usadeepsouth.com
by Walter Redden
It was midnight. It was August, 1944. And it was hot.
We were parked at the train depot in Cleveland, Mississippi, and I was about to take my first and very long train trip to unknown parts.
Barely fourteen years old, this was to be my first train trip to Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. I had no clue what was about to happen.
Mother had packed a small suitcase for me, tucking in a Bible with my name stamped in the lower left corner.
Her last remarks to me before I stepped on the train were, “Remember who you are – go to Sunday School and Church. Read Psalms 100 . . . we love you.”
She knew I’d be gone for four months, unable to come home until the two-week Christmas break.
I arrived in Memphis about the time the sun came up. Not only did I have to change trains, I also had to change stations. Heading for Nashville, I transferred to the L&N which would take me on a leg of the trip crammed with soldiers since this was right in the midst of World War II.
Air-conditioning was non-existent. Many of the soldiers pushed the windows open so they could hang their heads out for fresh air. Most of them were smoking.
In Nashville I made yet another change, catching the “Hummingbird” – a south bound fast train that ran between Cincinnati and Miami. In a matter of an hour, our train stopped and a mass of boys got off. I now realized, at mid-afternoon, I’d arrived: I was in Bell Buckle. In a group, we walked from the depot to the campus at Webb School.
I’d wrestled with the feeling on the train trip, but now I knew for certain: I was homesick. Soon though, I made friends with a younger boy from Denver. I figured if he could overcome homesickness, so could I. And then I met my roommate, Tom, from Louisville, Kentucky. Things were looking up.
I remember unpacking my bag and placing my new Bible on the nightstand by my bed.
Thanksgiving rolled around and I went home with Tom. Attending church with Tom’s family, I finally opened my Bible to Psalms 100 and was surprised to find a crisp five dollar bill tucked there by my mother as a surprise.
Tears ran down my cheeks. What would I tell Mother? Three months had gone by and I hadn’t even opened my Bible!
Mother made an “A” in child psychology . . . and I’d made an “F.” This was a great learning experience for me – one I shall never forget.
Later, I did mention this day in Louisville to Mother, but she just smiled. As I look through the rear view mirror to sixty years ago, I can’t help but think that my mother was a genius! She made her point gently . . . but well.
Walter Redden is a native of Pace, Mississippi, in the Delta. He retired from the textbook business and resides in Jackson, Mississippi, where he’s active in church and community activities. He’s a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.
Please visit our Message Board
or write Ye Editor at bethjacks@hotmail.com.
Back to USADEEPSOUTH - I index page
Back to USADEEPSOUTH - II index page