Tea and Sympathy

Hank, you old son of a gun!

How are you, buddy?

Bo, this is my wife Alice.

Alice, this is Bo Sturges.

Bo was a pretty big man in our class.

Getting bigger every day. Hi, Alice. Nice to see you.

You know, our class married darn well.

A bunch of real pretty women.

Where's your wife, Bo?

How are you?

This is my boy Ferdie.

Hello, Ferdie.

He's a sophomore here.

Chip off the old block.

You do look like your father.

That's supposed to be a compliment.

He can't believe that I was ever an Adonis.

I knew your father at the senior dance.

He had all the girls gaga.

...what a wonderful time he's had each year.

I had to come and see for myself.

I came to the first three reunions, and then I told Remsen,

I just hit the big ones-- 10, 15, and so on.

I think they're for the birds.

Yeah, I think so, too.

You and 50 other members of our class

with new babies.

Sour old bachelor, isn't he?

Nobody has to look at them.

Not much, they don't.

Why don't you get married

and get some pictures of your own?

Tonight at dinner, I'm going to

bring down pictures of my new factory

and make you all look at them.

Say, isn't that-- you know, what's-his-name?

Yeah. Sure.

I never thought I'd see him at a class reunion.

I suppose he's got a right.

Sure, but would you?

I don't think they're in.

I used to live here 10 years ago.

Do you think they'd mind if I went in?

No, of course not.

Here. Let me.

Thanks. I could have managed it.

Well...

Over there in the sun, I think.

Too much sun burns seedlings.

Obviously I'm a beginner.

I never had a garden

before I came here last fall.

You've got a green thumb, then.

All those bulbs you planted last October...

They're all right, but I need

some more blue in the garden.

Forget-me-nots.

I'll get you some seeds. I'll plant them.

You sound like quite an authority.

I used to have a garden when I was a kid.

Of course, my dad wasn't so keen on the idea,

but he wasn't around much, anyways.

It was your mother's idea?

No. She didn't live with US.

Oh?

I haven't seen her since I was about 5.

She and my father are divorced.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Oh, you needn't be. They aren't.

I was supposed to hold them together.

That's how I happened to come into the world.

I didn't work. That's a terrible thing, you know--

to make a flop of the first job you get in life.

Don't you ever see her?

Not since I was 5.

I was with her till 5, and then my father took me away.

All I remember about my mother is she was always telling me

to go outside and bounce a ball.

Where do you want these?

In the study, I think.

My husband's down at the beach

with the varsity club.

Aren't you supposed to be with them?

Tennis team went, didn't they?

Yes.

I've got some water on for some tea.

That'd be great.

I've been altering your costume for the play.

I thought we might find a moment for a fitting.

Sure.

Uh, do you want the door open or shut?

Oh, it doesn't make any difference.

Well, perhaps you'd better leave it ajar

just in case some of the other boys come back early

and want to drop in.

Oh. Sure.

I heard you singing.

I'm sorry if it bothered you.

No. It was very nice.

What's the name of the song?

The joys of love.

"The joys of love are but a moment long.

The grief of love endures forevermore."

Oh, and, uh, is that true?

You sang as though you knew

all about the grief of love.

You don't think I do?

Ha ha! Well...

Well, you're right.

Ha! Only the joys, hmm?

Neither, really.

Oh, then you're a fake.

Aren't you bringing someone up to the dance

after the play Saturday?

Yes.

Well, there.

You.

Me?

You're going to be a hostess, aren't you?

Yes, of course.

As a member of the committee, I'm taking you.

All the committee drew lots.

Oh, and you lost.

I won.

Oh, well, my husband could have taken me.

Well, he's not going to be in town.

The mountain-climbing club

has its final outing that weekend.

Oh, yes, that's right. I'd forgotten that.

I'm supposed to find out tactfully

and without your knowing it

what color dress you'll be wearing to the dance.

Oh! Well, why?

The committee will send you a corsage.

Oh, yes. How nice.

Well, don't have much to choose from.

Oh, I guess my yellow.

The boy who's in charge of getting the flowers

thinks a corsage should be something like a funeral decoration,

so I'm taking personal charge

of getting yours.

Well, thank you.

You must have gotten lots of flowers

when you acted in the theater.

Now and then. Nothing spectacular.

Anyway, I was never any great shakes at it.

Oh, I can't believe that.

Oh, you take my word for it.

Come on, stand up.

Let's see if this thing fits, shall we?

I've got a couple of minutes before I have to leave.

My dad's going to hit the roof

when he hears I'm playing a girl.

I think you're a good sport not to mind.

He's always after me to join up-- clubs and things--

and the dramatic club

would only take me if I'd play this part.

Well, it's a good part--

lady teazle in the school for scandal.

He's coming up here Saturday for the game and alumni day.

If he comes over here and you see him,

please don't tell him about this.

No. I won't.

Now, hmm, yes, well...

We're going to have to let this out around here.

Now, what size do you want to be?

Well, I don't know. Whatever you think.

I should have thought you'd have asked some girl up

to see you act

and then taken her to the dance afterwards.

There's no one I can ask.

What do you mean?

I don't know any girls, really.

Certainly, back home--

in the last 10 years, I haven't been home.

I mean really home. Summers, my father packs me off to camps,

and the rest of the time, I've been at boarding schools.

So I mean it when I say I don't know any girls.

Your roommate Al knows lots of girls.

Why don't you ask him to fix you up

with a blind date?

I don't know.

I can't even dance.

I'm telling you this so you won't

expect anything of me Saturday night.

Well...

We'll just sit out and talk, hmm?

Ok.

Or I could teach you how to dance.

It's quite simple.

You?

Yes. Why not? Look. I'll show you how simple it is.

You put your left hand out like this

and your right--

oh, now, you're kidding me.

A boy your age

and you don't know how to dance?

I'm not kidding you.

All right. Come on, then.

I had to teach my husband.