<TITLE>04. Par 14-17</TITLE>L-14 When I went to school, as a little boy, many children had been borned into the family. My father and mother had nine boys and one girl (nine boys and one girl.) And then the girl was the baby. I am the oldest.
We had to work very hard. I went to school poorly dressed. I would go sometime with one of my father's shoes on one feet and my mother's on the other, and very poor. We... When I'd take something to eat. I'd take a little piece of bread wrapped up and take a--a bucket with some greens in it. My brother and I were ashamed to eat with the rest of the children. We'd go out in the woods, and set down, and take a spoon, and each eat out of the bucket, and give each other a bite off the bread.

L-15 I remember one time at Christmas, my mother had popped some corn. And she give it to us in a little bucket. And I--I--we went to school with it. So I did wrong. I asked to be excused during time of school. And when I went through the cloak room, I took a big handful of popcorn out of the box, and went out and eat it to be sure I got my share. We didn't have it very often, maybe every two or three years. And then when brother come out, and we went to eat, he seen part of it was gone. I--I was sorry.
A few--about two years ago, I was standing at the same place. My brother is in heaven now. I would do anything I could, if I could take that handful of corn to him today. I can't now, so don't never do anything wrong, 'cause it'll come back to you someday.

L-16 I remember when we went to school together, there come a great snow, and all the boys had sleighs to ride on. But we didn't have any, so I--we got a big dishpan and slide down in it. Well, it was--we wasn't in as much class as the rest of them, but we were sliding.
Well, life went on. When I become a young man, why, I was about fourteen, fifteen years old. You know how boys get about that age. Well, I wanted to get a little girlfriend. So I found a little girl I thought was very pretty. You know, brethren, your first girlfriend: eyes like a dove, and teeth like pearl, neck like a swan. You love them? Just--just a boy. Now you know, brethren, you've been through the same thing. And so a neighbor of mine, his boy, my age, why, he got his father's car, so he would--we taken our girls for a ride. And we had just a little bit of money, so we got some sandwiches and--and Coke. And when I returned, to my surprise, my pretty little girl was smoking a cigarette. My, I didn't want none of that. Um. I think that's the lowest thing that a woman can do. I haven't changed my mind since.
Your lovely country here, I appreciate the morals of your country. I have never seen a woman was immorally dressed, or any woman smoke a cigarette. I love you for that. Our America is polluted with it. Don't never do that, sister. Very bad...

L-17 Now, when she had this cigarette, acting smart, I looked at her. And she said, "You want a cigarette, Billy?"
I said, "No, ma'am." I said, "I don't smoke."
She said, "Now, you don't smoke; you say you don't dance, and you don't go to theaters." Said, "What do you like to do."
I said, "Go fishing and hunting." But that didn't interest her.
And she said, "Take a cigarette."
I said, "No."
She said, "You big sissy."
At the same time, I was training to be a boxer. Which, I did win the bantam weight championship, and was going up for the world championship, and I give it--and I give it up for the Gospel. But I said, "Give me the cigarette, and I'll show you whether I'm a sissy or not." So I took the cigarette, with determination to smoke it.


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