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           "I’mjusttryingtotellyouthenewwaythey’reteachin’thefirstgrade,stubborn.It’stheDeweyDecimalSystem."

           HavingneverquestionedJem’spronouncements,Isawnoreasontobeginnow.TheDeweyDecimalSystemconsisted,inpart,ofMissCarolinewavingcardsatusonwhichwereprinted"the,""cat,""rat,""man,"and"you."Nocommentseemedtobeexpectedofus,andtheclassreceivedtheseimpressionisticrevelationsinsilence.Iwasbored,soIbeganalettertoDill.MissCarolinecaughtmewritingandtoldmetotellmyfathertostopteachingme."Besides,"shesaid."Wedon’twriteinthefirstgrade,weprint.Youwon’tlearntowriteuntilyou’reinthethirdgrade."

           Calpurniawastoblameforthis.Itkeptmefromdrivinghercrazyonrainydays,Iguess.Shewouldsetmeawritingtaskbyscrawlingthealphabetfirmlyacrossthetopofatablet,thencopyingoutachapteroftheBiblebeneath.IfIreproducedherpenmanshipsatisfactorily,sherewardedmewithanopen-facedsandwichofbreadandbutterandsugar.InCalpurnia’steaching,therewasnosentimentality:Iseldompleasedherandsheseldomrewardedme.

           "Everybodywhogoeshometolunchholdupyourhands,"saidMissCaroline,breakingintomynewgrudgeagainstCalpurnia.

           Thetownchildrendidso,andshelookedusover.

           "Everybodywhobringshislunchputitontopofhisdesk."

           Molassesbucketsappearedfromnowhere,andtheceilingdancedwithmetalliclight.MissCarolinewalkedupanddowntherowspeeringandpokingintolunchcontainers,noddingifthecontentspleasedher,frowningalittleatothers.