Chapter Nineteen

A New Life Ahead

The view from the window in the morning hadn’t changed a lot from yesterday evening. The land was flat, and today the sky was cloudless. As Matron prepared breakfast, she noticed that Simon was staring, transfixed, at the passing scene.

“Those are sure funny-looking cows out there,” he said finally.

The others went to look.

“I don’t think those are cows,” Bert replied. “Their heads are too big, and they have long hair.”

“Buffalo,” Charles Glover explained when they called him to look. “They usually run in herds, so there are more around here somewhere.”

“Do the farmers own them?” Ethan wanted to know.

“No, they run wild out here. The prairie is covered with ‘buffalo grass.’ It’s called that because it’s what the animals feed on. People hunt them, though. Buffalo have thick, tough hides that make good carriage robes and moccasins. The Indians use every part of the buffalo for something. Some of the animals are even tamed and used to work on farms.”

“Hey, I’d like to ride a buffalo,” Bert said. “But they don’t look like they’d move very fast.”

“They don’t now,” Charles told him, “but if you ever saw a herd stampede, you’d see how fast they move. You wouldn’t want to be in the way.”

“I don’t want to be in the way of even one of them,” Ethan decided. “I hope there aren’t any on the farm we’ll be living on.”

“There probably won’t be,” Charles reassured him. “Chances are Mr. Rush works his place with horses, just the way they did at Briarlane.”

“I don’t even know that I’ll be on a farm, do I?” Bert said. “I might live right in town, like Arthur and Shala do. It’s kind of exciting not to know. Maybe I’m glad I don’t.”

Charles looked at his watch. “You’ll know before too long. We should be in Willow Creek very soon. Do you all have your things together?”

Matron helped put their belongings in the bags they carried, and they went through their last scrubbing and brushing at her hands.

“Tomorrow my new mama will braid my hair,” Alice said, “but she won’t do it as good as you.” She turned and hugged Matron tightly. “Can’t you come and live there too?”

Matron held Alice close, and her eyes filled with tears. “The boys and girls back at Briarlane still need me. Your new mama will love you and take care of you just as I do. Besides, you’ll have a new papa, too.”

“I had a papa once,” Alice replied. “I didn’t like him much. But I’ll try to like this one,” she added quickly.

“Of course you will,” Matron said. “Your new folks and your big sister can’t help but love all of you. Just remember what you’ve learned about Jesus. You can always pray to Him, no matter where you are. Now, you look fine.” Matron patted the hair bow she’d just tied for Alice, and then turned her attention to Will.

This one will be spoiled, she thought. He is a handsome little boy and still young enough to be trusting of anyone who cares for him.

Indeed, Matron knew, Will was happily unaware that his life was about to enter a new era. As long as his beloved sister and brothers were there, he would have no fear of the future.

The big house south of Willow Creek was alive with activity early in the morning. The hired girl, Polly, had gotten up before daybreak to get the fires going.

Polly could hardly be accurately described as a “girl,” since she was every minute as old as Manda Rush. Neither, as she told her ma on her infrequent days off, was she “hired” for much.

“If it wasn’t that we had to have money for you, I’d quit that place in a hurry. Her highness thinks that if she gives me her worn-out clothes, I’m well paid. I work as hard as the men do, and I know she doesn’t pay me all the mister gives her for my wages.”

Polly gave another vicious shake to the kitchen range and grumbled to herself. “Four more children to look after. I’d think one lazy young ’un around here would be plenty. What are we starting here … an orphanage? Four times more work and no more pay.”

Her muttered complaints carried to the hired men, Luke and Henry, as they washed up in the tin basin.

“One of ’em is a gal, ain’t she? Maybe you can get some help in the kitchen,” Luke suggested.

“Hmmph,” Polly snorted. “How much help can you get from a six- or seven-year-old?” She paused with a spatula in the air. “Come to think of it, I was working in the kitchen when I was that age. Peeled vegetables and slopped the hogs and took care of the chickens. Maybe she could be useful. Never will get that good-for-nothing Frances to do anything on the place.”

The men sat down at the table and accepted the huge stack of flapjacks and platter of ham and eggs set before them. Henry bowed his head and prayed silently while Luke shoveled the food into his mouth with vigor.

“The oldest boy can soon get into the milking and weeding.” Luke poured syrup on his plate and sopped it up with a flapjack. “The rest of ’em’s too young to be much good.”

“Maybe they’ll bring a little happiness to the place,” Henry suggested. “Been pretty quiet around here since Robbie passed.”

“Quiet for you,” Polly said, “but it ain’t been quiet in here. ‘Polly, do this. Polly, come and help me. Isn’t that finished yet, Polly?’ Regular slave driver, the missus is. I don’t see much advantage to adding four more to this kettle.”

Out in the barnyard, Chad Rush was closing the gate on the last of the milk cows. He paused to watch as they ambled toward the pasture, then let his gaze shift to the horizon. Land as far as he could see in any direction belonged to him. As he watched the sky lighten in the east, he imagined that he could hear a train whistle. He couldn’t, of course. But he knew exactly when the train would come through Willow Creek today, and he knew what it brought to him.

If only he and Manda could agree on something and work together, life would be easier. Manda had many good points, he supposed, but on matters of child rearing, the two of them were far apart. His wife was short-tempered, and her patience almost nonexistent. If a child disobeyed or annoyed her, punishment was swift. On the other hand, if Manda felt life was going her way and she was in a good mood, the same behavior brought no punishment. Little Robbie had learned to sidestep the bad moods and take advantage of the good ones.

As he walked slowly toward the house, Chad admitted to himself that his attitude toward children was the same as his father’s had been toward him. It hadn’t been easy growing up under the heavy hand of the older man, but he was the better for it. As Chad looked around the neat farm with its well-cared-for buildings, he recalled the strappings he had endured before he learned to do a job well, and without complaining.

What age was the oldest boy coming today? Eight? Nine? Not too young to begin training in the way he should go. From past experience Chad knew that Manda wouldn’t allow him to discipline the younger boys, especially not the baby. But they would grow up in time.

Chad splashed water on his face and ran wet hands though his hair. He knew his Christian duty, and he would do it. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it,” the Good Book said. Chad was living proof that this was an accurate proverb, and he intended to begin at once to show these children the importance of obedience.

In the kitchen, Manda was helping Polly get breakfast on the table, but her loud complaints were directed toward Frances.

“You’re the one who absolutely had to have a sister, and now you don’t want her in your room! Where do you expect her to sleep—in the barn?”

“There’s enough rooms in this house so everyone can have their own,” Frances replied. “She isn’t even half my age. She’d be into my things all the time.”

“Every child in their own room? And just who is going to wash all that extra bedding, missy?”

“Polly.”

A sudden thud of the skillet on the stovetop expressed the opinion of that listener, and Manda glanced at Polly’s stormy-looking face. “Polly will have enough to do without cleaning extra rooms,” Manda told Frances. “You have no idea how much more work four children will be.” She cast a stern look at her daughter. “It wouldn’t hurt you to take on a little of it.”

“You forget that I have to go to school and study and practice my organ lessons. How much time do you think I have, anyway?”

“Now, look here—” Manda began, but she was interrupted by the slam of the back screen door.

“Frances, don’t argue with your mother,” Chad said.

“She thinks I should let that girl share my room,” Frances complained.

“You’re the one who said you wanted a sister,” Chad reminded her. “You insisted on taking all four children.”

“The director of the home said we had to take them all,” the girl answered sullenly. “I wanted the little one to take Robbie’s place. I don’t care about the others. You can give them to someone else.”

“There, see?” Manda couldn’t hide her triumph. “I told you what would happen if you gave in to her every whim. I knew you’d pay for it one day. Well, it seems that day has come.”

Chad ignored her and answered Frances. “If we turn the others over to someone else, we’ll lose the little one too. You’d better make up your mind before we get to town.”

“I’ll think of something,” Frances declared. “They better stay out of my way if they all come here.”

As Chad finished his breakfast, he contemplated the days that lay ahead. He hadn’t yet mentioned to Manda or Frances that he’d filed a record on the land in South Dakota. They would be required to live on it for a year and cultivate the property. He’d intended to tell Manda his plans before now, but the time just hadn’t been right. Yet he also knew that the longer he waited, the greater the furor would be. As soon as the business of this day was over, he’d do it.