thought I'd chop something for you.

Well, I can fix you some breakfast if you like.

After that, you've got to go.

Thank you, ma'am.

You know, ma'am,

you've got a nice henhouse over here.

Of course, it's about ready to fall down.

Naughty, good-looking milk cow.

She sure needs taking care of those.

There must be close to 40 acres out there.

I reckon with the right kind of help,

you make yourself a handsome living just balm and cotton.

All you need is somebody like me

who knows most everything there is to know about farm and cotton.

Now, I was thinking that maybe I can work around here

for food and a place to stay.

No, I can't give you any work.

I could fix you some breakfast and then you got to leave.

Ain't no such thing as a job nowadays, ma'am.

I'm sorry.

Now, I fixed you a nice plate of food.

You go and wait out there, I'll bring it to you, okay?

Yes, ma'am.

You know, I can mend this fence with no trouble at all

right after breakfast, see it?

Oh, that'd be fine. It's fine.

Okay, I'll be right out here.

Good afternoon, Miss Balding.

Miss Kamben.

I hope I'm not bothering you.

No, won't you come in?

Thank you.

Please.

Thank you.

Miss Balding, I just wanted you to know on behalf

of everyone down at the First Farmers Bank,

if there's ever anything we can do in this hour of need,

all you have to do is ask.

Thank you.

Miss Balding, I don't know how much your husband

told you about his business,

but at the close of banking hours yesterday,

you had a balance of $116.72.

However, when your husband bought this place,

he did borrow money from the bank.

And at the time of his death,

he still owed $3,681 to be paid twice a year.

What that means, Miss Balding, is come October 15th,

you will owe the bank $240.

We were wondering if you had any idea

how you were going to make that payment.

Yes.

Matter of fact, I do.

I was thinking, you know, Rilla Langsford

and her sister had that nice little gift shop,

and, well, I thought I could do the same thing.

I could get some real pretty little things,

and I could set them out.

Now, Miss Balding, why would someone

want to come all the way out here

when the Langford's place is right there on the square?

Oh.

Miss Balding, what we at the bank suggest

is that you sell this place.

Now, I know times are hard,

but maybe we can get enough to pay off the loan

and have a little extra to tide you over for a while.

But where would we live?

Well, I believe you have a sister that resides here.

I know.

No, Margaret couldn't take us in.

She couldn't afford it,

and besides that, she hadn't got the room.

Miss Balding, when tragedies like this happen,

sometimes we have to face up to things that are real hard.

Sometimes it's necessary to split families up, temporarily.

Now, I believe your husband has some family up in Oklahoma.

I'm sure they'd be glad to take in one of your children.

Mr. Denby, I'm sorry.

I can't talk about this right now.

If you'll excuse me, you can let yourself out.

Yeah, that just about does the trick.

That'll be $0.25, $0.75.

Yeah, I'll be seeing you in a couple of weeks.

Right. Thank you, Rudy.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were busy.

That's all right, Mrs. Balding. I was just leaving.

Bye, Ruby.

Bye-bye.

Kids, come on in.

Hi, Margaret.

Hi.

Don't touch anything, Pa.

Frank, I want you to watch your sister.

Don't let her touch anything.

Mrs. Parks offered to buy five pans of tomatoes from us

if we bring them over this evening.

So we thought we'd come by and say hello.

Where's Rosalie?

Oh, kids, I'm sorry.

She's gone off with her daddy.

But if you go on the kitchen,

I got some Coca-Cola in the icebox.

Just take one, Frank, and split it with your sister.

Okay, Mom.

It's all right. You can each have one.

What'd he say?

Margaret, I've been thinking.

Maybe I could come to work for you here.

I don't know very much about this kind of work,

but I know I could learn.

I'm a real good worker.

Oh, hon, I hardly got enough customers these days

to support me and Wayne.

I understand.

I understand, Margaret.

Now, don't you even think about it.

Kids, come on.

We got to go.

It's getting dark.

Here, I got $28 saved.

I don't want that.

Take it.

If you don't, Wayne is just gonna spend it

on some fool thing.

Margaret, I don't need it.

Come on, kids.

Come on, Margaret.

Come on, Margaret.

I swear you are just like Daddy.

You'd have thought he was sawing off his leg

just to ask for the least little thing.

I'll talk to you tomorrow.

I'm sorry to bother you so late, Miss Pauling.

We caught this nigger here with a bunch of things

I think might belong to you.

Found him down by the tracks.

He claimed he's working for you,

but it looked to me like he's trying to leave town.

No, he's working for me.

I needed somebody to help out around here,

and so I took on...

Uh, Moses.

Moses had none.

Moses.

I took on Moses to do some chores around here

until I could get all straightened away.

Miss Pauling, you sure?

I mean, I found all that silver on him.

Oh, it's Mama's, and Margaret wanted to borrow it.

Now, if you had done like I said

and gone straight there and straight back,

you wouldn't have gotten in all this trouble.

Uh, yes, ma'am.

Miss Pauling, are you sure you're all right?

Well, good night.

Good night, Jack.

Ma'am, I appreciate what you've done for me.

How much could I make if I was to plant cotton?

Cotton?

Uh, well, last year, cotton fetched six and a pound.

You got, say, 30 acres here.

You figure, um, that comes to $370.

Now, if you take off...

Are you sure you can do it?

Oh, ma'am, I've been chopping cotton

since I was five years old.

I know all there is to know about cotton.

All right, you stay in this shed beside the barn.

Uh, ma'am, I just wanted to say that

I appreciate what you've done for me.

If you ever try and steal anything from me again,

I'll shoot you myself.

You understand that?

Thank you.

Good to see you.

Good morning, Mrs. Pauling.

Well, hello, Miss Pauling.

It's nice to see you again, so to say.

Won't you come right in here?

Won't you take a seat right over there?

Mr. Denby, I was wondering if you would

show me how to fill out a check.

I never did it before, and I thought I best learn how.

Well, certainly, Miss Pauling.

Now, it's just the simplest thing in the world.

Now, up here, this is where you put the date.

Mr. Denby, I was thinking maybe it won't be necessary

for me to sell my farm after all.

Well, of course it's necessary.

Now, I explained all that to you yesterday.

Down here.

Yes, but I was thinking, if I was to plant cotton...

Miss Pauling, you don't know the least thing

about cotton farming.

Yes, I know, but Moses saves...

Moses? Who's Moses?

He's a snigger man.

I don't know any nigger around here named Moses.

Oh, he was just passing through,

and I gave him a job doing some chores.

You mean to tell me you're letting some nigger

hobo talk you into planting cotton?

Did you ever hear of anything called the Depression?

Now, you see these?

These are all foreclosures,

and that's just in the last three months,

and that's white men.

Been cotton farming all their lives,

and they can't make a go of it.

And you listening to some no-account nigger?

You'll excuse me, Miss Pauling,

but that's just about the most ignorant thing

I've ever heard.

Mr. Tenby, I'm not ignorant.

And I'm not selling my land.

And I'm not giving my children over

to anyone else to raise.

I'm going out, and I'm buying $15 worth of cottonseed.

So I would appreciate it if you would show me again

how it is you write a check.

Okay, Miss Spalding, that's, uh...

let's see, 450 pound of cottonseed

at .03 cent a pound.

It comes to, uh...

$13.50.

$13.50.

Yes, ma'am.

Fellers, load this stuff on Miss Spalding's wagon.

Miss Spalding?

Yes, sir.

Miss Spalding, that ain't the seed you paid for.

He charged you for grade-A seed,

and there ain't nothing but genuine quality.

Something wrong, ma'am?

Mr. Simmons, I think maybe you gave us the wrong seed?

Well, so I did.

That's just an honest mistake, isn't it, boy?

Isn't it, boy?

Yes, sir.

Now, you idiots give Miss Spalding the wrong seed.

Lucky her nigger caught it.

That's a smart nigger you got there, Miss Spalding.

Miss Spalding is a credit to his race.

I swear you ain't gonna ever learn nothing, huh?

You just got yourself in a carload of trouble.

This ain't your land you're just passing through.

White woman ain't nothing to you.

People ain't no reason to get yourself killed.

Moses.

I ain't Frank.

My pa was killed.

I heard about it.

I'm sure sorry.

He was shot.

It was the nigger who killed him.

How old are you, child?

Nine and four months.

You mean to tell me you got to be nine years and four months old?

And did nobody never tell you it's the worst kind of bad luck to rock a rocking chair with nobody in it?

Don't do no good now. The damage is done.

I knew a man one time. He rocked the empty rocking chair.

Before nightfall, he got run over by a cotton wagon.

Here, take this rabbit foot.

And you do what I do and say what I say. You understand?

First thing is you turn around three times.

One.

Two.

Three.

Next thing is you walk backwards.

Seven.

Six.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Give me back my rabbit foot.

I got too much to do around here to go around saving your life all the time.

Well, if you're just going to stand around, you might as well be of some use.

That's me, some of them nails over there.

What are you thinking about?

I grew up in a place just like this.

Boy, I hated it.

I used to run away every chance I got.

Sneak out of the house,

get out across the pasture, and get down in this little grove of elm trees.

It was the sort of spot where I used to go and sit all the time.

Now, put that thing away.

This woman may not like people smoking in her house.

Please, once in your life, just try and make a good impression.

Good afternoon, Miss Balding. How are you?

I'm just fine.

I don't believe you know my brother-in-law well.

How do you do?

Do you mind if we come in?

No, no, not at all.

Poor Will here lost his sight in the big war.

I believe it was the battle of song, wasn't it, Will?

He was a real war hero, weren't you, Will?

Well, Will, he doesn't like to talk about these things too much.

Do you, Will?

No.

Will's been living with his mama up until she passed away last year,

and since that time, he's been visiting with my wife and me.

Now then, Miss Balding, in spite of the fact that I still have the gravest doubts

about this misguided attempt of yours to hold on to this place,

nevertheless, as a Christian and as a deacon of the church,

it's my beholden duty to reach out to hand a charity to a human being in need.

And I got to thinking, now what better way to help out this poor woman

than if she was to take in a boarder, someone who could move in here

and by paying a modest rent, help her out?

What I'm talking about is, what if my brother-in-law was to move in here

and rent a room from you?

Move in here?

Now Will makes a fine living, keening chairs, and making brooms,

so you don't have to worry.

Mr. Denby, um...

I... I so appreciate your thoughtfulness.

This just isn't a good time.

Sit down, Will.

Will, Miss Balding,

speaking on behalf of the bank,

we would surely take it as a sign

that you were doing something to provide for your family.

When would you like your brother-in-law to move in?

As a matter of fact, I have his things out in the car right now.

Is there anything special you like to eat?

Not a very good cook, but I'm certainly willing to try.

Miss Balding, I don't want to be here anymore

than you want me to be now.

I'll try not to be any more trouble as necessary,

and all I'll ask in return is to be left alone in peace and quiet.

Well, I just thought...

I know what you just thought, but I don't need your help,

and I don't need you to feel sorry for me.

Honey, old man Wilson ought to put that stew to Baker.

Here's that to pasture.

I swear there's not a week goes by

that's something going wrong with this cool thing.

And the trouble is, he thinks he could fix it all by himself,

so he goes in there, he messes everything up,

and it just makes it worse than it ever was in the first place.

And I think he does it on purpose,

just so I'll come out there and talk to him.

Well, you know that carburetor I fixed for him last week?

Where's Rosalie?

So what's your mama's?

She's gonna sleep there tonight.

You don't have to eat that.

Forget the bat.

What about you?

Like you'd notice.

I'd notice.

Wayne, we gotta go.

Everybody's waitin'.

Wayne, you've got a heart attack.

I'll get it.

I'll get it.

Thank you, baby.

That's a nice table.

Hey, Wayne!

Why are you saying that?

Where were you two?

You're gettin' worried.

Hi, buddy.

Come on out here.

I'm gonna buy us a drink.

Hon, we're gonna go out and get a bottle of Good for Wood Ales,

and we'll be right back.

Just be a minute.

Where were you two?

I never smoked this.

I got something important to show you.

Do you want to sit or not?

Ten minutes later, he comes out driving a brand new view.

You through?

Find me or you're gonna dance.

Excuse me.

I don't want to dance.

Don't say you know you have to dance.

Come on.

I don't dance all night.

Excuse me.

You look pretty tonight.

Let's go up to Dallas this weekend, all right?

Take you in a picture show,

and then we'll have supper out just like an old married couple.

You can tell buddy that you're visiting that and yours up in Dallas.

Wayne, I can't go on like this.

Honey, just be patient.

No problem.

We're gonna work everything out.

Don't worry about it.

Just give me a little bit of time, that's all.

Think of something, all right?

What's the matter, fine?

Look, we're gonna be fine.

Just trust her.

Look, Wayne, we're not gonna see each other anymore.

What are you talking about?

Not like we have been.

Bye.

This is goodbye.

Mrs. Falling.

Mrs. Falling.

Yes, Mr. Whale, I'm right here.

Mrs. Falling, believe me,

if I had any place else to go tonight besides the state home for the infirm,

I would gladly leave right now.

Now, when I came here, all I asked was to be left alone.

I am not some kind of freak that is here on display

for the amusement of those hooligans you call children.

And I will not have them vandalizing my personal property.

I will not have you come in my house and talk about my children like that.

They are not hooligans and they are not bandos.

They are well brought up children.

You can't just walk into my house.

Fine.

Whatever they are, you just keep them out of my room.

That's all right, I'll get that.

The door's on your right.

Good night, Mrs. Falling.

Good night, Mr. Wheel.

Ready, ma'am?

Get along, Mule.

Get along.

Get along, Mule.

Get along then.

That's fine.

That's just fine.

Frank, I'll see you at school tomorrow.

Well, young man, what would your pa do if he were here?

He'd spite me, I reckon.

I guess that's what we've got to do then.

Frank, what you gonna do to you?

Frank, can I...

Possum.

Frank, when your pa did this, how did he do it?

Most times, I'd lay on the table and grab hold, and you'd let me have it.

How many times?

Pa would be mad over something like this.

I reckon he'd give me a chin and good legs.

I'm ready.

Mom, I'm ready.

What's wrong?

Frank's getting the liquor.

Frank, did it hurt?

Frank!

Frank!

Come on, let's let old Frank be by himself, I'll bet.

I'll tell you what, I'll give you a little bit of George.

Miss Spalding?

I won't do that again. Ever.

Are you all right?

God, I miss my husband.

Lord, it's getting so I can't hardly see my hand in front of my face.

Feels like rain.

Must be coming up a real storm.

Sure is.

Now, don't be mad, baby. You're a good baby.

I'm gonna give each of you some cookies too.

Come on, boy, let's get it.

Come on, get it! Get it!

Get on, get on, come on!

Come on!

We gotta get inside, ma'am.

Storm's coming from over there.

Get on, get on, boy!

Come on, let him be!

Come on, watch it!

Let him go!

Come on, run!

We gotta get the windows over till the whole house blows!

Pass some!

Pass some!

Pass some!

Pass some!

Here, give me it!

Pass some!

Pass some!

It's okay.

It's okay.

It's okay.

It's okay now.

It's all over now.

Come on, come on now.

It's all right.

It's all...

It's okay now.

Everything's gonna be all right.

Everything's gonna be all right.

Oh, darling, I was so scared.

I was so scared, something...

I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you.

Give me your hand, Mr. Biff.

How bad is it?

Everything's a little bent, but it's still here.

Come on.

Come on, buddy.

Oh, bud, let's leave this town.

There's always gonna be tornadoes.

Everybody will always be poor.

Nothing can work out here.

I want to move, buddy.

Please, don't work.

I can't.

Sure.

Buddy.

Cotton held steady after dropping to a record low

of three and a half cents a pound over the last four days.

Poultry and eggs were down to a seasonal low.

Corn remains unchanged.

Soybeans gained...

So let me see it.

Three and a half cents a pound.

Very acres.

That would be...

That comes to $175.

You think there's any chance cotton prices will go back up?

How much money you got left in your account?

$24, that's all.

Well, that's not gonna be nearly enough to make you an ex-payment.

I know.

I was wondering...

If I was to give you what I made for my cotton,

it would cover most of the payment.

Could you all maybe wait for the rest?

Well, of course, that's something only the president of the bank can decide,

but I don't think you should get your hopes up.

Can you ask?

I'm telling you, right now,

there ain't no chance you're gonna ever get that prize money.

No, son, it ain't gonna work.

It's $100, and that plus a crop would be enough to make the payment.

Miss Faulding, you cannot begin to get that cotton picked on.

Why?

Why?

Moses has said that it's ready.

Well, Moses has always said...

Okay, ma'am, I did say that cotton come in a touch early hereabouts,

but in a couple, three days, the pickers from down south

are gonna get up as far as this county,

and they can go through a field of cotton quicker than you can say Jack Robinson.

Finally, we'll start right now.

Well, you got 30 acres to pick.

Frank and Paulson can help.

Well, that's not gonna be nearly enough.

Then I'll pick 24 hours a day.

And ma'am, did you ever pick cotton before?

After about an hour, will the hull start to cut your fingers?

Then by noon, both your hands are bleeding.

Later on, your fingers start to swell,

and after a little more time,

there ain't no feeling left in your hands whatsoever.

And I ain't even speaking about what it does to your knees.

I ain't even talking about what it does to your back.

Now, we can't do it.

Now, get that through your head.

Once and for all, we can't do it.

Now, you best stop thinking about it,

before you end up killing yourself.

Now, you listen to me.

If we lose this place,

and you're going back to begging for every single meal,

Mr. Wheel are gonna put you in the state home,

and I'm gonna lose what's left of my family.

I'm not gonna let that happen.

I don't care what it takes.

I don't care if it kills me.

I don't care if it kills you.

I'm not gonna give up.

And if the two of you do,

you can go straight to hell.

Careful with that now, hon.

I'll bet you're getting ready.

All the time we've been coming here,

not one time she's been ready.

When I start out an hour early,

I always end up half hour late.

Okay, what can I do now?

Uh, honey, wanna get the cards

on top of the chested door?

That looks good.

You want me to do something?

Sit on the table.

Can you find them?

Here, let me get the light.

Right here.

All my peanuts, honey?

I'll take your six, honey.

This card or you're gonna run it?

32 here.

32.

What's the damage, margaret?

73.

73?

Listen, you two,

buying me got a little announcement we want to make.

The next time you two want to play cards with us,

you're gonna have to go all the way

to houston to do it.

Got an offer from an oil company down there.

Too good to pass up?

You lived here all your lives.

Well, don't look at me.

You have a wise idea.

You know how hard it is to change your mind

when she gets upset on something.

We're gonna miss you, margaret.

It's just such a wonderful opportunity for bud.

We just can't pass it up.

We're gonna miss you.

A lot more you're gonna miss us, honey.

Congratulations.

Congratulations, buddy.

We're real happy for you.

Yeah.

I'm gonna get another drink.

Do you want one?

Sure.

It's my deal.

Whatever happened between you and bah,

I don't want to know about it.

I don't ever want to hear about it.

Am I right?

Am I right?

Yes.

Maybe you didn't notice,

but I'm not the same dumb beauty operator

you married eight years ago.

What are you gonna do?

I got the shop.

Rosalie and me can get along without you.

I'm never gonna see viola again.

It's over between us.

It's too late for that.

I don't think I could live with you anymore.

I don't think I love you anymore.

Please don't say that.

Well...

...I thought you'd call me cotton pickin'

if you'd set us out here anyway.

I swear sometimes I don't know who cotton pickin' on.

Mr. Williams...

We've got to talk to that woman. She won't pay me no mind, but she'll listen to you.

It won't do any good.

He's only got us two acres picked today. Should've done at least four.

And that's when we're fresh. What's it gonna be in a week when we ain't in near as good a shape?

How many pickers would it take to get the cotton in on time?

Nine to ten, at least.

Okay, we better hire them then.

Hire pickers?

With what, Miss Pauling? You said yourself you only had $24 in the bank.

Hey, ma'am, that ain't near enough to hire ten pickers.

I pay them out of the money I get for the first bale.

And what happens if you don't get the first bale in?

Then I have to pay them out of what I get from the gin.

Ma'am, if you do that, you won't have hardly any money left.

I'll take that chance.

Now, we ain't got much time for them pickers in the South.

Most?

All right, ma'am, you got what jazz for?

Have they had the breakfast yet?

I doubt it.

Most?

Over here, Mr. Will!

Most, the pickers are here. How do you know that?

I just heard 11 trucks pass by the house,

and from the direction they were headed,

there were pickers going out to the rat place.

Hey, how much land the rats had?

400 acres.

That means we got three days of the most left.

All right, y'all, we ain't got no time to waste.

Let's get to work.

Morning, ma'am.

Miss Spalding, I hate to be the one to tell you this,

but that sister of yours

doesn't have a natural talent for cooking.

So I got to thinking,

if we all weren't gonna die of tomane poisoning,

now I was gonna have to do something about it.

So I'm fixing us some green beans

like my mother used to make.

Miss Spalding?

Miss Spalding, are you okay?

I don't remember any dream.

What day is this?

It's friday, ma'am.

When do we have to be at the gin?

Tomorrow morning.

You all right?

I'm fine.

Miss Spalding.

Miss Spalding.

We're finished.

We've done it.

Now then, ma'am, you'll be here any minute.

Let's try and get this straight.

We'll start by trying to charge you for your gin.

In the meantime, now we can do for the seed.

Yes, ma'am, he's gonna say he'll take all the seed.

I'm supposed to say he could only have half.

I know, son.

We offer a third and set up a half.

Now, we gotta get three and a half cents a pound

even with the prize money.

Now, you gotta remember that, girl.

Here it comes.

Howdy, Miss Spalding.

Howdy, Mr. Simmons.

Nice little load of cotton you got there.

You ought to be real proud.

Real proud.

Let's go into my office and see if we can do some business.

Well, look who's here.

Have a seat.

Now, that...

I ought to explain to you how things work around here.

First of all, I gin the cotton for a fee,

and then I buy the cotton from you,

if we can agree on the price.

Now, for gin and its customary to charge $5 on the ton.

Excuse me.

Um, I was told that you sometimes gin the cotton for the seed.

Well, yes, son, that's another way of working it.

I gin the cotton and keep the seed.

Well, look, the way it was explained to me,

you're supposed to keep...

third.

Well, I can tell you right now I'm not going to pay that.

Excuse me.

A little too much, son.

Now, out of respect for your late husband,

I am prepared to go 50-50.

Fine.

Now, then, Miss Spalding, I expect you realize

that the bottom dropped out of the cotton market,

and I'm pretty much doing you a favor of taking it off your hands.

Mr. Simmons,

I want four and a half cents a pound for my cotton.

God almighty lady, you don't want me. You want Santa Claus.

I'll pay you 2.75 and not a red cent more.

Four?

Ma'am, maybe you haven't heard.

We're in the middle of a depression.

I flat can't pay that.

I can't pay anything close to that.

I'll give you three cents a pound, take it or leave it.

What your trouble is, Miss Spalding?

You are the victim of unbridled greed.

3.5.

No.

Ma'am, that is the honest price.

That's it.

I did my best. I tried to help.

You can't blame me. I can't do no more for you.

Now, you just go on down to the square

and see how much you get for that cotton of yours.

Mr. Simmons,

it just occurred to me,

I was looking at the pictures here on your wall,

and I remember how much store your daddy set,

and Jen and the first bale of cotton each year.

I guess this will be the first year since I don't remember when

that y'all haven't been first.

But I guess Mr. Wheeler down at Wheeler's gym

would be real pleased to meet my price

just so he could show off all next year at the Masons.

Miss Spalding,

come back and sit down.

All right, let's get this wagon over to the loading bay.

Let's get that out on up here...

Well?

What happened? How much did you get?

3.75 cents per pound.

That's more than the market price.

You know,

if we'd planted them other 10 acres of cotton,

just think what we would have made.

We would have been dead. That's what we would have been.

I've been thinking.

Mr. Estes is looking to sell off 12 acres of his land.

Now, let me take a look at your senses.

We'd have almost 60 acres of land.

You can't afford to buy any land.

All we need is one good crop of cotton.

Just one good crop and we could afford to buy us a tractor.

Tractor?

I always wanted to have me a tractor.

You know, I always thought that if I had me a tractor,

there ain't no telling what I could do.

Mrs. Spaulding?

Yes.

Could I trouble you for a cup of tea?

Of course. I'll put the water on for you.

Do you mind if I wait in here?

Not now.

I'm trying to fix Frank's shoe. It's got a big hole in it.

Mrs. Spaulding, can I ask you a question?

Yes.

What do you look like?

I have long, long hair and I tie it up in the back.

And I have brown eyes.

I always wanted to have blue eyes like my mama,

but Margaret got those.

And my teeth stick out in the front.

I suck my thumb a long time when I was a little girl.

No real beauty.

I'm all right.

Thank you.

Your tea's ready.

One of our all-time favorites, my golden dream.

Mama, may I please have a stand?

Frank Spaulding, I'd be most pleased.

$25.

Mrs. Spaulding gave me $25.

She wouldn't have to do that.

She can't afford to go around.

What's the matter?

I thought I heard something.

Of course you heard something. You heard me talking.

Anyways, you ought to speak with her on account if she goes around speaking with anyone.

There's somebody out there.

I don't expect so, but...

I'll go and see just to make you feel better.

Lights on in the barn. Be right back.

Mose?

You son of a bitch!

Mose?

Keep out of this, Mr. Wilkes. This ain't none of your business.

You move away from him right now.

Put that thing away, Mr. Wilkes, or you'll hurt somebody.

God damn!

Now.

Mose?

Hold it, Mr. Wilkes. We don't have any quarrel with you.

Mr. Thompson, why are you doing this to me?

You got the wrong man, Mr. Wilkes.

That's Mr. Thompson. I've been selling him brooms for years.

As sure as you're Mr. Shaw.

And that's Mr. Simmons over there by the barn.

All right, boys, that's us going home.

All right, nigger.

But I ain't through with you yet.

Want a Coke?

No.

Would you rather just go on home?

Want to dance with me?

I guess.

Howdy, Wayne.

Hi, Mr. Chief.

Don't you two look nice together.

Thank you, ma'am.

It's been a long time since we've been dancing together.

The dress sure looks pretty.

It's new.

Yeah, the color. I really like the color.

Margaret, what do I have to do to tell you I'm sorry?

Mose?

Yes, ma'am.

Oh, Mose.

Ma'am, I'm going to have to be moving along.

Ain't going to be long for that bunch to decide to come back.

And I best be gone by the end.

What am I going to do without you?

I appreciate if you say goodbye to Frank and Possum for me.

As soon as not having seen me like this.

I've been making on this doll for Possum.

If you can give it to her, I'll be most grateful.

And old Frank, he had his eye on this rabbit foot of mine for a spell.

So I expect he might as well have it.

Here.

This for you.

It's a handkerchief, belonged to my mama.

I thought maybe you can use it.

Well, I reckon I got a bit more tacit in this place than I intended.

Well, Miss Pauling...

I'm going to miss you.

Mose.

Yes, ma'am?

You took an old account piece of land...

and a bunch of people that didn't know what they were doing...

and you farmed that land better than anybody could.

Colored or white...

you're the one that brought in the first bale of cotton this year.

Don't you ever forget that.

Yes, ma'am.

I reckon I did that.

This morning we take our text from 1 Corinthians...

the 13th chapter, verses 1 through 8.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels...

and have not love...

I am become as a sounding brass...

or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy...

and all knowledge...

and have not love...

I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor...

and have not love...

it profiteth me nothing.

Love is patient, kind.

Love is not jealous or boastful.

Love never ends.

Before his crucifixion...

our Lord gathered with his disciples.

He broke the bread and blessed it...

saying, take, eat, this is my body.

And he took the cup and said, drink, this is my blood...

which I shed for thee.

He's gone.

He's gone.