CAROLINE'S CORNER: `TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD' - A FAMILY TRADITION

"Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow, it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer's day. Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum."

So Harper Lee describes the setting of "To Kill a Mockingbird," the novel for which she won the Pulitzer prize for fiction in 1961. This also happens to be my favorite story, and therefore I was excited when I was able to attend the stage production last week at the Repertory Theatre of S. Louis.

As the curtain rose, I was apprehensive that the southern drawls would be too thick and syrupy, as they often are in movies. My fears were assuaged with the first spoken word, and I sat back and was completely mesmerized during the entire performance.

The story is told from the point of view of Scout, a young resident of Maycomb, Ala. It is the universal story of racial injustice. The naive Scout, her brother Jem and friend Dill stumble upon the secrets of their little town, which could have been Anytown, America. Contrary to what some folks might think, we Southerners did not have a monopoly on the prevailing attitude at the time.

Harper Lee wrote the novel in the late 1950s, soon after Rosa Lee Parks was arrested for refusing to obey her bus driver's order to give a white person her seat on a bus in Montgomery. Segregation had become a topic open for discussion and action was beginning to be taken.

Maybe because of the times, the story became an instant hit and was subsequently made into a movie for which Gregory Peck won an Oscar in 1962.

The Simpson family copy of the movie is carefully guarded and viewed at least annually. The character "Scout" is so loved by the Simpson women that the elder daughter chose to name her cherished dog "Scout."

Recently I told this daughter I was sorry she chose the name for her dog and that I could just imagine a little daughter of hers with the name.

"Don't worry," she quickly answered. "If I ever have a daughter, she can be Scout Jr."

Life may be a little confusing with a granddog named Scout and a granddaughter named Scout Jr., but I'll get by.

Cousin Connie and I, who enjoy making day trips into adventures, decided a few years ago to go to Monroeville, Ala. and visit the courthouse where the movie was actually filmed and maybe even catch a glimpse of Harper Lee or at least someone who had caught a glimpse of her.

We arrived in the small town on a day so hot our collars had wilted, and we stopped at Dairy Queen for a refreshing drink.

"You place our orders and I'll find out where Harper's house is," Connie said.

I turned from the counter with our drinks to look for Connie, and there she was, already seated with a distinguished-looking lady.

"Come on over," Connie said. "This is Virginia Baker and she went to high school with Harper. She is going to tell us all about her."

As the story unfolded, we listened with delight. We knew that the character of Dill was based on Truman Capote, who as a child spent his summers in Monroeville. He is described in the book as "not much bigger than the collards" and having "snow white hair that stuck to his head like duck-fluff." Sounds like Capote's appearance didn't change much with age.

"Why sure, Honey, Truman Capote spent his summers here," Virginia Baker said. "He stayed with his old aunts who sold hats. They had a little millinery shop and the finest ladies in Monroeville bought their hats from them. You know, Truman and Harper remained friends until he died and she spent a lot of time in New York with him."

We asked about the tree where Boo Radley hid presents for the children.

"Why, you know every town has to have progress. That tree was torn down when they widened the street."

We inquired about the courthouse where the trial took place.

"That courthouse is being renovated now. You can go on down there and see where Scout, Jem and Dill hid in the balcony to watch their daddy, Atticus Finch, defend the black man."

After being given directions to the courthouse and Harper Lee's home, we bade farewell to our new friend and left to do Monroeville.

We explored the courthouse and then found Harper's home, where she continued to live with her sister. It was a modest typically southern dwelling with a screen porch filled with plants. We drove by the home several times, hoping that Harper would at least go on the porch to water her hibiscus and ferns.

After driving by the home at least ten times, I said to Connie, "You know this is the home of a famous novelist. You know we will eventually be noticed as suspicious characters. Did we come to Monroeville on Connie and Carolyn's excellent adventure or to spend time in the Monroeville jail?

Reluctantly we agreed to leave town without a glimpse of the author of our favorite novel.

Our trip was not in vain. Someday I'll introduce Scout Jr. to "To Kill a Mockingbird" and the original Scout. Then she will sit on my lap and I'll tell her how her grandmother and Aunt Connie almost met Harper Lee.