Chapter Eleven

Final Preparations

The days of preparation for the move went by quickly—too quickly according to Manda and Polly, who had to decide which household goods would be taken to South Dakota.

“I feel like a missionary packin’ barrels for a foreign land,” Polly grumbled. “If we knew what kind of town was there, we’d know what we don’t need to take.”

“Frances will pack hers and the children’s clothes,” Manda said. “I’ll take care of the bedding and linens, and you see to the dishes and food. The men will crate the furniture to ship. We’ll soon see what the town is like, because that’s where the train will leave us.”

“Luke says they’ll move the livestock out to the depot soon. How many freight cars did Chad hire?”

“Two—one for the animals and one for the household goods. He and Luke will go with the load on the train. Then Henry will leave with the wagon. Ethan is going with Henry.”

“That leaves us and Frances and the three young ’uns to take the passenger train. Sure hope there’ll be someone to meet us.” In spite of her grumbling, Polly was getting excited about the move. She had never been outside the state of Nebraska, and South Dakota seemed like a long way from home.

When it came closer to their departure, the animals would be led to town. The horses would be kept in the smithy’s stable overnight, and the cows and pigs would be under the watchful eye of the farmer nearest the depot until they could all be loaded onto the train car. Manda had other plans for her chickens and ducks.

“They’ll go in the wagon with Henry. I’m not going to have my flocks scared to death by the dreadful racket of a freight car. I want them properly fed and watered.”

“That’s why Luke and I are going with the animals, Manda,” Chad told her, “but we’ll be just as happy not to hear that cackling for several days.”

The wagon would carry the bedding, extra clothing, and fresh food. It would also carry the organ. The discussion about the necessity of hauling that piece of furniture had been long and sometimes heated.

“There’s no room in that soddy for anything we can’t sit, sleep, or eat on. The organ doesn’t qualify,” Chad declared.

“Papa, I can’t live without my organ.”

“I’d call that an exaggeration. You can live without a lot of things.”

“My spirit won’t live.”

“You’re being dramatic, Frances. We won’t talk about it any longer.”

But Frances brought up the subject again. “If the organ can’t go, I’ll stay here with Uncle George and Aunt Myra.”

Chad had stared at her. “That instrument is more important to you than your family?”

“No, but I wouldn’t leave any of my family here either, just because they’d take up too much room. Please, Papa. We’ll need it to have our own church services. It can go with Henry in the wagon.”

So the organ was crated and ready to go, much to the relief of Frances and the other children.

Simon was especially delighted. “I’m going to learn to play it when we get there. Frances said I could.”

Frances hugged the little boy and assured him that they would begin as soon as possible.

Alice was content to be going with Frances, but she also made sure to bring Lolly, the rag doll Ma had made for her. Manda had sewed a new outfit for the doll and tucked scraps of material in around dishes and other boxes for later use in sewing instruction.

Will treasured his cherry-wood stick horse with the leather straps and wouldn’t hear of anyone packing it away or carrying it in the wagon. “My horse goes on the train. It always goes on the train.”

“He may as well enjoy his horse,” Manda said to Polly. “I’m certainly going to miss mine.”

Chad had decided that they wouldn’t take the small buggy or the horse that drew it. “That would be a long trip for the buggy and the horse. Out there on the prairie, there won’t be such a thing as a short visit to the neighbors. If we need to go to town for supplies, the wagon will be more practical. Besides, we have no extra driver for the buggy.”

Manda agreed that this was so, but she admitted it would be hard not to be able to venture out when she chose.

As the day approached for them to leave, everyone was more quiet than usual. Manda looked wistfully at her flower beds and lamented that she wouldn’t see them bloom. Frances mourned the loss of her school friends.

Polly scanned her kitchen with new appreciation. “Never done my cookin’ in the living room before. And it’s been a long time since I had to do washin’ outside. What other good things will be waitin’ for us out there in the wild?”

“Indians!” Simon told her. “And animals like we never see around here.”

Polly rolled her eyes. “I can’t wait.”

Only the men had no time to ponder what they were leaving behind. All their effort and thoughts were required to arrange for the shipping and get everything into town at the right time. It would take two days to pack the furniture and household goods into one of the freight cars. The animals—the horse, pigs, and cows—would also be herded to town to await loading on the second freight car.

To Ethan’s great pleasure, he was allowed to spend the last two days with Bert. Hannah and Carl Boncoeur made him feel at home, and he was soon convinced that living in a soddy would be the best of all worlds.

Frances stayed with a friend in town, and Polly solved the problem of the three youngest Coopers.

“I’ll take ’em home with me. I need to get Ma settled in with the neighbor, and the children can run around our place just as well as they can here. Ma’s been askin’ what them orphans look like—as if they wouldn’t look like any other young ’uns she’s ever seen.”

Manda left with an easy mind to enjoy a final visit with Lydia Archer.

As impossible as it may have seemed, everything fell into place. Since their travel would be slower, Chad and Luke planned to leave on the freight cars, and Henry and Ethan would head out on the wagon, the day before Manda, Polly, and the children left on the passenger train. The exodus of the Rush household would soon be under way.