It was 1933. I had been laid off my part-time job and could no longer make my1to the family larder(食品贮藏柜). Our only income was what Mother could make by doing dressmaking for others.
Then Mother was2for a few weeks and unable to work. The electric company cut off the power3we couldn't pay the bill. Then the gas company cut off the gas. Then the4company. But the Health Department made them5the water back on for reasons of sanitation(卫生设备) The cupboard got very bare. 6we had vegetable garden and were able to cook some of its7in a campfire in the backyard.
Then one day my younger sister came tripping8 from school, saying: "We're supposed to 9something to school tomorrow to give to the poor."
Mother started to blurt out, "I don't know of anyone who is10poorer than we are," when her mother, who was living with us at the time, shushed (嘘) her with hand on her arm and11.
"Eva," she said, "if you12that child the idea that she is one of the poor folks'13 her age, she will be one of the poor folks' for the rest of her14. There is one jar of that homemade jelly15.She can take that.
Grandmother16our last jar of jelly with some tissue paper and a little bit of pink ribbon, and Sis17to school the next day18 carrying her" gift to the poor”.
And, 19if there was a problem in the community, Sis just naturally assumed that she was supposed to be part of the20.
