Christmas, Atticus, and Dubose

Christmas at Finch's Landing- me, Scout, an' Atticus had to spent another Christmas at Finch's Landing. I was most expecting my uncle and decorating the tree to be the most interesting things when at the place. When we met Uncle Jack at the train staton he was carrying two boxes, now I wonder what they might be? I chuckled when he kissed Atticus on the cheek--funny 'cause I rarely ever see that happenin'. When we all arrived at Finch's Landing we decorated the tree and ate dinner. I wasn't supprised to hear Scout say a few curse words heer and there. The next morning me and Scout opened our gifts in a jiffy and got two air rifles . . . yeah! When everyone ate dinner I get to sit on the grownups table for four years straight. But poore Scout has to sit on the other table. I also felt sorry for her when she was angry when she was outside with francis. The situaton was so bad that we had to go home, and I herd that she called francis a bad insult that I'm pretty sure didn't make any sens. I tried to cheer her up when we were back at the house, but she just told me to leave her alone (with a curse word). I feel so bad.
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Atticus- I respect Atticus. I love him very much. But there was somthing I never new about him, after knowin' that he doesn't want me tacklin' him. Henry Johnson's ol' dog Tim Johnson was seen by me and Scout when we was walkin' down the street. I quickly went to our cook Calpurnia and sed to go outside to see the dog who looked sick. At first she didn't want to, but once we kept beggin' her, she went with us and imediatelly told everyone in the neighborhood, includin' the Radley place, that there was a mad dog. Later on, Atticus and the town sherriff came with a gun and all of a sudden axed my father to shoot Tim Johnson. I was ice cold. Will Atticus do it? He sed to me that he didn't like to play with guns and refused to touch one. But he slowly (or quickly, I don' member) came up to a certain distance to shoot the poor dog . . . I was ice cold from shock. Who knew this bookworm who is my father could actually shoot impresively? Scout, also shocked, wanted to tell this new fact to a gazillion people at school, but I sed no. Not everyone's that good of a shooter. But even if he wasn't, I still respect him. Me and Scout still respect him. He's a good father, Atticus. Ol' One-Shot.
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Mrs. Dubose, the witch who died a hero
Every time me and Scout pass by Mrs. Dubose's place, aka the witch's lair, she would throw in an insult right into our faces. But one day, one insult got out of hand. As we was walkin' past her house on the way to the store to get something' for me an' Scout (usein' my birthday money), she called Atticus a name that I would never forgive anyone for saying it. I became angry, no, more than just angry. I can't think of a perfect word to expres my emotion. Scout and me went to the store, bought a baton and somethin' else I forgot, and came back. When we passed Dubose's house . . . I cut off all the tops all of her darned bushes with no regard that she might have been watching. When Dubose found out, I was forced to read her a story for a month. That made me angry. A month with that witch? After a long and hard month and what turned out to be a little or a lot more I don't know, my worthlesss work was done. Dubose might have not even listened to a word I said. In fact, from Atticus that was tru, and what was also true was that she died. Atticus gave me a box that was from her that had a camellia flower inside. I was outraged--she never left me alone. But what Atticus sed was that she died belholden to nobody, and that was what made her a hero. I gave no reply to him . . . I think that was all that needed to be sed. . . . Can' tell what my attitude is toward her rite now . . . I still can' forgive her for what she sed, but if she is really known as a hero in my father eyes . . .
--JEM

Knothole and Fire

Knothole Discoveries -- Who's idea was it?
Ever since Jem and me were walking from school, and not during the summer, there were gifts that were left on the big tree's knothole. Such gifts would be a watch with a knife in it, yarn, and a spellin' medal. I've never seen anything like that during the summer, but that's 'cause we never walk past there. Basically each day that September we would get something new, and Jem would pocket it and always claim it as his. I was as curious as Jem as to what we would find the next day and the next, but I was also wonderin' something--who is leaving these things? The gifts that I saw bewildered me the most were the dolls made of soap. One that looked like me, Jean Louise Finch, and one that looked like Jeremy Atticus Finch. Then . . . something happened later on that suprised me but effected Jem all the more . . . the knothole was suddenly covered with cement. Now, who could have done that? This must mean that there would be no more discoveries or findings. I'm a tad angry, and I suppose Mr. Nathan Radley didn't just cover the darned hole just because it's gettin' old. Atticus said it wasn't old. I guess there won't be any more things to be discovered there that are as puzzling as those soap dolls . . .

Fire at Miss Maudie's -- What I Observed and Didn't Notice

I woke up suddenly one freezin' night to the sudden realization that Miss Maudie's house caught on fire. I was shocked that her house was in good shape just several hours before, at least from the outside. Now it was covered with orange-yellow bright flames, devowering everything in that place and reachin' throughout the neighborhood. Atticus told Jem to walk with me to the front of Boo Radley's place and stay there. Jem obeyed, and we watched as Maycomb County did everything they could to exinguish the fire. I didn't felt selfish not to help; in fact, I didn't think much of helping at all. But I felt absolutely terrible when Mr. Avery struggled in getting through the window, then relieved when Jem told me he made it allright. After the fire ended and we went back in our house, Atticus pointed out that I was holding a blanket. Now how did that happen? I was holding nothing--only Jem's hand. I was confused, and for some reason Atticus started believing that Boo Radley gave it to me, and I didn't even notice. How could that be? I was so focused on the fire that was right in front of me, of the townsfolk haulin' furniture, that I didn't even notice anyone other than Jem appear inches away from my face? I was observant on the incident yards away from me, but not directly in front of me.