Chapter 2

 

 

Iowa City, Iowa – July 10, 1878

E li Morgan ran his fingers through his light brown hair. He knew it must be standing on end by now. Some, he knew, including his mother—called his hair color dirty blond. However, he had never been one to enjoy dirt—not walking on it nor playing in it. Although he had done so plenty of times out of scientific curiosity, he even did not care for tossing handfuls of the stuff in the air to study how it floated back to earth based on the influences of various directions and degrees of wind, or the lack thereof, especially if said dust particles ended up settling on his skin or clothing in the process. He particularly hated getting specks of it in his eyes. So, his mother’s favorite description notwithstanding, he refused to accept “dirty blond” as his hair color. Instead, he insisted it was light brown with blond highlights in the summer.

“Eli! Elias Arnold Morgan, where are you now?”

Eli cringed at the sound of his mother’s voice echoing up the stairs to the attic where he stood. He walked to the edge of the stairs opening and bent over. “I’m in the attic, Ma. I’ll be down shortly.”

“What are you doing up there?” Aletha Morgan’s face quickly appeared at the bottom of the stairs constructed more like a ladder. Hands on her hips, she wore the disapproving scowl she had perfected. “You said you would look at these letters that were sent to you.”

“What letters? I already read through all the mail in my study.” Eli knew the letters to which his mother referred. He needed to stall her. He did not have time to deal with such frivolous matters right then.

“Please stop shouting and come down so we can speak in a civilized manner. These are the letters from two potential brides.”

Stepping back to pull his face from his mother’s view, Eli grimaced and bit back a curse. “Now’s not a good time, Ma. I’m searching for my sextant and some maps of the western territories I stored up here. I know some of the territorial boundaries have changed, but I recall one of them had topographical markings.”

“I don’t know why you must go gallivanting all over the wilderness for so long. Didn’t you say this eclipse you want to see takes place the end of July?”

“Mother, I don’t have classes to teach this summer. This is my holiday. Now, I’m busy. Please wait until I’m finished up here.”

“Is that any way to speak to your mother?”

“Not now, Ma.” Eli shook his head as he walked back to the line of trunks and crates through which he had been sorting. He touched the flat surface of a long, wooden footlocker and groaned at what he felt. Dust. No wonder he had put off searching the attic for so long. Months before his last classes of the semester ended, he had looked forward to finding the maps and gathering his equipment. Yet, a part of him realized that, no matter how much grass and shrubbery grew around his half-acre lot, and in spite of the windows having been kept closed all winter, the items stored in the attic would be covered with dust.

Eli unfastened the buckles on the pair of leather straps tacked to the wood which held the footlocker together. He leaned over and he squeezed his lips into a circle as if he were blowing a trumpet. In reality, he blew lungfuls of air to remove the dust from the wooden top. Choking on the dense cloud of particulates that now filled his lungs, he waved it away with one hand as he lifted the wooden lid with the other.

“Aha! Found it!” The first thing Eli spotted sitting on top was a black velvet, envelope-style pouch in which he kept his sextant. Beneath it were yellowed papers folded in large rectangles. My maps! He sorted through the locker and removed any of the contents he thought he would need for his trip. Tucking the bundle of folded papers beneath his arm, he gripped the sextant tightly in the same hand and used his other to grasp the sides of the stairs as he made his descent.

“You haven’t answered my question.” Aletha’s pinched-lipped expression beneath her reproving gaze met her son’s as he stepped on the second-story floor. “And don’t widen those baby blue eyes of yours and give me that innocent look. You know of what I speak.”

“Ma, I’ll be with you as soon as I take these to my study and wash up a little.” Eli shook his head as he bent forward and pecked his mother’s cheek. “Perhaps, if you still have some peppermint tea left from this morning, you might ask Betty to put a little in some glasses over ice for us. I’ll join you in the family parlor in a few minutes so we can discuss this.”

“She can make fresh. With water in the stove reservoir already hot, it won’t take long.” She waved her free hand in a dismissive gesture. “Be sure to brush your hair, dear. It looks like you got caught in a whirlwind.”

Eli turned away and walked toward the stairs leading to the first floor. He smiled as he heard her footsteps follow him. From past experience, he knew she could not resist an invitation to spend time visiting with him in a relaxed setting.

As Eli placed his maps on the desk, he shook his head with regret. In the stronger light, he could see how much the paper had yellowed. Must be the acid from the wood container. Also, he hated that he had folded them. Hopefully the creases did not obliterate an important number or land feature. He should have rolled them for storage. Then again, rolled, they would have taken up too much space in his travel trunk. He must have room for his wilderness gear, so he would have had to fold them for the trip, anyway. He would check them over carefully before he left.

In the family parlor, with her embroidery frame in her hand, Aletha waited in her favorite chair by the front window.

“Anything of interest going on outside?” Eli sat in his comfortable chair he used for reading. He nudged aside the ottoman on which he liked to rest his feet in the evenings so he could lean forward and focus his gaze on his mother.

“Honestly, Eli, you speak as if all I do is watch out the window with the hope of catching someone unawares so I can pass the story along.”

“No, Ma.” Eli held back his smirk. He knew that was exactly what she liked to do. “I know you enjoy viewing the great outdoors outside these walls. I also enjoy the scene created by the surrounding homes and our neighbors’ landscaping.” He leaned back as Betty entered and handed first, his mother, and them him, tall glasses of iced mint tea and napkins before she quietly exited.

“Your landscaping, too, Eli. Your man, Lewis, does a fine job with the outside.” She gazed in the direction of the window. “It is a lovely place to live.”

“Thank you, Mother. I’m happy to know it brings you pleasure.” After his last statement, Eli noticed her gaze appeared to end at the window sheers without seeing anything beyond them. Neither did she say she loved living here. “Now, Ma, I hate to disturb your quiet by bringing up my plans which, from what I interpret, you find distressing. I know I’ve discussed how I intend to spend my summer holiday with you more than once. What is there that you feel still needs clarifying?”

As she reached for her tea, Aletha sighed. She lifted the glass to her lips, and her gaze sought out Eli’s. She placed it back on the napkin. “I do not see why you plan to be gone so long. Frankly, I don’t understand why you must go at all. Won’t you be able to see this eclipse from here?”

“Yes, but here, it will appear as a partial eclipse.” Eli also sipped his drink. Iced mint tea was not one of his favorites, but after spending close to an hour in the hot, stuffy attic, he found the coldness of the beverage refreshing. “Here, the moon will cover only a portion of the sun. The farther afield from the path of totality one is, the less of a total eclipse people will experience.” He watched his mother’s gaze lose its focus for a second as she considered his words.

Aletha blinked and again turned her gaze to Eli. “I’m sorry. I suspect you’ve tried to explain it before, but I still don’t understand why it’s so important you must go to Wyoming Territory, of all places, to see this.”

“I’ll be happy to explain again.” Eli took another large swallow of tea and leaned toward his mother. “In the course of the earth orbiting the sun and the moon orbiting the earth, there comes occasions about every eighteen months when the moon crosses the path of the sun. Sometimes, it only partially blocks the sun. Other times, it fully blocks the sunlight—at least in certain parts of the world. Of course, the moon is much smaller than the sun. It is smaller than the earth. However, because the moon is so much closer to the earth, when it is in a position to fully block the sun, it prevents all the light coming from the sun to shine on the earth. Except for a coronal ring around the moon—corona means crown, Ma—total darkness lasts for only a few minutes before the moon moves past the sun, and light once again reaches the earth, as usual.”

“Every eighteen months? I don’t remember seeing a full eclipse in my lifetime.” Aletha, her brow creased, shook her head.

“The last total eclipse on this continent was in 1860, Ma. It took place far north in Canada. With this one, the path the sun will be on when the moon crosses it extends from Western Canada down through Montana and Wyoming Territories, Colorado, and into Texas. The eclipse will end somewhere around southwestern Hispaniola. The other great thing about viewing this particular eclipse is that its path crosses the Rocky Mountains. At a higher altitude like that, the air is drier and the atmosphere is thinner. Everything will appear clearer. That’s why the stars seem so much closer to the earth out there.”

“Oh.” Aletha blinked before she looked down a second. She picked up her embroidery and focused on moving her needle through the fabric. “I never spent much time thinking about the stars other than they can create a beautiful backdrop to a moonlit night when one is enjoying the evening outside. So that is why you feel you must go to Wyoming Territory—because it’s so high?”

“Yes, Ma.”

“I still don’t understand why you must be gone so long. You just said this darkness lasts three minutes, and then it’s over. Even with changing trains, you shouldn’t need to be gone more than a week.”

“The total darkness last about three minutes, but the entire event will fill the afternoon. Then there is the preparation and set-up. That will take days. Once Professor Sewell, Dr. Poechet, and I arrive in Wyoming, we still must search out the best location for our telescopes and other equipment so we can take the fullest advantage of the event without interfering with the other scientists.”

“There will be that many people out there to see the eclipse?”

“Yes. It is attracting the attention of amateurs and professionals alike. That is why, when the three of us decided to use our summer break at the University to go, we had to choose the best place. Rand Poechet found an advertisement about the renowned astronomer, Henry Draper, putting together an expedition to go to Rawlins in Wyoming Territory.”

“Rawlins! I’ve never heard of such a place.”

“It’s a small town along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. That’s an important factor. The path of the eclipse includes a lot of wilderness, some of it full of Indian reservations or Natives still hostile to white people. Most of it can only be reached by horse, mule, wagon, or on foot. Since we wish to travel mostly by train, it means the Union Pacific, which will take us to Rawlins, or the Kansas Pacific line that will take us to Denver.”

“Denver sounds far more civilized.”

“It might be, Ma. For a variety of reasons, we decided on Wyoming Territory. The Draper advert said, as soon as the fees were paid, they would reserve rooms starting July eighteenth. Rand discovered there is only one hotel in Rawlins. He also checked Creston, the little whistle stop station that is in the center of the path of total darkness, but it has even less to offer than Rawlins. We knew, if the three of us wished to stay in decent accommodations with a regular supply of food available, our best option was to reserve rooms in that hotel before Mr. Draper makes his reservations. We’ll arrive before his party.” Eli hesitated. “Don’t worry, Ma. It will give us time to rest up from the train ride. We’ll spend our days scouting out the country before we decide where to view the eclipse.”

“You said this will happen at the end of July? Why are you not planning to return until almost the end of August?”

“We plan to stay long enough to do some exploring. Professor Sewell says they have good hunting and fishing out that way. I doubt we’ll get a buffalo, since they’re pretty much gone.—”

“Oh, my! What would you do with a buffalo?” Aletha pressed her palm to her breastbone.

“Ah…the pelt would be nice. I understand they can be turned into warm winter coats. The meat is supposed to be pretty good. At least, the Indians seem to think so. That’s not the point, Ma.” Eli pressed his lips tight. “There’s plenty of other game there. Since we will have already paid for train tickets taking us that far, we might as well make the most of our trip.”

“What is the countryside like out there? Is there a lot of grass? If not, what about your problems dealing with dust?”

Eli hesitated. She would remind me of that. “It’s rather barren where we are going. According to Dr. Poechet, there is a lot of barren ground covered by sagebrush and sparse clumps of grass. I imagine there is a lot of dust.” Eli sighed and bit his lip.” I can’t let my aversion to dirt and dust run my life, Ma. In order to join in the adventures I wish to experience, I must learn to deal with it.”

“I see.” Aletha dropped her gaze to her needlework.

“Other than return to Albany to visit family two out of the last three summers, this is my first big holiday. I can’t afford to do it every year.” Eli rested his forearm on the chair arm closest to his mother and leaned toward her. “Since I’m still a bachelor, I figure it’s the perfect opportunity to take my time and see something of this country. Once I do marry, the frontier isn’t a place where I would feel comfortable taking a wife and children, and I wouldn’t want to leave them home alone that long while I go myself.”             

“You wouldn’t want to leave a wife and children alone that long, but you don’t mind leaving your mother behind for over a month?” Keeping her gaze on her embroidery, she pressed her lips into a pout. “I feel like I’m being deserted.”

As he listened to his mother’s querulous voice, Eli leaned back in his chair and dragged out a sigh. He picked up his iced peppermint tea and rolled the cold glass beaded with condensation across his forehead. “If you’re here alone that long, it’s by your own choice. I’m not deserting you, Ma, and neither are your other children. You know you received a letter from Samantha last spring begging you to spend the summer with her.”

“Your sister is busy with her children.” Aletha brushed aside his comment with a wave of her hand. “I don’t want to bother her.”

Eli bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. You also know she won’t let you run her like you try to do me. “She won’t be bothered. She offered you a suite of rooms in her house so you can live with her and still have your privacy. You’d have your own downstairs bathing room, Ma, instead of sharing the one upstairs with me.”

“I know.” She raised her head and gazed across the room. “She said they built a wide porch off that side door to the room that would be my sitting room. They also enclosed a section of the garden by that porch with a picket fence for safety. I must admit, I do find that appealing.”

“Ma, I bought your tickets weeks ago and suggested you pack. I hoped to get you safely on the train before I leave on my trip.”

“Who’s going to manage your home if I go?” Resuming her stitching once more, Aletha looked to one side of her, and then the other.

Manage my life, you mean. “Ma, with me gone, there won’t be much to manage. In consideration of the good service Betty has given me these past years, I offered her three weeks off and the pay to go with it so she can visit her family in Des Moines. Lewis said he’d rather take his three weeks around Christmas, when there’s not so much yardwork and I can hire a student to shovel snow. Between Lewis being here and the days Betty does work on either side of her holiday, they’ll keep my home in good shape.”

“Oh. I knew none of this.” Aletha turned her head to stare out the window. “It sounds like you’ll be able to manage without me for a short while.” She tipped her head to the side and gazed upward. “When you first brought up the possibility of visiting Samantha, I did buy a new summer gown and a couple of lovely hats.” Eyebrows raised, she turned to face Eli. “When would I be leaving?”

“I hoped for this Saturday, Ma. I can send a telegram to Samantha so she knows for sure when you will arrive. Then, once I see you on your way, I can board the train after church on Sunday and start my journey to Omaha.”

“This Saturday? Oh, dear!” Aletha scrunched her forehead and bit her lower lip. “It’s a lot to prepare in such a short time.” She set her embroidery in the basket next to her chair. “However, I’m sure with Betty’s help, I can do it.”

Eli closed his eyes and silently said a prayer of gratitude. He would be able to enjoy his time in the West without worrying about his mother being alone.

Aletha started to rise, and then dropped back into her chair. She pressed her eyebrows together as her gaze bored into Eli’s. “What about these letters? My friend, Paulina, has gone to a great deal of trouble to search out two suitable candidates for you. One is a teacher at Albany’s most elite girls’ academy. The other she found by scouring the advertisements in one of those matrimonial papers. I wrote to both of them as if I was you. The ladies wrote back and are expecting replies from you.”

Eli hiked up his eyebrows and widened his eyes as he shook his head. “Ma, if you were the one who wrote claiming to be me, don’t you think they’ll notice the difference in handwriting if I send them the second letter?”

“Just tell them you were busy with a lesson plan, so you dictated what you wanted to say and I wrote it down.” Aletha fluttered the fingers of one hand. “You’ll come up with something.”

 Eli pressed his eyes shut and rubbed his hand across his mouth. The something I’d like to come up with is a flaming fire in which I can toss those letters.

“Just promise you will read these.” Aletha stood and picked up two envelopes from the table next to her. She stepped over and handed them to Eli. “Paulina assures me they are lovely women. I know you would not be so rude as to leave those letters unanswered.” She straightened her posture and threw back her shoulders. “Now, if you don’t mind, please return to the attic and bring down my traveling trunk and valise. I’ll find Betty, and we’ll start figuring out what I’m taking to Albany.”