Ewart A. Autry Typescript

Folder 1 contains two versions of "The Crossing", which appeared in Better Homes and Gardens. The original version is typed on the back of the weekly church bulletin, "Table Around the World". The rewritten version is more standard in format, and both versions are consistent in plot. This five-page first person narrative centers around a bonding experience between a man and his youngest son as they venture towards the "roaring river" and across rocks in order to fish and enjoy the sunset. Themes of strength, pride, love, and courageous living pervade this story, as the father, Jeff, crosses a log, which is representative of overcoming the loss of his first son, Randy. The youngest son, Dan, is initiated into his father's world as he learns about manhood, love, kinship, a respect for nature, and the conquering of fears. The woman's voice, as heard by the narrator, is that of a strong, wise, yet soft-spoken wife.

Folder 2 contains an original typescript which was initially titled "Off with the Shrouds", then later changed for publication to "Park Your Sinuses", published in Christian Herald and Readers Digest. This anecdotal first person narrative emphasizes the power of positive thinking and selfless behavior, as it tells of a reverend and his wife who have resolved to cease complaining about their sufferings in their competitive battles with each other for sympathy. It is the pastor's wife who subtly diffuses the tense situation by shifting the emphasis away from her husband's "frustrat[ion] at not being the center of attention...of the universe", and towards their combined responsibility to create the right atmosphere for the children. Their united effort exchanges self-pity for "laughter and song", and they live in such a manner for the next decade.

Folders 3 and 4 consist of the original 120 page typescript of Ghost Hound of Thunder Valley. The first nine chapters are contained in Folder 3, and chapters 10-18 are in folder 4. Included in Folder 3 is a separate list of character descriptions.

Ghost Hound of Thunder Valley is a tale about how Johnny, a recently orphaned fourteen year-old boy, learns to be a southern gentleman through his experiences in Thunder Valley (the guidance of his neighbor, the wise and gentle Mr. Baker, serves to balance the thwarting efforts of Johnny's legal guardian, the greedy and witless Uncle Clint). While the characters struggle for land ownership and fox-hunting championships, the story also incorporates another tale about a puppy named Ghost who escapes drowning by Clint. The puppy is raised by foxes who lost their pups in a dynamite explosion, but soon grows too large and clumsy to survive without the help of his "foster parents", who have fled the hounds. Ghost soon yearns to follow the call of the hunting horn. The growing and hungry pup is adopted by Johnny and goes on to become a champion fox hound.

The theme of good versus evil permeates nearly every facet of this tale, establishing clear-cut borders between the two forces throughout the story. There are clear definitions of chivalrous manhood as depicted through the wealthy landowner, Mr. Baker, as well as ideals of womanhood and motherhood which appear in the characters of the mother fox and Baker's granddaughter, Teena. Also, the author reinforces messages about man's connection with nature, rather than his destruction of it. In his rewrite of chapters 15 and 18, Autry changes the fate of Ghost's foster-parent foxes from that of death at the jaws of hunting dogs to that of escape on a log down the river. Another theme that manifests itself in both Ghost's and Johnny's experiences throughout the tale is the idea of animal instinct versus cultural training.