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1、THEWOODSWERETOSSINGWITHJEWELSbyMarieSt.JohnIn1899whenIwasfiveyearsoldandlivinginPalmetto,Florida,myfatherdecidedtotakehisfamilythroughthewildsoftheEvergladesandstakeaclaimonanoffshoreisland.Hispurposewastofarmthisislandbutbehindthiswashiswishtogiveusatasteofthewayhegrewup.HehadbeenacowboyintheMya
2、kkaareawhenhewasfifteenyearsold.TheseranchlandsoverlappedthenorthendoftheEvergladesatatimewhenitwasunexplored.Aslongashelived,papalikedhiscornbreadmadecampfirestylewithboilingwaterandsaltonly,andflattenedoutintoabrittle,tastycracker.Hislifewasaseriesofadventures.HehadlostafatherandabrotherintheCi
3、vilWar.Hisfather’scarriagehouseinCharleston,SouthCarolina,andhisnearbyplantationwereinthelineofSherman’smarch.Hiswidowtookhereightyear-oldson,myfather,andfledtoQuincy,Florida.WhenPapafinishedschoolattheacademythere,hewenttoworkasacowboyonaranchinMyakkaforafriendofhisdeadfather’s.Byagethirty,hewas
4、acountysheriff,nomeanjobinthosedays,andhisterritorywaswideranging.Thecountyheservedwaslatersplitupintosixoreightcounties.SouthFloridawasuninvitingtomanybecauseofthemosquitoes,panthers,crocodiles,swamps,andwetlands.Butthesemarksofwildcountrycalledtomyfatherlikethelegendarysirensong.Hestartedbuildi
5、ngacoveredwagonaroundthefourthofJulyandwewentintothewildernesswithhiminthefall.WehadmadeourhomeinPalmettoforayearorsowheremymother’sgentlefolks,theHarrisons,hadsettledfollowingtheCivilWar.Ourcomfortabletwo-storyframehouseontheManateeRiverwassetaboutwithliveoaks,guavas,andlong-leafedpinethatbranch
6、edoutfromthefootofthetreetoshelterourcowandprovidearoostforthechickens.Mygrandfatherwasthetowndoctor.Hedoctoredtheentirecountyandwaspaidineggsandhamandvegetableswhentheywereinseason.Itwasanidylliclife,andwelivedclosetoourfamilyandtothecomfortsandsafetyasmalltowncouldafford.ButPapawasamanofenterpr
7、ise;herealizedthattheuntouchedTenThousandIslandsoffthesouthwestcoastofthestatewererichinsoilforcropsandingameforfood.Iwillneverforgetthedaywestarted.Asalwayswhenweweretogoanywhere,weroseearly.Papahurriedus,saying,“Wedo
