She was. She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe . . . son, I told you that if you hadnt lost your head Id have made you go read to her. I wanted you to see something about herI wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. Its when you know youre licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.

Jem picked up the candy box and threw it in the fire. He picked up the camellia, and when I went off to bed I saw him fingering the wide petals. Atticus was reading the paper.

Part Two

12

Jem was twelve. He was difficult to live with, inconsistent, moody. His appetite was appalling, and he told me so many times to stop pestering him I consulted Atticus: Reckon hes got a tapeworm? Atticus said no, Jem was growing. I must be patient with him and disturb him as little as possible.

This change in Jem had come about in a matter of weeks. Mrs. Dubose was not cold in her graveJem had seemed grateful enough for my company when he went to read to her. Overnight, it seemed, Jem had acquired an alien set of values and was trying to impose them on me: several times he went so far as to tell me what to do. After one altercation when Jem hollered, Its time you started bein a girl and acting right! I burst into tears and fled to Calpurnia.

Dont you fret too much over Mister Jem she began.

Mis-ter Jem?

Yeah, hes just about Mister Jem now.

He aint that old, I said. All he needs is somebody to beat him up, and I aint big enough.

Baby, said Calpurnia, I just cant help it if Mister Jems growin up. Hes gonna want to be off to himself a lot now, doin whatever boys do, so you just come right on in the kitchen when you feel lonesome. Well find lots of things to do in here.

The beginning of that summer boded well: Jem could do as he pleased; Calpurnia would do until Dill came. She seemed glad to see me when I appeared in the kitchen, and by watching her I began to think there was some skill involved in being a girl.

But summer came and Dill was not there. I received a letter and a snapshot from him. The letter said he had a new father whose picture was enclosed, and he would have to stay in Meridian because they planned to build a fishing boat. His father was a lawyer like Atticus, only much younger. Dills new father had a pleasant face, which made me glad Dill had captured him, but I was crushed. Dill concluded by saying he would love me forever and not to worry, he would come get me and marry me as soon as he got enough money together, so please write.

The fact that I had a permanent fianc was little compensation for his absence: I had never thought about it, but summer was Dill by the fishpool smoking string, Dills eyes alive with complicated plans to make Boo Radley emerge; summer was the swiftness with which Dill would reach up and kiss me when Jem was not looking, the longings we sometimes felt each other feel. With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable. I stayed miserable for two days.

As if that were not enough, the state legislature was called into emergency session and Atticus left us for two weeks. The Governor was eager to scrape a few barnacles off the ship of state; there were sit-down strikes in Birmingham; bread lines in the cities grew longer, people in the country grew poorer. But these were events remote from the world of Jem and me.

We were surprised one morning to see a cartoon in the Montgomery Advertiser above the caption, Maycombs Finch. It showed Atticus barefooted and in short pants, chained to a desk: he was diligently writing on a slate while some frivolous-looking girls yelled, Yoo-hoo! at him.

Thats a compliment, explained Jem. He spends his time doin things that wouldnt get done if nobody did em.

Huh?

In addition to Jems newly developed characteristics, he had acquired a maddening air of wisdom.

Oh, Scout, its like reorganizing the tax systems of the counties and things. That kind of things pretty dry to most men.

How do you know?

Oh, go on and leave me alone. Im readin the paper.

Jem got his wish. I departed for the kitchen.

While she was shelling peas, Calpurnia suddenly said, What am I gonna do about you alls church this Sunday?