TKAM Journal #3

"To Kill A Mockingbird"

Journal #3

Chapters 8 & 9

Perspective: Miss Maudie

Dear Journal,

          Snow. I absolutely distaste snow. It freezes all my poor flowers, ruins the soil, and just makes a plain mess! I woke up this morning (the morning after poor, old Mrs. Radley had passed away, not that I really gotten to know her. Come to think of it, I have barely talked to her once in my life!). Anyway, I woke up this morning to find to my surprise (and horror) that a fresh blanket of white was draped over my house and garden as well as all of the other homes on the street. Of course, I couldn’t leave my beautiful azaleas! As soon as I was dressed in my usual overalls, straw hat, boots, and a heavy coat, I flew outside and began tending to my poor flowers. The row of azaleas I cutivated blossomed in a row adjacent to my house. I started wrapping them in burlap bags, trying to keep them warm. Hopefully, I thought, If they’re warm, they might survive the stupid snow!
          Just then, I caught sight of little Scout and Jem Finch approaching my front yard. “Jem Finch, you Jem Finch! You stay in the middle of the yard!” I hollered as he and Scout stepped through the gate. “There’s some thrift buried under the snow near the porch. Don’t step on it!” When I was sure that the children were safely away from the porch, I returned to my labor. They asked if I thought the snow was beautiful. I retorted with a complaint about freezing my flowers. Then they fanatically asked if they could borrow the snow in my yard. “Heavens alive, take it all!” I told them and gestured towards a basket.
          In a few hours time, I was looking for my hedge clippers and straw hat, which had mysteriously disappeared. I was just debating if I should search around in the remains of snow in the yard, when I spotted a snowman (who looked a lot like my acquainted neighbor, Mr. Avery) with my hedge clippers and hat! “Jem Finch!” I yelled. “You devil, bring me back my hat, sir!” Not long after I had my equipment safely tucked under my arms, I decided I had better go back inside and get some sleep.
          I woke up to the smell of dense, sickening smoke. I leaped out of bed and ran downstairs and out of the house. On the way down, I caught sight of flames curling on part of the downstairs. People with perplexed expressions were staring from out their windows and from the porches of their houses at the smoke billowing from the top of my house. In the distance, I heard a fire truck’s wheels speeding down the small streets of Maycomb. I watched as people tried to salvage the last of my belongings and as the flames engulfed my house. The fire trucks arrived and water was expelled on my house, smoldering the fire. My house was ruined, but I wasn’t sad. I had always wanted to build a smaller house with a large garden! I will be excited to begin the new project soon!


Sincerely,
          Maudie Atkinson