"Mother's plight, with eight of us always underfoot or running around. Wilfred worked whereverhe could, and he still read every book he could get his hands on. Philbert was getting a reputation asone of the better amateur fighters in this part of the state; everyone really expected that he was goingto become a professional.
ropped byto see me once in a while, had a word of praise. He said he never saw anybody prove better exactlywhat "reform" meant. I really liked him-except for one thing: he now and then would drop somethingthat hinted my mother had let us down somehow.

　　Fairly often, I would go and visit the Lyonses, and they acted as happy as though I was one of theirchildren. And it was the same warm feeling when I went into Lansing to visit my brothers alcolm, we're just so _proud_ of you!" Mrs. Swerlin exclaimed when she heard about my election. It was all over the restaurant where I worked. Even the state man, Maynard Allen, who still dand sisters,and the Gohannases.

　　I remember one thing that marred this time for me: the movie "Gone with the Wind." When it playedin Mason, I was the only Negro in the theater, and when Butterfly McQueen went into her act, I feltlike crawling under the rug.

　　Every Saturday, just about, I would go into Lansing. I was going on fourteen, now. Wilfred and Hildastill lived out by themselves at the old family home. Hilda kept the house very clean. It was easier thanmy m