Editing The Human Comedy (novel) (section)

==Characters==
* Homer Macauley – Protagonist, 14-year-old telegraph messenger living in fictional town of Ithaca, California
* Katie Macauley – Homer's mother, who plays the harp
* Bess Macauley – Homer's elder sister, who plays the piano
* Mary Arena – Neighbor, girlfriend of Homer's brother Marcus, friend of sister Bess
* Ulysses Macauley – Homer's four-year-old brother
* Mr. Grogan – Owner and old-time telegraph operator of Ithaca's telegraph station
* Mr. Spangler – Manager of telegraph station

* Miss Hicks – Homer's history teacher, who moralizes during Homer's detention
* Hubert Ackley III – Homer's rival
* Auggie Gottlieb – Newspaper boy and leader of a neighborhood gang of young boys
* Matthew Macauley – Homer's deceased father
* Marcus Macauley – Homer's elder brother, enrolled in the Army
* Mr. Ara – Town grocer
* Diana Steed – Mr. Spangler's girlfriend
* "Girl on the corner"