But my first bit of summer vacation was to go stay with mycousin Claire, just my age, and accompany her to school in Gloster.She and an older brother, Wren, did not go to a rural school,for he was old enough to drive a car and that was their transportation.
Gloster had an extra month of school because the town was notconsolidated and had more taxes to pay the teachers and coverother expenses. I remember that Mr. H.T. Huddleston, who was laterpresident of Southwest Mississippi Junior College, taught andpossibly was even principal then. I think Claire's teacherwas Mrs. Sproles.
The two or three days that I visited her classroom and satand listened have always been a highlight of my life.
There was a festivity in Liberty that happened when I was inthe early grades. Soon after school was out for the year, a groupof women and young girls started preparing for May Day. My thirdgrade teacher, Miss Minnie Dunaway, was one of the planners. Anotherwas beautiful Miss Edwina Gordon, also a teacher.
Right in front of the courthouse on the town square a tallpole went high into the air. It was wrapped in a spiral of blue,yellow and white crepe paper, all the way to the ground. Therehad to be a good bit more unfolded, for it would be needed asthe girls performed.
At the top of the pole there was a wheel secured, and longribbons of the colored streamers reached downward — one foreach of the girls waiting to participate.
Soon those 10 or 12 lasses, about 8 or 9 years old, came forward.They were dressed in summery frocks, in the colors of the crepepaper.
They looked like fairies, almost. They had halos of greeneryaround their heads. Each one took her place and picked up thewaiting ribbon.
They bowed to their audience and began to weave the ribbonsas they walked slowly forward, met a girl, one going under andone going over. This continued, around and around the Maypole.
The beautiful colors soon were making a blended pattern asthe interlaced streamers slowly covered the pole as they camedownward.
But wait, something was going wrong. There was Miss Edwinaapproaching a trouble spot. Everything stopped. Someone had toback up and another come forward to undo the error that had takenplace.
The girls continued and we watched and admired and clapped.Soon they reached near the ground.
How I wished to be a part of the Maypole Dance. At that timeI was too young. It was not a long continuing affair. Was it partof another celebration or observance? I wonder about such things.
When I was young, there were things at home that we could doto help around the house. We always had a row of strawberriesin the garden. With weather like this year's they were stillbearing a bit. The time to pick the ripening ones was early morningbefore the birds had a chance to beat us to them.
If some of the plants had lots of large fruit almost ready,we would lay large sacks over them at night, thwarting the birds.Thereseldom were enough berries at one time for bowlsful to eat, withsugar and cream on top. Mama could make yummy strawberry sauce,though, thickening the juice with a little flour. That went greatover cake that could be quickly made and baked, along with thecornbread and biscuits at dinner.
This was served in the glass dessert dishes we had gotten bysaving Octagon Soap coupons. That was good eating for dessert.
We had been enjoying English peas, an early spring vegetable,for several weeks. They were so sweet when they were still youngand tender.
Cooking them with a piece of ham and adding a little butterand having lots of juice, it was so good on hot cornbread. Somefolks made a dumpling dough and dropped small spoons of it inthe simmering "pot likker" but we never did have themthat way.
