Your Coca-Cola Bottler presents, Claudia. Claudia, based on the famous play and novels by Rose Franken. Brought to you transcribed Monday through Friday by your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola. Relax and while you're listening, refresh yourself, have a Coke. And now, Claudia. Well, that was our barn. How do you like it, Julia? As well as I'd like any barn that smells like, like a barn. Well, that's the nicest part of the barn, I think. You're very amusing, love. Listen, are those birds I'm hearing? Why not? But it's only the middle of March and Connecticut still looks as bleak as an Alaskan landscape. Oh, bleak or not, those are birds we hear. Few loyal ones spent the winter with us and the others are starting to arrive back already. Pretty soon it'll be spring. Yes, very soon. You can't wait, can you? Well, hardly. I don't know how you stood spending the entire winter up here with the few loyal birds. I didn't mind, I liked it. But there's hardly anyone here your age or even, well, your type. And what can you do all day? Oh, there are a million things to do with a baby, animals and a house and a husband to take care of. As for people my age, Julia, they're too young for me. I don't miss them. Still, you're too young to bury yourself in the country. Well, I don't consider myself buried. Maybe that's why I like it. Especially now that we have the animals on us here. And of course David adores it. I suppose that last would be reason enough for you. I suppose. You're an amazing child. I'm not a child, Julia. No, you're not. But I was at your age. Claudia, you've been a darling having us here overnight. Don't be silly, I loved having you. Well, you're the only sister-in-law David has. I have no brothers or sisters of my own, so we're very possessive about you. Want to go back in the house? Yes, I'm ready. Still a little raw out. Or maybe I'm just not accustomed to all this outdoors. Here we are. Hey, the door's open. Oh, is that you? Julia, don't tell me you've been out of doors this early, right after breakfast. It's stylish on a farm, Hartley. Claudia's been trying to convert me to the simple life, but I'm afraid I'm unconvertible. Julia said the heifer had nice eyes, but that's as far as she'll go. What have you and David been talking about, Hartley? Well, what do you think? The stock market. Nope, you're wrong. Farming. Whenever Hartley comes up here, he fancies himself a farmer, but I'd like to see him at it for five minutes. I think he'd be a pretty good farmer. It's in the Naughton blood, you know. In that case, all the family blood is in your veins, my boy. Hartley'd be sort of a country squire kind of farmer, I think. I can see him strolling through his fields with his dogs at his heels, and a walking stick in your hand, Hartley. Very romantic. Well, Hartley, what about getting back to New York sometime? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, don't go. It's still early, and I don't have an appointment until noon. You're about their local schoolhouse you're building? Mm-hmm, coming along fine, too. I can't for the life of me see why you waste your time building country schoolhouses. No, because children have to go to school in the country, I suppose. Well, I don't think that's a good enough reason. Well, I do. What do you think, Hartley? I think David's life is his own. Well, not at all. You're his older brother. You can tell him what you think. I just did, my dear. Tucker here! Oh, come on in, Mr. Tucker. Who is Mr. Tucker? You know, I'm the man we bought this house from, Julia. That queer old man? Well... Does he walk in and out of your house as if he owned it? Well, I guess he owned it so long, it's sort of hard for him to believe he doesn't own it still. Well, if it ain't a congregation sitting here in your living room. Mr. Tucker, you know my brother, and this is his wife, Julia. Oh, yes, yes. We've met. Your brother, who ain't much like our Mr. Naughton, yes. Well, I'm the only brother. More's a pity that you ain't like Mr. Naughton, I mean. Mr. Tucker is prejudiced. We're neighbors. That's a coincidence. What is more important is that we be friends. Mr. Tucker, sit down. Oh, I ain't got the time, ma'am. I didn't come over here to sit and platter with you folks. Well, is there something we can lend you? Well, mighty kind of you to offer. If there be something you can lend me. Just mention it, and it's yours. You folks realize that spring is practically breathing down our necks. Yes, we heard birds this morning. Oh, that ain't no sign, ma'am, but spring is practically breathing down our necks, and there's a hustling amount of work to be done. Then what is a sign of spring, Mr. Tucker? There be a thaw on the ground, ma'am. You can walk into the pasture and sink your foot up to the knee. How nice. Be nice. Those grounds waking up, and life's gonna be springing up. If we don't start moving fast, nature's gonna get so far ahead of us, we ain't never gonna catch up. Ma'am, that's a pretty sad spot for a farmer to be in. Well, it all sounds very hectic. So hectic that every minute spent talking is a minute wasted as a field of rotten corn. What a pretty picture. Well, then let's not talk about it, Mr. Tucker. You just tell me what I can do for you. I need manpower, son. I need manpower. It's one of the crimes in nature that Jared Tucker was born with only two arms. I could use as many as you'd find on a daddy longlegs. Where's your man Fritz this morning? Well, he had to go up to Hartford to arrange to have our truck fixed. Oh, well, what about you? Well, I'm afraid I've got a meeting at the school board in a little while, Mr. Tucker. My help? What is it? Man's work, ma'am. I got a string-of-wire fence. Ground's so soft, I can sink the post, and I gotta get my fence up before I can let my cattle graze, and I aim to let my cattle graze as soon as I get my fence strung. So you can see I'm kind of in a hurry. That's too bad. I'd like to help you, Mr. Tucker. I accept your apology. What about you? Who, me? You're a man. Yes, you. Well, I've never strung a wire post or whatever you call it in my life. You've got arms, ain't you? Yes, I seem to have the normal amount. You've got legs, ain't you? I seem to have those, too. Well, that's all you need, the string-of-wire fence. That's all you need. Now, wait a minute, wait a minute, Mr. Tucker. I don't think my brother wants to do this. Ain't a matter of wanting it, it's a necessity. But he just came up for the night, and he hasn't got his working clothes with him. Bet he don't own any working clothes. And besides, he has trouble with his gallbladder. Well, he ain't gonna need his gallbladder for this hair job. Now, come along, Mr. Hartley. Times are frittering itself away. Hartley, you don't have to if you don't want to. Common man? Hartley, maybe you'd better not. You can tell him. I'm standing on one foot waiting for you. Look, I tell you, I'll postpone my schoolhouse appointment, and I'll help him, Hartley. Darling, you play. Oh, you don't want to get your clothes all muddy. If I wait much longer, summer will be here, and I still won't have my fence up. I'm coming with you, Mr. Tucker. Yes, I'm coming with you. Now, Hartley, you know what the doctor says. Bless the doctor. Mr. Tucker, lead the way. I knowed if you was a relative of David Mautin's, even you wouldn't leave a neighbouring alert. Well, of all the ridiculous performances... Poor Hartley. You think he'll enjoy it? I'd rather doubt it. Mr. Tucker will be scolding him so much, he'll come home feeling like a punished schoolboy. Oh, he'll survive. I don't know. When Hartley gets his feet wet, he always catches cold. Oh, it's not wet outside. It's only muddy. Muddy is enough for Hartley. Well, he has no one to thank for it but himself. I don't know. When Mr. Tucker decided to make Hartley his victim, there's no getting out of it. Hartley should have been firm. He didn't have to let himself be swept off his feet by that old man, except he probably wanted to be. Yeah, maybe he did. Where are you going, Julia? Just into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Oh, I'll get it for you. Oh, it's all right. I'll get it. Well, don't you want something else to drink besides water? Milk, for instance. Heavens, no. I haven't drunk milk since I was two. If you lived on a farm, you'd drink it anyway. Maybe that's one of the reasons I don't live on a farm. I suppose if you don't like a farm, that's as good a reason as any. Well, I guess I'm just not the milkmaid type, lamb. Am I? Claudia, you're any type you want to be. But I'm a little too old for that. I'll just get this glass of water, and then you can take me up to see my nephew. You know, I don't think she's ever given a farm a fair chance. Stop taking it so personally. Julia likes a city. There's nothing wrong with some people liking the city, so stop trying to convert her. Yep, I suppose you're right. She said herself she's unconvertible. Farm would do her a lot of good, though. But she doesn't want to be done good to. Oh, I didn't mean it that way, darling. I meant it would do her good to walk around without a girdle and without every hair in place, not be afraid to touch an animal. Farm would make her get rid of her inferiority complex, David. What makes you think she has one? Because she always tries so hard to look so perfect. Oh, you think you're smart, huh? Am I? David, stop rumbling my hair. You don't want to look so perfect, do you? Oh, dear. I know I don't wear my clothes like Julia, and I don't know all sorts of fancy people like Julia, but do you love me? Oh, so, so. Hmm. That's what I get for asking. Still, I forgive her. Forgive who? What? Julia. Who do you think we're talking about? I have no idea. Because for the kind of person she is, she's fine. I'm very fond of her. You better be, because I am. I couldn't have married her, but for a sister-in-law, she'll do fine. You're talking about brothers, isn't it? Come again? What I mean is that fundamentally, you're quite alike, you and Hartley, even though he's ten years older than you. And look what different women you married. Life is full of wonderful surprises. Isn't it, though? Now, come on, I'm going downtown. You want to come along? Yes, I guess I'd better have to buy some extra meat now that Julie and Hartley are here. Oh, wait, I'll just see if Julia wants to come along, too. Julia? Did you fall into that glass of water? No, but I fell into something else. What? Come on in. David and I are going down to get some... Julia, what are you doing? I hardly know myself. What am I doing? You look as if you were rolling in dough. I guess that's what I am doing. How come that's what you am doing? I don't know exactly. I came in here to get a glass of water, and Bertha was starting to make these cookies. She looked as if she had a million things to do. When I asked her how to make the cookies, she said she was interested in making cookies, so she started telling me, and, well, here I am. Julia, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. Just leave it. Go on. I don't mind. It's rather amusing. I wonder if I could make them. Well, I know I couldn't. With Bertha hovering over my shoulder, I'm sure that even I can. Won't Hartley be surprised? He doesn't think I'm good for anything. I'll surprise him. He'll be wonderfully surprised. So, you run along downtown, dear, and when you come home, I'll have my golden brown cookies. Or rather Bertha's. Bye, then. I'll be back very quickly. You both coming? I'm coming. David, listen. You'll never believe it. Julia is making cookies. Oh, stop talking nonsense. She is, honestly, really. Bertha and Weigler. And Bertha's a wonderful Invegler. Almost as good as Tucker. It is the ninth wonder of the world. I wish you could see her, David. She's making them at arm's length, but it doesn't matter. We're dirty. Say, what's the eighth wonder of the world? Hartley stringing a wire fence. Oh, David, they're going to hate us. They'll never come back. Hartley's going to be so stiff, he won't be able to walk for a week. He'll hurt in every muscle. And Julia's going to ruin her nails in the dough and her hair in the oven. It'd mean to laugh, but I can't help it. Oh, me neither. They just don't belong, do they? Well, this life isn't for everybody, you know. I know. Until you came along, I didn't even know it was for me. You didn't even know it was for you until long after I came along. Oh, but, David, I'm so glad you came along. This broadcast of Claudia was supervised and directed by William Brown Maloney. In offices and factories and shops, workers pause to refresh at the Coca-Cola cooler during breaks and routine. The Coca-Cola cooler is a great way to refresh your mind. It's a great way to get rid of stress. It's a great way to get rid of stress. It's a great way to get rid of stress. It's a great way to get rid of stress. Best done is to prepare during breaks and routine. You can work refreshed at home, too. Pick up a carton of Coke at the grocery or drugstore, or have the service station attendant put a case in the car. Then you can keep Coke on ice so that it's always ready for you when you're ready for the pause that refreshes. Every day, Monday through Friday, Friday, Claudia comes to you transcribed with the best wishes of your friendly neighbor who bottles Coca-Cola. So listen again tomorrow at the same time. And now this is Joe King saying au revoir. And remember, whoever you are, whatever you do, wherever you may be, when you think of refreshment, think of Coca-Cola. For Coca-Cola makes any pause the pause that refreshes. And ice cold Coca-Cola is everywhere.