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1、TheFirstDaybyEdwardP.JonesInanotherwiseunremarkableSeptembermorning,longbeforeIlearnedtobeashamedofmymother,shetakesmyhandandwesetoffdownNewJerseyAvenuetobeginmyveryfirstdayofschool.Iamwearingacheckeredlikeblue-and-greencottondress,andscatteredaboutthesecolorsarebitsofyellowandwhiteand
2、brown.Mymotherhasuncharacteristicallyspentnearlyanhouronmyhairthatmorning,plaitingandreplaitingsothatnowmyscalptingles.WheneverIturnmyheadquickly,mynosefillswiththefaintsmellofDixiePeachhairgrease.ThesmellissomehowasoothingonenowandIwillreachforittime-andtimeagainbeforethemorningends.A
3、lltheplaits,eachwithabluebarrettenearthetipandeachtwistedintoanuncommonsturdiness,willlastuntilIgotobedthatnight,somethingthathasneverhappenedbefore.Mystomachisfullofmilkandoatmealsweetenedwithbrownsugar.LikeeverythingelseIhaveon,mypalegreenslipandunderweararenew,theunderwearhavingcome
4、threetoaplasticpackagewithalittlegirlonthefrontwhoappearstobedancing.Behindmyears,mymother,tostopmywhining,hasdabbedthestingiestbitofhergardeniaperfume,thelastpresentmyfathergaveherbeforehedisappearedintomemory.BecauseIcannotsmellit,Ihaveonlyherwordthattheperfumeisthere.Iamalsowearingy
5、ellowsockstrimmedwiththinlinesofblackandwhitearoundthetops.Myshoesaremygreatestjoy,blackpatent-leathermiracles,andwhenoneisnickedatthetoelaterthatmorninginclass,myheartwillbreak.Iamcarryingapencil,apencilsharpener,andasmallten-centtabletwithablack-and-whitespeckledcover.Mymotherdoesnot
6、believethatagirlinkindergartenneedssuchthings,soIamtakingthemonlybecauseofmyinsistentwhiningandbecausetheyarepresentsfromourneighbors,MaryKeithandBlondelleHarris.MissMaryandMissBlondellearewatchingmytwoyoungersistersuntilmymotherreturns.Thewomenareasprecioustomeasmymotherandsisters.Out
7、playingoneday,Ihaveoverheardanolderchild,speakingtoanotherchild,callMissMaryandMissBlondelleawordthatisbrandnewtome.Thisismymother:WhenIsaythewordinfuntooneofmysisters,mymotherslapsmeacrossthemouthandthewordislostforyearsandyears.AllthewaydownNewJerseyAvenue,thesidewalksareteemingwit