Part 1
Chapter 1
Whenhewasnearlythirteen,mybrotherJemgothisarmbadlybrokenattheelbow. Whenithealed,andJem’sfearsofneverbeingabletoplayfootballwereassuaged, hewasseldomself-consciousabouthisinjury. Hisleftarmwassomewhatshorterthanhisright; whenhestoodorwalked, thebackofhishandwasatrightanglestohisbody,histhumbparalleltohisthigh. Hecouldn’thavecaredless, solongashecouldpassandpunt.
Whenenoughyearshadgonebytoenableustolookbackonthem, wesometimesdiscussedtheeventsleadingtohisaccident. ImaintainthattheEwellsstarteditall, butJem,whowasfouryearsmysenior,saiditstartedlongbeforethat. HesaiditbeganthesummerDillcametous, whenDillfirstgaveustheideaofmakingBooRadleycomeout.
Isaidifhewantedtotakeabroadviewofthething, itreallybeganwithAndrewJackson. IfGeneralJacksonhadn’truntheCreeksupthecreek, SimonFinchwouldneverhavepaddleduptheAlabama, andwherewouldwebeifhehadn’t? Wewerefartoooldtosettleanargumentwithafist-fight, soweconsultedAtticus. Ourfathersaidwewerebothright.
BeingSoutherners, itwasasourceofshametosomemembersofthefamilythatwehadnorecordedancestorsoneithersideoftheBattleofHastings. AllwehadwasSimonFinch, afur-trappingapothecaryfromCornwall whosepietywasexceededonlybyhisstinginess. InEngland,SimonwasirritatedbythepersecutionofthosewhocalledthemselvesMethodists atthehandsoftheirmoreliberalbrethren,andasSimoncalledhimselfaMethodist, heworkedhiswayacrosstheAtlantictoPhiladelphia, thencetoJamaica,thencetoMobile, anduptheSaintStephens.
