Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW
Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.
Sam Clemens lived in Hartford from eighteen seventy-one until eighteen ninety-one. Mr. Clemens under his pen name Mark Twain had published one of his most popular books in eighteen seventy-six, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. While Mr. Clemens was an outstanding writer, he was not a very good business man. He continually made bad investments. He eventually went bankrupt.
Chapter Seventy-Two
That summer the Butlers and their extended family had stayed home instead of traveling.
That June Scarlett was sitting on her porch watching her children play on the back lawn. She looked at Alex and wondered where her baby had gone. Not only was he not a baby but he wasn't even a toddler anymore. He was five. Five! When did that happen? She would have to talk to Rhett about getting him a tutor. Maybe when the others went back to school. She would talk to him about it tomorrow or the day after that. She knew she was procrastinating but she was alright with it. She wasn't ready to officially say Alex wasn't a toddler anymore.
Elizabeth and Henry arrived on July the 1st for their two-month visit. Henry had formed a partnership with Seth Carson. Henry had decided that he had enough money to live comfortably for the rest of his life. He wasn't going to lose any opportunity to be with his remaining close relatives. He could work for four months then spend the next two months in Hartford.
Scarlett really liked her mother-in-law and was always happy to see her. She liked Elizabeth in her own right but she also liked having a woman around that she could talk to about things she would have talk to her own mother about. She had lived two lifetimes and mentally she was over forty-five but she still missed her mother. She knew she was remembering her mother as being better than she really was but she didn't care.
Scarlett had a photographer come to the house after Henry and Elizabeth arrived to have a family photograph taken. They had a lot of photographs taken. She had one of everyone including Henry and Elizabeth, one of just her family, one of her family and Elizabeth, one of Melanie and Beau, one of Melanie, Beau and Henry, one of just the boys, one of just the girls, one of just the children, one of her and Melanie, one of Wade, Beau, Melly and Henry, one of Elizabeth and Rhett and one of her and Rhett. She even had a picture taken of Prissy and her family for her to send to her mother. Scarlett knew that if she never returned to Tara Prissy would never be able to afford to travel down their herself but it couldn't be helped, she wasn't going back to the South. Maybe they could just send them down there. She would talk to Rhett about it.
Melanie started teaching Ella to read, write and add over the summer. Melanie told Scarlett and Rhett that for Ella to learn she had to be relaxed. When Ella got nervous or anxious, she stopped being able to think. She also told them that someone had helped Ella because she could read all those books Scarlett had left with her. Ella could read at a third-grade level but she was progressing rapidly. It probably had been Frank and Ella had probably done the rest. She had taught herself as far as she could. Not bad for someone who was allegedly stupider than a cabbage. Rhett and Scarlett were so proud.
Suellen hadn't had the time or the patience for teaching Ella probably not George either if the truth were known. Scarlett decided that Suellen had frighten Ella when she had been trying to teach her to read.
As Rhett watched Ella soak up knowledge like a sponge over the summer with Melanie's slow and patient instruction, Rhett made arrangements for Ella to attend the Asylum the next school year. Rhett decided that Ella would learn a basic education at the Asylum. If needed he could hire a tutor to further her education.
Rhett did make those arrangements. The principal was happy to accommodate Mr. Butler. He wanted to keep Mr. Butler happy. Mr. Butler had helped raise money for the school on several occasions through his contacts with moneyed people. The school principal had no problem with Ella being at the school even though she wasn't deaf because she appeared to be sweet, kind and well-behaved. He had been fine with her attending the school as long as she just took instructions with the other students, she was willing to be taught by sign language and she never asked or expected any special privileges.
Rhett had helped the Asylum raise a lot of money. Rhett knew that a lot of rich people felt guilty about being so rich when others were so poor. It eased their conscience to give money to less fortunate people. Rhett just provided them with a receptacle to paid their guilt money to then their consciences would be soothed and they could go back to their indulgent life. The Asylum let a lot of deaf students attend at no cost. Rhett had always had a soft spot for children and he wanted to see as many deaf children educated as possible. That is why he helped them raise money. He was hailed by the townspeople as a great philanthropic man for all the good he was doing for the Asylum. It always made Scarlett laugh when someone praised him for being so generous with his time and money because she knew Rhett only paid Bonnie's tuition. He didn't donate any of his own money. He just managed to shame other people into donating their money. As he told Scarlett, "I don't feel guilty for being rich. I had to work very hard for all my money."
On July 4th Hartford had a citywide picnic at the park. Everyone was there. Lots of people stopped to speak to the family. Wade was stunned when Mark Twain stopped to speak to his Papa. His Papa knew Mark Twain. Why had Wade never known this before. Wade walked over and interrupted the conversation something Rhett would never have thought he would do. Wade said, "Are you Mark Twain?"
Twain said, "Yes, I am."
"I loved your book about Tom Sawyer."
"Thank you. What's your name?"
"Wade. Wade Hamilton."
"Nice to meet you. I will talk to you about that investment later Butler."
Wade turned to Rhett and said, "Why didn't you tell me you knew Mark Twain?"
"I know him as Sam Clemens. A man that is not a very good business man."
"How can you say that? I love his books."
"Wade, listen to me. This is important. Just because a person is really good at one thing doesn't mean he is good at everything. Mr. Clemens may be a great writer but he is not a good business man."
Wade nodded his head. He was still in awe that his Papa knew Mark Twain personally.
Mammy passed away soon after Gerald in the summer of seventy-seven. Careen telegraphed Scarlett to let her know. Scarlett had telegraphed back that she would not be attending. She had sent twenty dollars and told Careen put out the best spread for the wake that she could. It would be the last one the O'Haras ever did. From now on they would be given by the Benteens. She had decided the day they fled Atlanta that she would never take a chance of seeing Suellen ever again. Therefore, Scarlett didn't attend the funeral. She knew Mammy would understand.
Scarlett grieved for her Pa but was happy he had gotten so many more good years in this timeline. She grieved for Mammy but she also had gotten more good years. Scarlett knew that her Pa had been happy. She knew he had liked and respected Will. She knew that her Pa and Will had loved Tara the same. She was sad that Mammy had passed on. She knew that Mammy had been happy spending her last years at Tara with Careen.
Careen wrote her and describe Mammy's funeral. Careen had telegraphed Father O'Flannery and he had been kind enough to come down and perform the funeral mass. Careen wrote that the Father had asked about her, twice. When Scarlett read that she smirked and thought I still have it. I can even attract a priest. Then she crossed herself and asked for God's forgiveness. She continued reading the letter about the funeral and who came. Then Careen had written, Suellen looked better than I have seen her in a long time. She had lost some weight. She looked like she was getting some exercise. She even smiled a couple of times. George was with her and he looked happy too. She says she has a new gentleman caller. A man named John Hammond. She says he is rich. When she complimented me on the very large spread I had put out for Mammy, I just said thank you and didn't mention that you had sent me the money. This was the first time I had seen her or been in contact with her since the reading of Pa's will. I wanted to maintain the relationship with her therefore I thought it best not to bring up your name. Scarlett agreed that Careen should never mention her to Suellen again. She would tell Careen that in her next letter. Scarlett didn't want Suellen knowing anything about her life but especially not about Ella's life. Careen also said The turn out for Mammy's funeral was amazing. I think everyone in the county came to her funeral. I'm sure all those people came to honor our Mammy not for the free food we were giving out. (Tee Hee.) Scarlett laughed. There was more about the goings on in Clayton County and Will and the boys. It was a nice letter.
Scarlett was glad Suellen was happy and had a rich gentleman caller. She wanted Suellen to have a good life as long as Ella wasn't part of it. Scarlett knew now that she had been a bad older sister to Suellen and that Pa had been a bad parent. Pa and she had treated Suellen badly and that Suellen probably had reason to hate her but they couldn't undo what they had done. She was sorry it had happened but she didn't feel guilty. That was who she was then.
Scarlett wasn't extremely sad or morose over Pa and Mammy's deaths because they had lived long happy lives but she was sad that they were no longer living. Like Wade had said, 'Knowing they are no longer out there in the world.'
The family and their guests went sailing at least three or four times a week. Henry loved it. He had lived all his life in a landlocked city and had never had the opportunity to go sailing. In fact, he had never been on a ship before. Wade and Beau were happy to teach him how to work the sails. He was glad to pitch in.
One time while they were on The Katie Henry studied Melanie. Melanie was happy, really happy. She enjoyed her time working at the school and felt such pride in helping the deaf children. Henry remembered how embarrassed she was when she told him that she was getting paid for her labors. He had assured her there was nothing to be embarrassed about. She deserved to receive money for her labors. He had quipped, "You probably spend all that money buying other people little gifts." When Melly had blushed, he knew it was true. Henry wasn't as set in the old ways as most of Southern society. He believed that women should work if they wanted to work. It would save a lot of widows and spinsters a lot of heartache. Actually, thinking of the number of abused women he knew of maybe not just widows and spinsters.
Henry was enjoying his stay with the Butlers. He enjoyed all the social engagements they had taken him to. He enjoyed having discussions about books and popular new discoveries. The truth was he was tired of talking about the war. Scarlett and Rhett were taking care of his relatives in a fine fashion. Hartford was a beautiful city. He could live here the rest of his life what there was of it. He wouldn't like the winters but he could just stay housebound like Scarlett. Maybe he would move here. Surely there were boarding houses around here. He could just bring Peter with him. He could practice a little law and make a little money. He had a few thousand saved up. That probably would be enough to live on the rest of his life. He smiled and shook his head. He was too old to relocate. No, he would just enjoy his bi-annual visits.
Scarlett and Rhett had reached a compromise on Bonnie's attire for the yacht. Actually, Rhett won that argument completely. Scarlett dressed Bonnie and Ella in summer dresses without hats and let them get as many freckles as Mother Nature saw fit. She, Elizabeth and Melanie continued wearing long sleeve dresses and big floppy hats.
Melanie had written a book to help the deaf children feel better about themselves. Melanie had done some crude drawings. It was obvious that Aunt Melly was no artist. Ella started redrawing the pictures for her Aunt Melly. Ella was a better artist than her Aunt Melly but she wasn't a great artist either. In August Rhett found Ella redrawing the pictures. Rhett asked Ella what she was doing and she explained that she was trying to draw better drawings for her Aunt Melly's story book. Rhett read the story about two deaf children named Bonnie and Beau. They had gotten lost and had used their brains to find their way back home. Rhett thought, 'This would be a great book for all children to read. It would help them see deaf children as the same as them.'
Rhett got an introduction to Sam Clemens' publisher in Hartford. The man, Charles Warner, saw Rhett based on his wealth, reputation and Sam Clemens' introduction. Rhett talked to him about getting the book published.
Mr. Warner said, "The book will need better drawings but yes I think I would be willing to publish it."
Rhett said, "Do you know of an artist?"
"Yes, I do. I will arrange a meeting with you and him. His name is Charles Johnson. Bring the writer so they can confer."
The meeting was arranged. They would meet at the Butler's home in the parlor.
