Part Eight: Economics

Pat asked: "Now what was it that Art Hunter [Molly's husband] said: 'You can never out-poor the Davitts'?"

Molly replied: "Yes, that's right. He couldn't believe the stories I told. I would tell Bill and David [Hunter] the things that happened on the farm (they couldn't believe them either). One of the things I said was about money, and not having any. Literally, not having any money in the house, not so much as a penny. And Art was sitting there, and he said: 'Naw, there's always some money; don't tell me that!' " Molly and Tommy laughed.

"And was there money?" Pat asked.

"No!" said Tom. "No there wasn't; not a penny. Literally."

Molly explained, "It would be a sort of a barter system. You'd wait for the crop in the fall, hoping that you could sell some wheat and pay the grocer and anyone else that you owed."

So the kids looked for ways to make money, picking and selling wild strawberries, and shooting rabbits and trapping gophers (they got a nickel for every tail.) But life was about to change in response to global concerns sweeping across the world.

The hint of things to come: if you examine the photo closely, you will see that Molly is standing there with a camera. That indicates there were two cameras in a family who generally didn't have any money at all. Change was in the air.