The Newspaper Hoarder
Uncle
Albert read the newspaper every day. The Clarion Ledger came to his mailbox one
day late. On warm afternoons he sat on his front porch. When the weather was
cool, he built a fire and sat by it to read.
He was
a newspaper hoarder. In the front room, no furniture took up space. Instead,
stacks of newspapers neatly arranged by dates clockwise lined the walls. In the
middle of the room, newer copies occupied the space. He left aisles between the
stacks so he could bend over and select papers from his archives when he wanted
to refer to some article.
When
my brother John Edwin became involved in Mississippi politics, the Clarion
Ledger monitored his activity. (Albert and most of the people we knew in
Taylorsville called him Edwin, but the Marine Corps and almost everyone he met
after returning to civilian life called him John.)
Reading
about Edwin’s activities, Albert sometimes disapproved of what was going on.
Once
Uncle Albert, dressed in his best straw hat, clean overalls, and a blue
chambray shirt, rode to Jackson on the Trailways bus and went to his nephew
John Edwin’s law office to offer counsel to the young lawyer.
Even
though Albert seldom left his farm, he was capable of leaving whenever he felt
the need.
Over
the years my brother changed. He was upset because his uncle showed up dressed
as a farmer. A few years later John would have been amused.
The
newspaper room changed in one way. As time passed, the piles grew higher. And
then Albert died of cancer.
~~~
What do you have
in your closet? Garage? Bookshelf? I’m asking myself the same questions.
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