克林顿自传MyLife2of6BillClintonWord格式文档下载.docx

克林顿自传MyLife2of6BillClintonWord格式文档下载.docx

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tobuttermilkchurns,ice-creammakers,washboards,andclotheslines;

tomy“DickandJane”readers,myfirsttoys,includingasimplelengthofchainIprizedabovethemall;

tostrangevoicestalkingoverour“partyline”telephone;

tomyfirstfriends,andtheworkmygrandparentsdid.

Afterayearorso,mymotherdecidedsheneededtogobacktoNewOrleanstoCharityHospital,whereshehaddonepartofhernursingtraining,tolearntobeanurseanesthetist.Intheolddays,doctorshadadministeredtheirownanesthetics,sotherewasademandforthisrelativelynewwork,whichwouldbringmoreprestigetoherandmoremoneyforus.Butitmusthavebeenhardonher,leavingme.Ontheotherhand,NewOrleanswasanamazingplaceafterthewar,fullofyoungpeople,Dixielandmusic,andover-the-tophauntsliketheClubMy-Oh-My,wheremenindragdancedandsangaslovelyladies.Iguessitwasn’tabadplaceforabeautifulyoungwidowtomovebeyondherloss.

IgottovisitMothertwicewhenmygrandmothertookmeonthetraintoNewOrleans.Iwasonlythree,butIremembertwothingsclearly.First,westayedjustacrossCanalStreetfromtheFrenchQuarterintheJungHotel,ononeofthehigherfloors.ItwasthefirstbuildingmorethantwostorieshighIhadeverbeenin,inthefirstrealcityIhadeverseen.IcanremembertheaweIfeltlookingoutoverallthecitylightsatnight.Idon’trecallwhatMotherandIdidinNewOrleans,butI’llneverforgetwhathappenedoneofthetimesIgotonthetraintoleave.Aswepulledawayfromthestation,Motherkneltbythesideoftherailroadtracksandcriedasshewavedgood-bye.Icanseehertherestill,cryingonherknees,asifitwereyesterday.

Formorethanfiftyyears,fromthatfirsttrip,NewOrleanshasalwayshadaspecialfascinationforme.Iloveitsmusic,food,people,andspirit.WhenIwasfifteen,myfamilytookavacationtoNewOrleansandtheGulfCoast,andIgottohearAlHirt,thegreattrumpeter,inhisownclub.Atfirsttheywouldn’tletmeinbecauseIwasunderage.AsMotherandIwereabouttowalkaway,thedoormantoldusthatHirtwassittinginhiscarreadingjustaroundthecorner,andthatonlyhecouldletmein.Ifoundhim—inhisBentleynoless—tappedonthewindow,andmademycase.Hegotout,tookMotherandmeintotheclub,andputusatatablenearthefront.Heandhisgroupplayedagreatset—itwasmyfirstlivejazzexperience.AlHirtdiedwhileIwasPresident.Iwrotehiswifeandtoldherthestory,expressingmygratitudeforabigman’slong-agokindnesstoaboy.

WhenIwasinhighschool,IplayedthetenorsaxophonesoloonapieceaboutNewOrleanscalledCrescentCitySuite.IalwaysthoughtIdidabetterjobonitbecauseIplayeditwithmemoriesofmyfirstsightofthecity.WhenIwastwenty-one,IwonaRhodesscholarshipinNewOrleans.IthinkIdidwellintheinterviewinpartbecauseIfeltathomethere.WhenIwasayounglawprofessor,HillaryandIhadacoupleofgreattripstoNewOrleansforconventions,stayingataquaintlittlehotelintheFrenchQuarter,theCornstalk.WhenIwasgovernorofArkansas,weplayedintheSugarBowlthere,losingtoAlabamainoneofthe

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legendaryBearBryant’slastgreatvictories.AtleasthewasbornandgrewupinArkansas!

WhenIranforPresident,thepeopleofNewOrleanstwicegavemeoverwhelmingvictorymargins,assuringLouisiana’selectoralvotesforourside.

NowIhaveseenmostoftheworld’sgreatcities,butNewOrleanswillalwaysbespecial—forcoffeeandbeignetsattheMorningCallontheMississippi;

forthemusicofAaronandCharmaineNeville,theoldguysatPreservationHall,andthememoryofAlHirt;

forjoggingthroughtheFrenchQuarterintheearlymorning;

foramazingmealsatahostofterrificrestaurantswithJohnBreaux,SheriffHarryLee,andmyotherpals;

andmostofall,forthosefirstmemoriesofmymother.TheyarethemagnetsthatkeeppullingmedowntheMississippitoNewOrleans.

WhileMotherwasinNewOrleans,Iwasinthecareofmygrandparents.Theywereincrediblyconscientiousaboutme.Theylovedmeverymuch;

sadly,muchbetterthantheywereabletoloveeachotheror,inmygrandmother’scase,tolovemymother.Ofcourse,Iwasblissfullyunawareofallthisatthetime.IjustknewthatIwasloved.Later,whenIbecameinterestedinchildrengrowingupinhardcircumstancesandlearnedsomethingofchilddevelopmentfromHillary’sworkattheYaleChildStudyCenter,IcametorealizehowfortunateIhadbeen.Foralltheirowndemons,mygrandparentsandmymotheralwaysmademefeelIwasthemostimportantpersonintheworldtothem.Mostchildrenwillmakeitiftheyhavejustonepersonwhomakesthemfeelthatway.Ihadthree.

Mygrandmother,EdithGrishamCassidy,stoodjustoverfivefeettallandweighedabout180pounds.Mammawwasbright,intense,andaggressive,andhadobviouslybeenprettyonce.Shehadagreatlaugh,butshealsowasfullofangeranddisappointmentandobsessionssheonlydimlyunderstood.Shetookitalloutinragingtiradesagainstmygrandfatherandmymother,bothbeforeandafterIwasborn,thoughIwasshieldedfrommostofthem.Shehadbeenagoodstudentandambitious,soafterhighschoolshetookacorrespondencecourseinnursingfromtheChicagoSchoolofNursing.BythetimeIwasatoddlershewasaprivate-dutynurseforamannotfarfromourhouseonHerveyStreet.Icanstillrememberrunningdownthesidewalktomeetherwhenshecamehomefromwork.

Mammaw’smaingoalsformewerethatIwouldeatalot,learnalot,andalwaysbeneatandclean.Weateinthekitchenatatablenexttothewindow.Myhighchairfacedthewindow,andMammawtackedplayingcardsuponthewoodenwindowframeatmealtimessothatIcouldlearntocount.Shealsostuffedmeateverymeal,becauseconventionalwisdomatthetimewasthatafatbabywasahealthyone,aslongashebathedeveryday.Atleastonceaday,shereadtomefrom“DickandJane”booksuntilIcouldreadthemmyself,andfromWorldBookEncyclopediavolumes,whichinthosedaysweresolddoor-to-doorbysalesmenandwereoftentheonlybooksbesidestheBibleinworkingpeople’shouses.TheseearlyinstructionsprobablyexplainwhyInowreadalot,lovecardgames,battlemyweight,andneverforgettowashmyhandsandbrushmyteeth.

Iadoredmygrandfather,thefirstmaleinfluenceinmylife,andfeltpridethatIwasbornonhisbirthday.JamesEldridgeCassidywasaslightman,aboutfiveeight,butinthoseyearsstillstrongandhandsome.IalwaysthoughtheresembledtheactorRandolphScott.

WhenmygrandparentsmovedfromBodcaw,whichhadapopulationofaboutahundred,tothemetropolisHope,Papawworkedforanicehousedeliveringiceonahorse-drawnwagon.Inthosedays,refrigeratorsreallywereiceboxes,cooledbychunksoficewhosesizevaried

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accordingtothesizeoftheappliance.Thoughheweighedabout150pounds,mygrandfathercarriediceblocksthatweigheduptoahundredpoundsormore,usingapairofhookstoslidethemontohisback,whichwasprotectedbyalargeleatherflap.

Mygrandfatherwasanincrediblykindandgenerousman.DuringtheDepression,whennobodyhadanymoney,hewouldinviteboystoridetheicetruckwithhimjusttogetthemoffthestreet.Theyearnedtwenty-fivecentsaday.In1976,whenIwasinHoperunningforattorneygeneral,Ihadatalkwithoneofthoseboys,JudgeJohnWilson.Hegrewuptobeadistinguished,successfullawyer,buthestillhadvividmemoriesofthosedays.Hetoldmethatattheendofoneday,whenmygrandfathergavehimhisquarter,heaskedifhecouldhavetwodimesandanickelsothathecouldfeelhehadmoremoney.Hegotthemandwalkedhome,jinglingthechangeinhispockets.Buthejingledtoohard,andoneofthedimesfellout.Helookedforthatdimeforhourstonoavail.Fortyyearslater,hetoldmehestillneverwalkedbythatstretchofsidewalkwithouttryingtospotthatdime.

It’shardtoconveytoyoungpeopletodaytheimpacttheDepressionhadonmyparents’andgrandparents’generation,butIgrewupfeelingit.Oneofthemostmemorablestoriesofmychildhoodwasmymother’staleofaDepressionGoodFridaywhenmygrandfathercamehomefromworkandbrokedownandcriedashetoldherhejustcouldn’taffordthedollarorsoitwouldcosttobuyheranewEasterdress.Sheneverforgotit,andeveryyearofmychildhoodIhadanewEasteroutfitwhetherIwanteditornot.IrememberoneEasterinthe1950s,whenIwasfatandself-conscious.Iwenttochurchinalight-coloredshort-sleevedshirt,whitelinenpants,pinkandblackHushPuppies,andamatchingpinksuedebelt.Ithurt,butmymotherhadbeenfaithfultoherfather’sEasterritual.

WhenIwaslivingwithhim,mygrandfatherhadtwojobsthatIreallyloved:

heranalittlegrocerystore,andhesupplementedhisincomebyworkingasanightwatchmanatasawmill.IlovedspendingthenightwithPapawatthesawmill.Wewouldtakeapaperbagwithsandwichesfor