Section 13

A folded banknote. My First Earnings

A banknote.
Illustration: A banknote.

That summer, for the first time, I had my own money. During summer vacation I worked on a farm owned by a Mr. Robertson. My pay was twenty cents a day. As he found me to be a good worker, he paid me $5.00 a month for the following month, the fringe benefit being that I was paid for the days I was unable to work due to rain or for some other reasons. When I received the five dollar bill for my month’s work I was not too happy because I was unable to change this into smaller bills and so brought home only “one piece” of money.

A boy forking hay.
Illustration: A boy forking hay.

Illustrated online edition. The memoir text follows the 2011 copy compiled by Rene Nicholas Bilodeau.