The Farmer's Daughter1947

Katrin Holstrom:
[Clearing her throat, then reading] Mr. President: Today I don't want to make a speech. I want to tell you a story about a doctor named Sorenson, who lived in a small town. He was a good doctor, but the rich people in this town didn't like him because he told them the truth a little too often about their imaginary sicknesses. [She looks up at Clancy, who smiles and motions her to go on] Things got bad for Dr. Sorenson, and he moved across the tracks to the poor section of town where people needed him, but didn't have the money to pay. [Clancy listens carefully. Katrin takes a deep breath and continues] He worked for them, anyhow. They would give him a bottle of milk when he cured a sore throat, or a loaf of bread when be set a broken leg. Dr. Sorenson couldn't afford a regular office. He practiced in the room he lived in, upstairs over a livery stable. The shingle outside was a simple little sign that read: "DR. SORENSON UPSTAIRS." [She smiles. The U.L.C. doors open, and Mrs. Morley appears. Motioning Clancy to stay seated, she indicates for Katrin to go on as she listens from the doorway] Well, even doctors get sick. And after working years with these poor people, Dr. Sorenson got sick and he died, and all those people who loved him, and whom he loved, buried him. They wanted to put up a big, marble monument, but they just couldn't afford it. So they took the sign from the stable, and put it over the doctor's grave. There it stood, and that was his monument. [pause] "DR. SORENSON-UPSTAIRS." [She smiles tenderly] Today a President has died. Only a short time ago his dream, the League of Nations, was killed by people who couldn't stand the truth. But his dream shall not perish from the earth. It will live in the hearts of good, common people. For over the President's grave the people have placed their everlasting monument which-like the doctor's-reads simply; "WOODROW WILSON-UPSTAIRS." [Mere is silence for a moment, then Mrs. Morley applauds. Clancy, standing up, joins her. Katrin is pleased, but embarrassed. She bows her thanks]