I believe you are referring to the time Scout spends on
Arthur "Boo" Radley's front porch after walking him home. This, of course, happens
after Boo saves Jem from Bob Ewell. As Scout turns to leave, she thinks about what Boo
would have seen every day.
...It was daytime and the neighborhood was
busy. Miss Stephanie Crawford crossed the street to tell the latest to Miss Rachel.
Miss Maudie bent over her azaleas. It was summertime, and two children scampered down
the sidewalk toward a man approaching in the distance. The man waved, and the children
raced each other to him.
It was still summertime, and the
children came closer...
It was fall and his children fought
on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Dubose's. The boy helped his sister to her feet, and
they made their way home. Fall, and his children trotted to and fro around the corner,
the day's woes and triumphs on their faces. They stopped at an oak tree, delighted,
puzzled, apprehensive.
Winter, and his children shivered at
the front gate, silhouetted against a blazing house. Winter, and a man walked into the
street, dropped his glasses, and shot a dog.
Summer, and he
watched his children's heart break. Autumn again, and Boo's children needed
him.
By understanding what
Boo would have seen as he watched from his window daily, Scout realizes that Boo knew
when she and Jem needed help. He knew that she was cold when Miss Maudie's house burned
and draped a blanket around her shoulders. He knew when she and Jem were in danger from
Bob Ewell and protected them. Boo saw the children every day, so they became precious
to him and he protected them as his own. Even though he didn't usually leave the house,
he was brave enough to do so when they needed him.
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