ONE NIGHT SALLY AND HER BOYFRIEND WERE PARKED ON THE ROAD HOME. DADDY HAD GONE TO LODGE AND THEY HAD PLAYED CARDS SO HE WAS A LITTLE LATE GETTING HOME. HE STOPPED AND TOLD SALLY TO GET OUT O THE CARAND GET IN WITH HIM. HE TOOK HER HOME. THE BOY SHE WAS WITH WORKED WITH DADDY. SALLY TRIED TO MAKE HIM THINK THAT DADDY WAS ONLY KIDDING BUT HE NEVER DATED HER AGAIN.

ALL THE COUNTRY SCHOOLS HAD BOX SUPPERS AND CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS. WE WENT TO ALL OF THEM. I SAW MARLOW THE FIRST TINE AT A BRUSH ARBOR REVIVAL AT COTTENWOOD AND THE SECOND TIME AT A BOX SUPPER AT COTTONWOOD SCHOOL.

WHEN I WAS ABOUT ELEVEN OR TWELVE, I WAS ALWAYS PRETENDING TO BE A TEACHER OR AN ACTRESS. I TALKED TO MYSELF AND HAD A GREAT TIME. ONE DAY MY JAW POPPED AND I THOUGHT I HAD LOCKJAW. I'D OPEN MY MOUTH BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO LOCKSHUT SO I COULD NOT EAT. THEN I WOULD THINK HOW I LOOKED WITH MY MOUTH OPEN AND I WOULD SHUT IT. I KEPT THIS UP AND AFTER A WHILE I COULD NOT STOP OPENING AND SHUTTING MY MOUTH. DADDY AND MAMA TOOK ME TO SEE DR. VANN AND HE PUT A SPOON IN MY MOUTH AND HELD IT SHUT, AND I WAS OKAY- NEVER STOPPED MY TALKING.

DADDY READ OR HEARD THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A BIG DEMAND FOR SWEAT POTATOES, SO HE DECIDED WE WOULD PUT OUT A REALLY BIG CROP. WE HAULED WATER IN BARRELS AND THEN CARRIED BUCKETS OF IT DOWN THE ROWS. ELMER PUNCHED A HOLE IN THE GROUND AND WE'D PUT IN A PLANT, POUR IN A CUP OF WATER AND PRESS THE DIRT AROUND THE PLANT. WE KEPT GOING BACK TO BUY MORE PLANTS, THE MAN IN THE STORE STARTED CALLING ALL OF US "SWEET POTATOE". THE CROP FAILED SO ONCE MORE WE FAILED TO GET RICH. WE HAD SET OUT ABOUT TWENTY OR MORE ACRES AND IT WAS BACK BREAKING WORK.

DADDY'S COUSIN CHARLIE CAME TO VISIT AND DADDY TOOK HIM DOWN IN THE CELLAR TO SAMPLE HIS WINE. THEY STAYED TO LONG AND SAMPLED TOO MUCH. WHEN THEY CAME OUT THEY WERE DRUNK. DADDY FELL DOWN IN THE YARD. MAMA WAS REALLY MAD. THAT IS THE ONLY TIME I EVER SAW DADDY DRINK MORE THAN A SIP OR TWO OF WINE.