Starring Virginia Wydler and Jane Darwell in Junior Angel on the Cavalcade of America,
sponsored by DuPont, maker of Better Things for Better Living through chemistry.
One of DuPont's many Better Things for Better Living is Speed Easy wall finish, the fast,
easy, economical wall paint that is saving homeowners time and money.
Speed Easy saves time because it covers wallpaper quickly and easily in one coat and dries in
an hour.
It saves money.
The average room costs less than three dollars.
Speed Easy comes in eight cheerful pastel colors.
When you redecorate this spring, try DuPont Speed Easy.
The nurse on the battlefront is the Angel of Mercy, and we all know and respect her
worth.
What some of us don't realize perhaps is that today in America there is a Junior Angel,
the teenage girl, the student aide who has volunteered to work in our home front hospitals
and help take the load off the overworked hospital nurses.
Tonight in an original play written especially for the DuPont Cavalcade by Peter Lyon, we
present the story of such a Junior Angel with Virginia Weidler, starred in the role of Ruthie
Crawford, and Jane Darwell as Nurse Boyle.
We believe that our story tonight is the story also of thousands of American girls who are
waiting only to be told how they can help.
Later on in the program, Miss Weidler will interview Miss Margaret Collette, one of the
girls actually engaged in the helpful work our play is concerned with tonight.
DuPont presents Virginia Weidler and Jane Darwell in Junior Angel on the Cavalcade of
America.
We're going to spend some time tonight in a pleasant residential suburb of a Midwestern
American city.
Here on a pleasant tree shaded street of this suburb is a comfortable home where live a
Mr. Crawford and a Mrs. Crawford and their daughter Ruth, who is 14 years old growing
on 15.
If we walk across the front lawn and peep into the living room, we can see Ruth and
her mother talking importantly about important things that is actually important to Ruth.
But mother, you said it.
You actually did.
If I could get daddy to give you his shoe stamp, well you'd let me use mine to get high
heels with.
And the dance is this Saturday.
Oh Ruth.
Mother, you forgot.
I'm sorry dear, I expect I did.
I've been so busy holding Mrs. Johnson's hand now that everything is happening to her.
Oh, are her eyes getting worse?
Well, they're no better.
But what's on her mind now is her Billy leaving for the army early tomorrow morning.
What?
Billy's leaving?
Yes, didn't you know?
They cut his furlough short.
He's got to report right away.
They think it means overseas duty.
You never told me.
Why don't you run along over next door and say goodbye?
He'd like that.
Billy.
But don't stay too long Ruth.
He'll be ready in less than an hour.
Hi Ruthie.
Hello Billy.
I just heard you were leaving.
Yep.
Kept it quiet, didn't you?
Didn't want to worry your mother.
Yeah, that's right.
Hey Ruthie, throw me those brown socks on the bed there, will you?
Here.
Thanks.
I think that was swell of you Billy.
Not to let on you had to leave, I mean.
Billy.
Yeah?
Uh, what are you doing?
I mean, tonight?
Well, I thought I'd better stick around tonight Ruthie, be with mom and dad.
Oh, oh sure.
Now where's my sweater?
Oh, there it is.
You're sitting on it kid.
Give it a toss, will you?
I'm sorry.
You came over to say goodbye Ruthie?
That's nice of you.
Sorry I'm so late.
Oh that's okay Billy, I like to see you packing.
I just came over to tell you to be careful Billy.
Sure will.
Oh and listen Ruthie.
Yes?
I got something serious to tell you.
Yes?
What is it Billy?
I don't want you getting hitched up to any guy before I come back, you hear?
Oh no Billy, you know I wouldn't.
You promise Ruth?
I promise Billy.
Ruthie dear, your brown bed is getting cold.
Good lord Ruthie, you don't mean you're skipping dessert tonight.
What's the matter, sick?
Ruth, how many chocolate sundaes did you have today?
Only one.
I'm not sick.
I'm just not hungry.
Well that's obvious.
I want to do something about the war.
What's that?
I want to do something useful.
I want to help win the war.
I can do something.
Sure you can Ruth, in three or four years.
Well but I want to do something now.
I definitely do.
There must be something, even if I am only forty, almost fifteen years old.
Well don't get too steamed up over it Ruth.
It's no use father.
My mind is made up.
It's absolutely necessary.
Okay, okay.
Are you starting right away or am I still taking you to the movies tonight?
Well I can go to the movies tonight because I'm going to start tomorrow, right after school.
Dr. Reynolds, Dr. Reynolds wanted in the office.
Uh, excuse me.
Are you Miss Boyle?
Yes.
The hospital superintendent?
That's right.
Well, I'm Ruth Crawford.
Glad to hear it.
I want you to give me a job here at the hospital.
Well.
A regular job.
Every day.
I can come right after school and stay at least three hours.
Maybe four.
More on weekends.
Miss Boyle, I'm serious.
I definitely am.
You definitely are?
How old are you anyway?
Four, fifteen.
Fifteen.
Well what do you think you could do around the hospital?
Well I, I thought, you know, like Florence Nightingale.
Kind of smooth the patient's brows and smooth the patient's.
That's too much.
Well there must be something I can do.
I can wash dishes or make beds or sweep the floors, can't I?
Somebody's got to and if you're so short handed, why can't I?
Yes, why can't you?
What'd you say your name was?
Ruth.
Ruth Crawford.
Come along, Ruth.
I'll get you a broom and a damp cloth and an apron.
You have?
You really have?
Well I don't believe it.
You can if you want to, but I definitely think she's made it all up.
Ruthie, is it really true?
It's really true.
I worked there all yesterday afternoon and I'm going back today.
You can come along and see if you don't believe me.
She gave me a little white thing to wear and everything.
Super.
A real hospital.
Did you see any babies?
Sure, lots of them.
But what do you do?
I mean what sort of work do you do?
Nursing.
I guess you'd call me a kind of nurse's, well a kind of nurse really.
I do all sorts of important things.
I'm not sure if I should tell you actually.
It's, oh, after all, we have our ethics, you know.
Get her, ethics.
Well it's true.
You don't know anything about ethics?
Oh cut it out, Ruthie.
Just because you don't know anything about how a hospital works.
Ruthie, do you think we could get jobs there too?
I mean do you actually think we could?
Maybe.
I'd have to ask Miss Boyle about it.
She's the superintendent.
Oh ask her Ruthie, will you?
Will you ask her?
For all of us, we all want to.
Well see, but I can't promise anything.
All right, all right girls.
Now let's see.
Six, eight, nine, eleven, twelve.
Twelve of you.
For better or for worse.
Well all right.
I'll assign you two to a floor.
You'll do just as the nurse in charge of your floor tells you.
Understood?
Oh sure.
And don't forget, the first one of you steps out of line, does anything wrong, out the
whole pack of you go.
Oh we won't.
Shh, Marion.
Now then, what are your duties again?
Well?
Fill the water pitches and make fresh fruit juice drinks.
That all?
Well, we're supposed to run errands aren't we?
For the nurses I mean.
I'll say you are.
What else?
Serve food trays and wash glasses and dishes.
And we're to read to the patients too.
If they want you to.
Most of them won't want to see you is my guess.
Well anyway, there's the children in the children's ward.
That's right.
You can read to them and keep them happy.
You'll find that you've got a lot more jobs than those.
But they'll do for a starter.
Do as you're told, no pranks, no funny business.
Understood?
Oh yes.
All out you go lickety split.
Miss Boyle.
Now what is it?
Aren't you glad we're here to help?
Hmm, think about that in three months.
If you're still here.
We'll be here.
Oh Batlack.
She isn't either.
I like her.
Batlack.
Hey kids, what are we going to do about these things they make us wear?
What are they anyhow?
Oh, they're the smocks that the male patients wear.
They're supposed to have it on backwards.
I think it stinks.
They don't even iron them.
They're right Ruth, you know.
They actually are.
These things have no chicks, but none.
Have these chicks.
Well we'll have to get ourselves uniforms.
If Miss Boyle Batlack's Boyle.
If Boyle won't give any to us, we'll have to buy our own.
That's it.
Super.
I'll design them.
And we'll have to give ourselves a name, a title you know.
We've got to have a title.
It was my idea.
We work here so I get to name the title.
We'll, we'll be student aides.
We'll be student aides.
We'll be student aides.
We'll be student aides.
We'll be student aides.
We'll be student aides.
All in favor.
Aye.
And we'll cross stitch our title on our uniform.
All in favor.
Aye.
Ruth Crawford.
Hey looker.
Report to the floor nurse down the fourth floor.
Come on everybody.
We're going to work.
We're going to work.
He didn't.
He did so.
Shh.
There's Miss Boyle.
Girls, I should think that after three months at the hospital, you know that you're not
supposed to stand around gigging in the halls.
Sorry Miss Boyle.
It's not as though there isn't plenty of work to do, you know.
Yes, we're sorry Miss Boyle.
Ruth, there's a new patient in 16 whose eyes are bad.
She's got some mail she wants you to read to her.
Scoot.
On my way Miss Boyle.
Yes?
Is that the nurse?
No, this is the student aide.
The nurse said you had something that you...
Why aren't you Mrs. Johnson?
That's right.
Come in Lucy.
What?
I didn't know you were coming to the hospital Mrs. Johnson.
Are your eyes worse?
Well, I'm afraid they're no better dear.
Gosh, I'd have come down long ago if I'd have known you were the patient in 16.
I mean after all, living right next door and besides, you're Billy's mother.
Why someday you might...
Well you might be...
Billy is the reason I asked the nurse to send you in, Lucy.
Oh.
Oh.
You mean, you mean he's written to you at last?
He writes at least once a week and has ever since he left, Lucy.
He does?
Gee, I thought maybe he'd been hurt or something.
I actually did and I didn't want to ask because I thought it might upset you.
What ever made you think he'd been hurt?
Well, you see after all, I've only gotten just one little postcard from him ever since he's been gone.
And that was a long time ago and just said he's gotten there all right.
And then I didn't hear from him so I thought maybe he couldn't write.
No dear, why Billy hasn't even seen active combat duty yet as far as I know.
Here's the letter.
Let's hear what he has to say.
All right.
Dearest Mom, gosh his handwriting is elegant isn't it?
Elegant?
Well it's hard to read if that's what you mean.
Oh I think it's got distinction.
I actually do.
Dearest Mom, this will have to be just a short note because I,
I've just gotten a two day leave and the Turk, I mean the truck,
is waiting to take the guys to London right now.
The money you sent will help a lot.
Maybe Jimmy and I will have a nice evening at the theater.
She loves the theater as you know.
She loves the theater?
Oh, oh I see.
Not Jimmy.
Jeannie.
Excuse me Mrs. Johnson.
Yes?
Excuse me Mrs. Johnson but who is this Jeannie he's taking to the theater?
Oh, why, she's just a Red Cross girl he happened to meet over there dear.
Go on.
Red Cross eh?
Anyway, he says he's going to take her to the theater when he gets to London.
Then he says, I figure this is probably the last leave I'll have for a long time.
Everybody over here is waiting impatiently for you know what to start.
We talk about very little else and most of our time is spent getting ready for it.
I'll write you again mom when I get back from London.
I have to close now because I can hear the sergeant tooting the horn of the truck.
Say hello to mom and dad for me and to anybody else you know would like to hear from me.
Oh my love mom and I know Jimmy, Jeannie joins me in that.
We're still talking about what a honey of an engagement ring you picked out for us.
Then there are a lot of X's for kisses I guess and his name.
I'm sorry Lucy, maybe I better take the letter.
And he's got a post script.
He says, how's that little kid next door?
Still carrying the torch for me?
Say hello to her for me too.
That's all.
Lucy, Lucy dear, listen, Ruth.
Say Ruth, come here a second.
What's the matter?
Nothing, nothing Miss Boyle, I'm okay.
What's your question?
What did that woman in 16 do to you anyhow?
Nothing, why don't you leave me alone?
Well, what do you make of that?
Come in.
Ruthie?
I'm sorry Mrs. Johnson, if the student aide did anything that I...
No, I know Ruth very well, it was my fault.
It's just that I shouldn't have asked her to read this letter from my son.
You see, he's gotten engaged to an old sweetheart of his over in England.
And Ruthie thought, oh I see, if you could do anything.
I think I know how to take care of her.
Music
You are listening to Virginia Wydler as Ruthie Crawford and Jane Darwell as Nurse Boyle
in Junior Angel on the Cavalcade of America, sponsored by DuPont,
maker of better things for better living through chemistry.
Music
As our play continues, Ruthie has discovered that being a student aide in a hospital
in an effort to contribute her bit to the war effort can mean interesting work,
but also personal heartache.
And Nurse Boyle's experience is the factor best calculated to help Ruthie in her trouble.
Oh Ruthie, really Miss Boyle, I'm all right.
Oh nonsense, I'm not worrying about you. There's too much else to worry about.
Now there's a very sick patient down in the public ward and it's getting on towards supper time.
And I don't know where your friend Gene has disappeared to and every bell is ringing at once.
I just don't know what to do first. I suppose that woman in the ward...
Oh I can take care of her Miss Boyle. Please can I? I can find out what she needs and get it and...
Well I don't know, she's really pretty sick.
Oh I can take care of her Miss Boyle. You go take care of the suppers.
Well, all right.
Is the woman in the bed at the right as you go into the ward?
Right away Miss Boyle.
Music
Excuse me, is there anything I can do for you?
Nurse?
No, no this isn't the nurse. But I can do almost everything a nurse can for you.
You're...
Your white uniform. I thought...
I'm a student aide on this floor. Can I freshen your pillow or get you a cold drink?
No, no thank you.
Wouldn't you like a nice glass of orange juice?
No, there's nothing thanks. Nothing.
You have a Bible here. Would you like me to read it to you?
Oh, would you child? Would you do that?
Sure. Is there any special thing you'd like to...
No, no, just anything.
Oh, oh.
I'll just open it and...
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also.
And greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father.
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter.
He may abide with you forever.
I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you.
Yet a little while and the world sees me no more.
But ye see me, because I live, ye shall live also.
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you.
Not as the world giveth, I give unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Abide in me, and I in you.
And now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Thank you, child.
Do you feel any better?
Oh, yes. Oh, yes, thank you. It helps me a lot.
Funny, but I think it helped me too.
Are you busy, Miss Boyle?
I'd like to talk to you if you're not busy. I mean, I actually would.
What's on your mind, Ruth?
Well, Miss Boyle, I'm going to be a nurse all the rest of my life.
I definitely am. Miss Boyle, I've decided I'm not going out with boys anymore.
I'm not going to go to movies or go dancing or anything, not listen to bands on the radio or anything.
Now wait a minute, Ruthie.
I know it's best this way, Miss Boyle. I know it's good for me.
I've decided definitely I'm going to devote my life to nursing.
Well.
Isn't it wonderful?
Ruth, you've got a lot of time to make a decision like that.
You're talking about a whole lifetime, and a lifetime, Ruth, can be a very, very long time.
Ask me, I know.
Don't you like being a nurse, Miss Boyle?
Me?
Well, right now I've been working for, let's see, 20 straight hours.
Well, maybe you shouldn't ask me such a question.
Why, yes. Yes, I like being a nurse, Ruthie. I wouldn't be anything else.
But as for you, wait a while. I know.
But I think not yet.
You've got a lot of roads to go down, a lot of things to do, a lot of words to hear before you make your decision.
And after all that, you still want to be a nurse?
Well, then you'll be a good nurse, I guess.
You've got the makings, I'll say that.
You mean it, Miss Boyle? You definitely do?
I definitely do.
Oh, thanks, Miss Boyle. Thanks.
Well, Ruthie, there she is. Come on, Ruth, we're going home at after six. Why, so it is. I had no idea how the time, I've been so busy with my patients.
Hey, Ruth, listen, you forgot. Claire's got a surprise. It's her birthday.
It's her birthday, Claire. And now I've got to go nurse my sick patients.
But Ruthie.
Ruthie, listen, Claire's father's going to take us all into town tonight to dance. Tommy Dorsey.
Uh, dance?
And I've got a date for you. He's super.
A man? No, I think I'll...
Ruthie, what's the matter? Aren't you feeling good?
I told you my decision, Gene. I'm not going to have anything more to do with men.
I'm going to be a nurse all my life. Like, like flowing snitengale. It's more holy.
Ruthie.
But Ruth, the date I've got for you is the lieutenant in the Marines.
In the Marines?
And we're going to hear Tommy Dorsey, Ruthie. Tommy Dorsey.
Is he engaged? Oh, Tommy Dorsey?
The lieutenant in the Marines.
Him? Oh no, Ruthie, he's just my cousin. That's the only reason he's coming with us at all.
Mom made him come.
We can stay till midnight, Ruthie.
Well, uh, where do I meet you?
I don't suppose just going dancing once with a man would mean anything, would it?
I mean, actually it wouldn't.
Music
Thank you, Virginia Wibler and Jane Darwell.
In just a few moments our stars will return to the microphone with Miss Margaret Collette,
who is actually engaged in the work that Ruthie Crawford began in our play.
And now Clayton Collier speaking for DuPont tells us of one of the ways DuPont cellophane
is helping in the important job of food conservation.
We waste 15 percent of the food in our kitchen. It's a shocking fact.
We, the people of the United States, waste 15 percent of all the food we take into our homes.
The government asks all of us to help reduce this appalling waste,
which has a direct bearing on the health and efficiency of our fighting forces.
Where can you watch out for waste? Right in your own kitchen.
Millions of Americans tomorrow morning will toast slices of bread as part of their breakfast.
They'll go to the bread box or the kitchen cabinet and take out a loaf of bread they bought today,
or perhaps the last slices of a loaf several days old.
The bread will be either fresh or stale. If it's fresh it will be eaten.
If it's stale it will be wasted.
Well, you say, what are two slices of bread, only two slices?
Two slices of bread wasted once a week in each home equals three million wasted loaves of bread.
Three million loaves of bread will feed a lot of soldiers and sailors.
The condition of those two slices of bread in your home determine whether they will be eaten or wasted,
and their condition depends on two things, the way the bread is packaged and the way you take care of the package.
Your baker is doing his part. Many bakers safeguard bread against mold with DuPont Microban,
mold and rope inhibitor. In addition, the baking industry is packaging bread
and other bakery products in materials that give a high degree of protection.
It is up to you to preserve these packages so that they will continue to do their job in your home.
In the war against food waste, one of DuPont's products is playing a noteworthy part.
This is transparent moisture-proof cellophane used as a packaging material to protect not only bread,
but foods of many other types, helping to conserve those last two slices of your loaf of bread,
bread good to the last slice, is one of the ways that DuPont cellophane is helping.
Using up these two slices of bread in your home, an example of the difference between waste and conservation
is one way you personally can help to win the war. By putting every morsel of food to work, you do your part.
This reminder is brought to you by DuPont, maker of better things for better living through chemistry.
And now here are Jane Darwell and Virginia Weidner with their guest tonight,
Miss Margaret Collette, a teenage hospital aide.
Thank you, everyone.
Standing here at the microphone with Virginia Weidner and me is Margaret Collette,
one of the many high school girls doing so much these days to help out in our overcrowded hospitals.
Inasmuch as Virginia was the junior angel of our play tonight,
I think she ought to ask our real life junior angel about her work.
Thank you, Miss Darwell. Tell me, Margaret, is it awfully hard work you have to do?
No, I don't think it's hard. I think it's very interesting.
Well, tell us why, will you?
In the first place, you get to meet a lot of interesting people.
You mean soldiers and things?
Well, sometimes we do, but mostly it's people in your own town that maybe you've seen around for years.
And then suddenly, instead of being just a, well, a face, there's somebody that you know and like a lot.
How about the nurses? Do you like working with them?
Oh, yes, they're wonderful, and they know everything, and they're so nice to you.
Do you really have the feeling that what you do is important and that you're helping in the war?
Yes, and the nurses in the hospital people are always asking us if we can get more girls for them.
So if any of you girls who are listening in tonight really want to contribute part of your time to this patriotic effort,
why don't you go to your local hospital and see what you can do to help? Thank you.
Thank you, Margaret, and good night.
Applause.
Music.
Our thanks to Virginia Wydler and Jane Darwell for helping us to bring the story of this important contribution
by the thousands of schoolgirls who are doing such helpful work in the nation's hospitals.
Next week, DuPont presents Brian Donlevy in Odyssey to Freedom,
one of the most remarkable and engrossing stories of adventure and pursuit that has yet come out of this war.
It's about an American who, among other things, escaped twice from German concentration camps,
a man whose courage and resolve and love of freedom were so strong that he was able to surmount almost unbelievable obstacles.
Music.
We invite you to join the DuPont Cavalcade audience again next Monday evening
when the popular Hollywood star, Brian Donlevy, will be heard in Odyssey to Freedom.
Tonight's DuPont Cavalcade Orchestra was under the direction of Donald Burry.
This is Roland Winters sending best wishes from Cavalcade sponsor, the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware.
Music.
This is the National Broadcasting Company.
Music.