Return to the South

When the baby was three weeks old, my mamma took us kids and our belongings and caught the train back to Cumberland City to live with my Grandma Bullard in her three room house while my pappa stayed on to work at what we called public works.

Soon afterward Jennie came down with double pneumonia. My pappa was called from a telephone located at Squire McIntosh's house, this being the only telephone within four miles. My pappa came home in the T-Model over very bad roads. The 350 miles took around 24 hours to drive.

Jennie recovered and he went back, but that spring I came down with typhoid fever. I remember how the trees were budding for spring before I became ill. I was very sick all summer and the next thing I remember is walking across the breezeway when the leaves were turning autumn colors. I guess you could say that was a lost summer.