home from hunting. Sometimes he
is gone for a week.
The sun is going down again and Papa is still
sitting by the grave with his jug.
I dont think much of Sally Mae being the woman
of the house. She dont cook. She dont clean. She
just tells me what to do. Matt says she is older
and has the right because Sally Mae is his wife.
I told him that dont make her my mother. He has
never slapped me before. I told him he had better
not do it again.
Papa spends all his time in the fields and dont
know whats going on in this house. Only time
he comes in is when the sun is going down.
Then he just sits before the fire with his jug of
whiskey drinkin until he dont know nothin
anyway.
Matt went huntin with Lucas. I herd Lucas talking to Sally Mae before they went off. He said
maybe he wud take his brother to Fever River
and show him the sights. They have been gone
five days. Sally Mae dont say much. Papa dont
9 1
T H E
S C A R L E T
T H R E A D
say nothing. Sometimes I feel like the old hoot
owl and this journal is my only company.
Matt and Lucas came home today. They had no
meat with them. Sally Mae did not say anything.
So I asked Matt if they went to Fever River. He
said yes. I asked him if he saw James. He said no.
I asked him what it was like in Fever River and he
said there were too many people. He did not say
anything after that. Lucas wuz smirking at Sally
Mae. He said they learned a lot while they was in
Fever River, but he did not say what they learned.
Sally Mae did not look well. She said she was
going outside for air. Matt went out to help Papa
in the fields.
When I went outside to do the wash I saw
Lucas talking to Sally Mae. When he laffed at
her, she slapped his face. He slapped her back
and she ran off crying.
Papa sent Lucas to Fever River with the corn.
Matt did not go with him this time because Sally
Mae wanted him home. Papa said thar will be
enuf money to pay the taxes, buy supplies, and
put some by for hard times.
I gotta bad feelin, but Papa dont listen.
Lucas came bak from Fever River today wile
I was workin in the garden. He and Papa had
9 2
T H E
W I L D E R N E S S
words. Lucas said the corn did not sell well this
year, that he paid the taxes but thar was not much
left for supplies. Papa said he is lying. He said
Lucas must have spent the money gaming or on
women. Lucas said it is a poor thing when a
father dont trust his own blood.
Lucas is gone. He tuk Papas best horse and gun
and left before sun up. I never herd such cussing
as Papa did when he found out what he dun.
Matt said he did not think Lucas wud come back
this time. Papa said he wud kill him if he did.
Papa said nothing after that. He did not eat
breakfast or supper. All he does is wurk in the
fields and drink.
I wud not grieve if I never saw Lucas again. As
far back as I can remember, ther has been a mean
streak in him Papa never cud beet out. Mama
tried to talk it out of him. But I dont think Lucas
ever herd a word she said. Mama believed we
shud treat others the way we want to be treated.
Lucas saz that is fools thinkin. He says take what
you want or you dont get nothing.
So I guess Lucas tuk what he wanted. He
tuk Papas money. He tuk Papas horse. He tuk
Papas gun. The only things he did not take
were Papas land and Papas house. And he wud
have tuk them too if he cud have put them in a
saddle bag.
9 3
T H E
S C A R L E T
T H R E A D
Sally Mae is going to have a babee come winter.
Matt is happy about it. It is nice to hear him
laugh again.
Papa dont say much about it. Papa dont say
much about anything these days.
Today is my birthday. I am fourteen. Not even
Matt made mention of it. I guess he forgot jest
like Papa.
9 4
7
S I E R R A S E N T T H E T E N N I S B A L L Z I N G I N G
across the net. It bounced far right of where Marcia was waiting
for it, gaining her the winning point. “Yes!” she cried and
jumped into the air, raising her racket in
is gone for a week.
The sun is going down again and Papa is still
sitting by the grave with his jug.
I dont think much of Sally Mae being the woman
of the house. She dont cook. She dont clean. She
just tells me what to do. Matt says she is older
and has the right because Sally Mae is his wife.
I told him that dont make her my mother. He has
never slapped me before. I told him he had better
not do it again.
Papa spends all his time in the fields and dont
know whats going on in this house. Only time
he comes in is when the sun is going down.
Then he just sits before the fire with his jug of
whiskey drinkin until he dont know nothin
anyway.
Matt went huntin with Lucas. I herd Lucas talking to Sally Mae before they went off. He said
maybe he wud take his brother to Fever River
and show him the sights. They have been gone
five days. Sally Mae dont say much. Papa dont
9 1
T H E
S C A R L E T
T H R E A D
say nothing. Sometimes I feel like the old hoot
owl and this journal is my only company.
Matt and Lucas came home today. They had no
meat with them. Sally Mae did not say anything.
So I asked Matt if they went to Fever River. He
said yes. I asked him if he saw James. He said no.
I asked him what it was like in Fever River and he
said there were too many people. He did not say
anything after that. Lucas wuz smirking at Sally
Mae. He said they learned a lot while they was in
Fever River, but he did not say what they learned.
Sally Mae did not look well. She said she was
going outside for air. Matt went out to help Papa
in the fields.
When I went outside to do the wash I saw
Lucas talking to Sally Mae. When he laffed at
her, she slapped his face. He slapped her back
and she ran off crying.
Papa sent Lucas to Fever River with the corn.
Matt did not go with him this time because Sally
Mae wanted him home. Papa said thar will be
enuf money to pay the taxes, buy supplies, and
put some by for hard times.
I gotta bad feelin, but Papa dont listen.
Lucas came bak from Fever River today wile
I was workin in the garden. He and Papa had
9 2
T H E
W I L D E R N E S S
words. Lucas said the corn did not sell well this
year, that he paid the taxes but thar was not much
left for supplies. Papa said he is lying. He said
Lucas must have spent the money gaming or on
women. Lucas said it is a poor thing when a
father dont trust his own blood.
Lucas is gone. He tuk Papas best horse and gun
and left before sun up. I never herd such cussing
as Papa did when he found out what he dun.
Matt said he did not think Lucas wud come back
this time. Papa said he wud kill him if he did.
Papa said nothing after that. He did not eat
breakfast or supper. All he does is wurk in the
fields and drink.
I wud not grieve if I never saw Lucas again. As
far back as I can remember, ther has been a mean
streak in him Papa never cud beet out. Mama
tried to talk it out of him. But I dont think Lucas
ever herd a word she said. Mama believed we
shud treat others the way we want to be treated.
Lucas saz that is fools thinkin. He says take what
you want or you dont get nothing.
So I guess Lucas tuk what he wanted. He
tuk Papas money. He tuk Papas horse. He tuk
Papas gun. The only things he did not take
were Papas land and Papas house. And he wud
have tuk them too if he cud have put them in a
saddle bag.
9 3
T H E
S C A R L E T
T H R E A D
Sally Mae is going to have a babee come winter.
Matt is happy about it. It is nice to hear him
laugh again.
Papa dont say much about it. Papa dont say
much about anything these days.
Today is my birthday. I am fourteen. Not even
Matt made mention of it. I guess he forgot jest
like Papa.
9 4
7
S I E R R A S E N T T H E T E N N I S B A L L Z I N G I N G
across the net. It bounced far right of where Marcia was waiting
for it, gaining her the winning point. “Yes!” she cried and
jumped into the air, raising her racket in
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