questions asked as they had heard Babe and I were on a spree in 
Nashville. 
The next morning I was at the barn feeding the stock, my father 
came to the barn, which was uncommon for him, and called to me. 
1 went to where he had taken a seat on a log. “Now,” he said, “Have 
you bought the clothing you intend to take to Louisville, or are you 
going to wait until you get there ? ’ ’ 
I had made up my mind to tell the truth and the whole truth, so 
I proceeded to tell him all about Babe and my spree, and at the end 
I told him it was his fault as much as it was mine. He knew I had 
waded around in whiskey all my life and this was my first spree, 
and had he sent me to Nashville by myself instead of with old Babe 
Thornton as a guardian there would have been no spree. 
I could see that my father was suppressing a laugh, but he had 
to retain his dignity. After listening to all I had' to say, he said: 
“I have raised only one boy, your brother, who I consider I made a 
complete failure of. I never worked him a day, educated him for a 
lawyer and now he makes plenty of money but spends it as fast as 
he makes it and has no idea of the worth of a dollar. Now I have 
worked you hard and you are a good worker, but if a boy of your age 
can’t go to Nashville, sell two bales of cotton and invest the money 
wisely, regardless of the temptation of old Babe and his advice and 
jug, then you do not know the worth of a dollar either, and now you 
can settle yourself for another year’s -work.” 
Father had no idea what was revolving itself through my mind 
while he was laying the law down to me, neither did he know me— 
yet I was his boy. 
— 16 — 
