26 One of America's leading authors tells this touching story of a young Oakie girl's first excursion into the society of people-who-live-in-houses BEGINNING OF WISDOM ORA LARRABIE stayed still as chosen her to recite at the Christmas wake the whole lot. Mustn't do that." exercises last winter, Ma had been Silent as a fish she slid from between long as she could hold the wonder to herself. Ever since yesterday pleased and proud. the sleepers, felt along a row of pegs, and it had warmed her from the inside out, "What did I tell you, Pa?" she'd said. found her dress. A button caught in her like a glowing coal, and now, because of "Ora's smart, same's Rilla was. She'll hair, and she was careful to dislodge it waked get on if'n we can just give her oppor- without disturbing the curlers Vida May sleeper it, she had stirred. before It any would other in the tent not tunities." had helped her fix last night. Her hands do to disturb Loretta, sleeping them, especially either Vida May side. "Opportunities," Ed had grunted over counted them over to make sure not one and one on his beans and coffee. "I could sure do had come loose.- They were all firm and with a few myself." in nine smooth little knobs, like Loretta May took things than four- was twelve and easy, but Vida seemed more Morning had come. It waited just customed buds place, that beauty. waited To burst touch into them to unac- teen because she was so long and stringy outside the tent flap, like an angel on was tiptoe that you might surprise if you reassurance that she had not dreamed and worried-looking. Even in her sleep she breathed quickly, anxiously, as if hurried. Through the tent flap the pale about the invitation to Hester Burt's there were never enough time for catch- light deepened to pulsing rose. party. ing up. But Ora was used to that. Cautiously Ora inched herself up and The baby whimpered, and Ma reached She was eight, sandy and freckled, like stared about the tent and the familiar out to him in her sleep as Ora ducked Ma's little sister Rilla, who had died humped shapes. Pa breathed heavily under the canvas to meet the morning. beside Ma in the folding camp bed. The Her blinked and widened at the back home in Oklahoma long before they had come out west to California. The baby scarcely showed at all in the orange terrier, brightness, eyes Judy, the post, halfway licked fox and and of crate within easy reach of Ma's hand. tied to the tent and spit and that image look would Rilla, Ma in always her said, come eyes- On the mattress opposite she could see pawed Ora's bare legs in frantic greeting the look she kept for talking about when the three boys sprawled-Ed" feet "Down, Judy, down!" she cautioned she was young and courting, and they lived in a real house by the creek with on poked his crossed arms, and Frank Jason face curled down out of the covers, in a whisper and, untying the rope, let the dog take her down the dirt path be willows. It made Ora feel important to like a towheaded squirrel between them. tween the other tents. Judy capered and know she resembled someone who was "I've got to get out of here," Ora de- pulled and flattened her brown and white dead and gone. When the teacher had cided, "or I'm like to let out a whoop and body to the (Continued on page 66 by RACHEL FIELD