(27
September 1979)
Writer: E.F.Wallengren.
Director: Philip Leacock.
Music: Alexander Courage.
"The
arrival of spring was always a welcome time on Waltons Mountain. During the war
it was a reminder that life did renew itself in spite of the tragedies our
family had suffered. My father's business was booming, my mother had recovered
from her lengthy illness and there was a feeling that the family could brave
the dark days ahead. That strength was tested one day when our cousin Rose
Burton came to visit".
The bus stops in front of Ike's store with Cousin Rose and her two grandchildren, Jeffrey and Serena. Olivia and John meet them while they visit from Baltimore. Rose settles in Grandma's room while Easter is visiting cousins in Buckingham County. Serena stays with Elizabeth and Erin and Jeffrey sleeps in Jim Bob's room. At supper, Jason prepares to leave for the army base while Jeffrey enters with one of the laying hens. John insists he return the bird to the hen house.
Jeffrey finds out that Ike and Jim Bob are working on a top-secret project. Later, Jeffrey asks Jim Bob to leave the bedroom while he changes into his pajamas. As he takes off his shirt, bruise marks are seen on his back and a pack of cigarettes fall from his clothing. In the morning, Jeffrey waits for a chicken to grow an egg as Jim Bob drives to help Ike with their clandestine project. At Ike's store, Rose introduces herself and Serena to Ike and Corabeth. She orders a ten-pound sack of flour and a box of baking soda. While Rose pays fifty-eight cents for the purchase, Serena steals a bottle of perfume from the grocery shelf.
The next day, Jeffrey begins to repair Jim Bob's old scooter. But when John offers to help him fix it up Jeffrey suddenly does not want to ride it anymore. Jeffrey jumps into the back of Jim Bob's car, unknown to Jim Bob who is off to work with Ike. Jeffrey finds out that the pair is assembling an air raid siren from the Civil Defense Department. Ike insists that Jim Bob return him to the house and swear him to secrecy. Jeffrey finds Serena playing inside Cindy's car. He decides to drive the car, so steals Cindy's keys and proceeds to drive the car through the fence into the garden. After the incident, Rose admits they need a place to recuperate, hoping to stay on a while longer. Olivia agrees. Rose admonishes Jeffrey and Serena for what they did, warning them they have no place else to go, except back to Baltimore. John enters the room to tell the children they need chores to keep them out of trouble. Jeffrey is assigned feeding the chickens, gathering eggs, cleaning the coop, and weeding the garden. Serena is told to slop the pigs, morning and night, although she wonders what that means.
Elizabeth discovers Jeffrey smoking in the smokehouse after thinking it is a place designated to smoke cigarettes. Elizabeth explains the room's real purpose and tells him he is too young to smoke. Elizabeth agrees not to tell what he has done if he promises never to smoke again. He agrees.
Serena visits Cindy in the shed in order to apologize for wrecking her car. Cindy forgives her, saying it was only an accident. But upon leaving Serena steals a piece of Cindy's jewelry. That night Olivia and John discuss the children's problems. Olivia thinks they need help. Jason returns home in time to find Jeffrey having a bad dream. Olivia comforts the boy who says he is okay.
In the morning, Jeffrey attempts to hypnotize the chickens so they will clean up their own coop. He takes one of the chickens to the site of the alarm and pulls a mysterious lever. It sounds the civil defense warning. As he runs away, the community races toward the unknown shriek. Jim Bob and Ike explain what they have done but can not explain how it went off. Jason says he saw Jeffrey running away from the alarm. Back at the house John confronts Jeffrey and forces him to cut the grass as punishment. After John leaves Jeffrey deliberately cuts off Olivia's flowers after being taunted by Serena.
As Jim Bob places a lock on the siren Corabeth shows Ike a letter stating that the large code two warning apparatus was sent by mistake. The crestfallen Ike is told to ready the siren for pick up.
Erin catches Serena wearing one of her dresses, and possessing Corabeth's perfume, Cindy's brooch, Elizabeth's bracelet, and her necklace. She takes the girl to Rose who admits this stealing has happened before. Serena confesses she was only pretending her father was sending her presents. While this is happening Jeffrey enters the barn to smoke a cigarette. When he throws the butt away it sets off a fire. After unsuccessfully trying to put out the fire with his shirt, Jeffrey runs out of the barn. The family now observes the fire and rushes to put it out. After extinguishing the fire, Jim Bob walks up with Jeffrey to show the family the marks on his back. Rose finally admits her son would beat Jeffrey after getting drunk. She finally was forced to take her grandchildren away. The Waltons decide to take in Rose, Jeffrey, and Serena, hoping to help the family heal in a caring environment.
"Rose and her
grandchildren were accepted in our family and in the community. Jeffrey and
Selena still managed to get themselves into considerable trouble, but they were
driven to it by high spirits and not by cruelty. For the first time in their
young lives they began to feel loved and protected".
Olivia: 'Night Serena.
Serena: 'Night Aunt Olivia. Goodnight Nana.
Rose: Goodnight Serena. Goodnight John.
John: Goodnight Rose. Goodnight Jeffrey.
Chicken squawks.
John: Jeffrey.... are you sleeping with that chicken?
Jeffrey: Just a minute, let me check under the covers.... yes sir, looks
like one's snuck in here alright.
John: you put her back first thing in the morning.
Jeffrey: Yes sir.
John: Goodnight son.
Jeffrey: 'Night Uncle John.
Notes:
Rose Burton is Olivia's cousin. Rose risked her life taking care of Olivia and her family while they were sick with influenza when Olivia was six years old.
The last time Olivia heard from Rose was when she had first married her husband.
Rose was married to Burt, a conductor on the Norfolk and Southern Railroad. He has since died. Their only child was Burt, Jr., Serena and Jeffrey's father. Burt Jr. is a captain in the Navy. The children's mother died when they were younger.
Jason is now a sergeant in the Army, with three stripes.
The license plates on Jim Bob's car are 678-795 Virginia.
The license plates on Cindy's car are 277-923 Virginia.
Also appearing:
Ike and Corabeth Godsey (Joe Conley and Ronnie Claire Edwards); Cindy Walton (Leslie Winston); John-Curtis (Michael and Marshall Reed), Rose Burton (Peggy Rea), Serena Burton (Martha Nix), Jeffrey Burton (Keith Mitchell).