TKAM Blog Post #3

Journal Entry
Atticus Perspective
( Chapters 10-12 )




Today while Calpurnia was watching the kids at the house a mad dog appeard. She immediatly called me and I rushed over as fast as I could so they weren't in peril for too long. When I got there the mad dog was still there roaming around. I went and got my shot gun and then came back outside. I was cantankerous about having to shoot the dog but I had to do it in order for us to be safe. I haven't shot anything in a long time. You know they used to call me "one shot Atticus." I aimed the shotgun towards the dog and slowly pulled the trigger. The next thing I new the mad dog was dead. I was happy I still had my skills but still sad because I had to shoot the dog. But oh well it was for the best. I made sure that Jem and Scout didn't go over there until someone got the dog. It was still just as dangerous dead than alive. It was obviously a sick ill dog so who knows what type of diseases it was carrying. I'm glad we got to it when we did.

Later Jem was getting into all sorts of trouble with Mrs. Dubose an old sick lady that always shouts to the kids when they pass. I told Jem to be a gentlemen and go over there and talk to her so he did. Apparently she made a rude comment about me being not as good as the negros I work with. But it doesn't bother me. I know I am making the right decision and I don't care what other people think.I new I would have to deal with people not accepting my choice in taking a negros side for a case and not very pleased so I just let all the rude remarks go. So I did but Jem wasn't too happy about it. He went over to her yard and destroyed all of her bushes. It was not a good decision and wasn't the right way to handle it the situation. So for his punishment he has to go to her house and read to her every day for a month. Scout is nice enough to go with him and keep him company while he is there. After his punishment I decided to tell him a little more about Mrs. Dubose and who she is. I told him that she was a drug addict and that reading was a successful effort to help her addiction. I then gave Jem a box that Mrs. Dubose left for her maid to give to Jem. Inside it was a single white cameilla. I'm not quiet sure what the gift meant but it probably meant something to Jem.

I then had to leave the kids everyday for two weeks to go to the capital of the state for legislation. I was a little worried to leave them alone but I had new Calpurnia could handle them alone. She was used to them and new exactly what to do. Everything was fine. While I was preoccupied with my work I was informed that Calpurnia took the Jem and Scout to a colored church on Sunday since they couldn't go to ours. The kids said it was a little awkward at first because everybody wasn't used to seeing two white children in the church but everybody seemed to be fine with it except this one women Lula but everything turned out fine I guess. They said that they enjoyed it but it was a little different from our church. Instead of everybody singing together they would echo one person standing at the front reading out of a hymnal book. It was pretty interesting to hear about. I had also heard that once they had got home from church Aunt Alexander was waiting for them. Well I don't really know much about that right now so I guess I will go talk to the kids right now and find out.