The Painting

There was not much work to be had as the country entered first a recession and then came to the big depression.  Banks closed all over the states.  Lots of people, people who had their money in those banks, committed suicide by shooting themselves or jumping out of windows in high buildings.  The country’s economy was in a sad state of affairs.

I was about ten years old.  Papa continued supplying the needs of his family by getting what work he could and by growing large crops of corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and vegetables.  We raised hogs for meat and had eggs and meat.

The Smith family lived just across the creek in the first house.  I passed by the Smith house every day walking to and from school.  Mr. Smith was crippled in one leg but he was a great artist.  The pictures he painted were beautiful.  He would display his paintings for sale in the front yard of his house.  The Smiths were a fine family and my family had known them for years.

Each day I would go by the beautiful paintings and it seemed like I would pass by slower and slower.  I was looking at and admiring the display in their yard and talking with Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

One day Mr. and Mrs. Smith and I were talking in the yard.  Mr. Smith asked me if I would like to have on of the paintings.  “Of course!” I said. “I would love to have one.”

Mr. Smith told me, “Go home and ask your Mama and Papa if you can pay for it with milk, butter, eggs, and vegetables.  When you bring us enough to pay for the painting you can take it home.”

“Oh yes, yes I will,” I told them and off I ran towards home.

I told Mama all about it when I got home.  “Sure, you may carry them some of whatever we have,” she said.

So on my daily trips to school I would drop by their house to leave them some eggs or some milk or butter or something from our garden.  I wondered when Mr. Smith would tell me I had brought enough to pay for the painting.  It seemed he would never tell me.  Then one dy he said, “Lorine, I think by now you have brought us enough food to pay for the painting.  Come by on your way home from school and pick-out the one you want.”

I was so excited!  Needless to say, all that day at school I could think about nothing but that painting.  I picked-out the painting I had been wanting all the time and fairly ran all the way home to show it to the rest of the family.  What a happy day!  I still have that picture on my wall till this day.