Embarrassing Moments

Speaking of funerals, I recall going to a small baby's graveside funeral with Maggie Lee, the friend who you will recall got me in trouble many times. The undertaker was in charge. He did as they often did then and asked for anyone there to help with song. These were hard times and no one bought floral arrangements, but some people brought bouquets if they had flowers blooming at home.

As we were singing, Maggie Lee and I both saw this ribbon at the same time. I suppose it was all the folks had, but it read "Merry Christmas." Well, I knew not to look at her. All she had to do was poke me with her elbow. This cracked us both up. Bad as it was to laugh at a time like this, we came unglued.

Another time we were in a grocery store at Erin, a small town which was a big city to us. We had no money but were just prowling around. Evie, my sister, was there too, trying to act dignified.

There was a wire crate in the store which had been used at one time for displaying Clabber Girl baking powder. They had filled the crate with sweet potatoes, but left the Clabber Girl sign on it. She said to me just as solemn and dry, "Have you ever had Clabber Girl sweet potatoes?" This was all it took. We came unglued again.

Evie got so mad she said, "Don't come close to me. I don't want anyone to know I know you two." I frequently embarrassed my sister. Evie always like to dress up. Slacks were not worn too much yet. Once we were walking with my friend and Mrs. Haywood, our preacher's wife, in Clarksville. I had on what I thought was a real cute slacks set. Well, Evie again made us walk ahead of her so no one would know we were together.

When the depression came, however, I had one good dress and Evie, the sister born before me, had one. Evie was courting, so she wore her dress one weekend and mine the next.