"It's turning off so cold, y'all reckon anybody else will come?" Aunt Lovie asked. "We may have plenty of time." "I know Miss Maime won't be here," Mama told my aunts. "She went with Doctor Elton back over to see about Ophelia this morning." "Ophelia. Has her baby—" "It was born late yesterday evening. I thought you'd heard about it, Vic." "No." "It's another boy. That makes six boys and three girls for Ophelia and Ward." "Has this one got kinky red hair?" "Yes. He's Ward made over, the doctor told Jodie." "Is Ophelia getting on all right?" "Miss Maime said she thought she'd be all right. The baby's a fine big thing. Weighed nine pounds! And not a blemish on him." "Nannie, tell Vic what that loon Ward did Saturday night." "Maybe you've already heard, Vic. I know you have if you've seen Verdie Goode." "No. What now?" "I won't go into any details on account of little pitchers with big ears. Just keep your windows bolted down at night. Verdie got the scare of her life. Hal was home, of course, and he got his gun and shot up in the air. That scared him away." "For pity sakes!" "Men in the settlement met at our house yesterday evening, but Doctor Elton had to leave before they decided just what to do." Mama and my aunts were forever talking so I couldn't understand. Almost every time they got together one of them would mention "a little pitcher with big ears." They'd never tell me where the pitcher was. Finally, I quit asking. "Is Verdie coming this evening?" "She can't," Aunt Lovie said. "They've got company from town, so she sent word to get me to take the minutes. 'Course Lida Belle Bailey won't be here either. She never does meet with us any more. Do y'all realize that woman hasn't put her foot in this church in over three months? I think the whole Bailey family ought to be brought before the congregation, myself. If they're not gonna attend services, we ought to 'whop 'em out,' as the saying is." "Well, Lovie," Mama told my older aunt, "I found out why Lida Belle won't come to Missionary Society. She's afraid we'll call on her to read." "Read?" "She don't know how!" "For goodness sakes! I knew Wes never went to school a day in his life. That's what worried me and Dan both when he got elected Justice of the Peace. But I figured surely Lida Belle had had some schooling. Y'all reckon that's how come all their boys are so backward in their books?" "Yes," Aunt Vic said, "Mister Shepherd told me yesterday, when we started getting up the Christmas program, that the boys don't get any help at home. Mister Shepherd thought it was a wonder the three of them ever learned their letters." Aunt Lovie got up and moved closer to the heater. "Nannie, did you know that Lida Belle and Wes have let Addie Mae quit school and go off down in Louisiana?" Aunt Lovie always knew everything about everybody, especially if it was sort of bad. "Yes, Lovie. Wes was telling Jodie that his aunt begged them to let her come and spend a while."